If you're in LTO5 land, you can get away with U320 SCSI instead of FC, and this can cut your costs in half. (Chances are if you're asking this question, you're the kind of user who won't be impacted much by the slower R/W speeds).
Also, library units are often cheaper than standalone drives for reasons I don't quite understand. I purchased a 12 tape autostacker for around $250 shipped, paid another company about $50 for the upgrade to make it 24 tapes, and another $50 for the HBA.
Also, library units are often cheaper than standalone drives for reasons I don't quite understand. I purchased a 12 tape autostacker for around $250 shipped, paid another company about $50 for the upgrade to make it 24 tapes, and another $50 for the HBA.