Comparison: cloning or imaging?

[Char_X]

Such a question emerged..
What is more reliable, convenient and efficient to save data: backup on CD, imaging partition or just cloning whole HDD on another hard drive?
There are own reasons for each point, for example image contains all information of partition even about file system and is convenient to restore operation system. But cloning HDD allows not losing all information and restoring the whole drive if it is necessary, besides it's a small probability for crashing all drives at the same time; but it demands much more space...
What is your opinion?
What way is worth to be done?

 

[Nodsu]

Backups are for wusses

The best backup solution is the one that best suits your habits, needs and possibilities.

From archival point of view or if you have only a handful of documents that are crucial then the CD option is best. Once you have written the data it cannot be erased and the backups are kept away from your computer meaning that when your machine is nuked or nicked you still have your backups.

A partition or a disk image lets you keep the whole file system and it can be completely automated running in the background without the problem of the user "forgetting" to make the backups. On the other hand, the disk/partition images reside in your computer and can be lost just as easily as your original data.