Well, I wanted to interpret the brief literally. It said "The Number 6", not the digit six, so I was thinking about ways to do that. I had very limited time last week, so was a bit stuck for ideas. I didn't have the right bits to set up the only idea I had, so I was close to giving up.

But when I saw a number 110 bus go past (110 is is indeed the number six, in binary), it jumped out at me, computer geek that I am. My original plan was to attempt a light trails thing, opening the shutter when it signalled to move, and leaving it open on B for a few seconds. But this would clearly have been imprudent, on a Friday night with drinkers milling around so I gave up on that. In the end, I took the photo, hand-held from inside the car, with no expectation that it would be in the least bit interesting.

When I had a look at it, though, there was just one redeeming feature that made me think it was worth submitting.

110 is the number six in binary - the language of computers. And the bus just happened to be parked outside a computer shop, and the reflection of its name is clearly visible in the shot. So the binary number 6, with the reflection (mirror-reversed) of the word "computers" saved the shot for me. I did consider cropping the number plate out, but that was the number 363, not the number six, so I left it in intentionally.

I agree with your comments. Just a bit of amusement for me, really. A photo like the back end of a bus, perhaps...

Not at all disagreeing, just a question.

When you say this, may I ask, where did you eventually find 'the number 6' in my photo?

I knew someone who had a RAID array consisting of a couple of drives mirrored.

The house didn't burn down, but the PSU developed a fault and caused a fire inside the case, which trashed both disks, and vented a lot of smoke out through the exhaust fan.

Personally, I wouldn't use the word "safely" in conjunction with any solution that has all the data inside one case. Or even one building, really - but you pays your money and you takes your choice. There's no single right answer to this one, sadly. Like how good a picture is, "safe enough" is very much in the eye of the beholder.

I don't think I'd go for any IDE drive any more, now that SATA is so well established, and no more expensive.

Current motherboards priced below £100 have 6 SATA connections already, with no need to go to add-on cards. They'll have RAID on board, so you'd be able to pair up the drives for redundancy.

Putting more than 6 drives in a case is getting a bit specialist anyway, and even with 6 you'd be generating a fair amount of heat to worry about.

How much data do you actually need to keep, George? How much of it changes, how often? How much of it really needs to be instantly available?

It may be that 'cheap no good, and good no cheap'.

And enough space between the drives to let air move, and some fans to move it.

One of my earliest memories is in infant school, trying to cut coloured paper with some completely blunt plastic scissors. They only gave us blunt plastic ones so that we couldn't cut ourselves.

My experience was of only frustration and resentment. I'd used proper metal scissors at home without injury, and had made some quite nice Christmas decorations. 'Nice' from the perspective of a five year old, I grant you, but bear with me...

I'm not for a moment suggesting that there's anything wrong with the K100D. Everything I've heard suggests that it's very good.

But I do think that getting the best materials will enhance, not detract from, the learning process. There's no point imposing an artificial constraint by choosing something less capable, just to put you under more pressure to improve.

If you care enough about quality, you'll create enough pressure on yourself without asking the equipment to add even more.

I paid £700 at Jessops in January for my K10D and 18-55.

Now it's £500.

Should I have waited?

NO WAY!!

I've had a lot of fun with it in the last 6 months. Learned a lot, taken a few pics I'm pleased with, and lots that other people like.

Well worth the £200. You can't worry forever about the fact that the price will be lower tomorrow. That way lies never having the thing at all.

I like the pictures.

But please:

Lightning is the subject of the pictures.

Lightening is what you do if something's too dark.

Sorry, pedant mode off now

Lightening, perhaps.