Thanks, paulr. Very thoughtful post.

I would just add one clarification to your excellent protocol. This scheme is probably best limited to just data files, like documents, Quicken files, etc. The kind of scenarios that would necessitate having a backup in a geographically distant location (earthquake, flood, fire, etc.) would likely destroy your computer. Unless you were buying exactly the same model, you would unlikely need to recreate your operating system. You can keep those kinds of backups close by your PC (protected, of course). That should help minimize the number of CD's that need to be mailed.