| Cost of Drive | Capacity (GB) | Transfer Rate (MB/sec) | Unit Media Cost | Cost/GB for media | # Needed for 20 GB | |
| CD-R | $200 | 0.65 | 1.2 (8x unit) | $1.50 | $2.31 | 31 |
| CD-R/W | $250 | 0.65 | 1.2 (8x unit) | $4 | $6.15 | 31 |
| DVD-R (4.7GB) | $5,400 | 4.7 | 1.4 | $45 | $9.57 | 4 |
| DVD-R (3.95 GB) | $5,400 | 3.95 | 1.4 | $40 | $10.13 | 5 |
| DVD-RAM (single) | $500 | 2.6 | 1.4 | $30 | $11.54 | 8 |
| DVD-RAM (double) | $500 | 5.2 | 1.4 | $40 | $7.69 | 4 |
| DLT-IV (Digital Linear Tape) | $2,000+ | 20 | 1.5 | $70 | $3.50 | 1 |
| Magnetic Disk | $160-$1,000 | 20 | 5–40 | * | $8 - $50 | 1 |
| Jaz | $300 | 2 | 4.9–8.7 | $100 | $50 | 10 |
| Zip | $150 | 0.25 | .8–2.4 | $15 | $60 | 80 |
* for magnetic disks, the cost is based on the drive itself; there are no separate media costs. Magnetic disks have substantial variance in pricing reflecting interface (IDE or SCSI), speed, and reliability. Courtesy of Tim Au Yeung, Manager of Digital Intiatives, Information Resources Press, University of Calgary.
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