Quetion about Time Machine as backup for college student

[rgG]

Ammo wrote:
[quote=macbeergeek]
[quote=rgG]
[quote=mikebw]
Since Time Machine is not a fully bootable backup if her hard drive ever fails or is wiped it will be necessary to also have the original system install discs on hand. No reason to do more than TM backups unless she doesn't have or is likely to lose the system restore discs.

She just got the MBP, so we do have the original discs. Since where she is going to school is only about 60 miles away, I will probably keep them here at home. I could always drive over with them, if she needed them.
Or you could burn a duplicate set for her to keep, which might save you the 60 mile drive for something as simple as needing to run Disk Utility to fix a wonky catalog.
Is it possible to do the same thing with a thumb drive or SD card?
I tried to make a copy of my iMac's install discs a while back and was unsuccessful. I think I may have just needed a DL DVD or maybe I might have needed to burn it in toast. Anyway, I was never able to get it to work. If anyone has any suggestions about what I might have been doing wrong, feel free to chime in.