CD-R and CD-RW disks do wear out because of the heat created by the lasers used to burn them. However, the methods used to create store bought CD's do not create these problems, and experts are currently speculating they will last at least 30 years if properly cared for.
Because you'll save thousands of dollars by building your own box, you'll be able to cheaply replace your own drives, and you'll be able to use it for functions in addition to storage.
I built a Raid 5 box with 900GB of usable space using a 3Ware card and 300GB HD's. Aside for patching, I haven't had to take it down in 2 years. 3Ware makes a very stable (and inexpensive) hardware controller.
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CD-R and CD-RW disks do wear out because of the heat created by the lasers used to burn them. However, the methods used to create store bought CD's do not create these problems, and experts are currently speculating they will last at least 30 years if properly cared for.
Because you'll save thousands of dollars by building your own box, you'll be able to cheaply replace your own drives, and you'll be able to use it for functions in addition to storage.
I built a Raid 5 box with 900GB of usable space using a 3Ware card and 300GB HD's. Aside for patching, I haven't had to take it down in 2 years. 3Ware makes a very stable (and inexpensive) hardware controller.