I think the best solution is to connect the HD to a newer Mac (like a G3), make a Disk Copy image of it, and then move that to reliable storage (backup drive, online backup, etc)
You also should be able to do this from a PC (using dd from Linux), but you would need a PC with an (old) SCSI card and the correct cables.
It sounds like you don't have any other Macs around though--if you post where you live, maybe there's someone nearby who would help?
It would be possible to put it on a network with a PC (the 650 has Ethernet, just needs a AAUI transceiver) and somehow move files over that way, but I understand if you don't want to mess with the existing system software.
A Zip drive could work also, they're pretty cheap in SCSI/USB forms. You'd still need to get some Mac software onto the machine to compress/pack the files though, which could be tough if you don't have another Mac. Also all the files might not fit on a 100 MB ZIP disk.
I would shy away from backing up to tape or zip or another similarly old format--that media can and will go bad. You need to back it up to a file that can be copied to the internet or modern backup drives.
You also should be able to do this from a PC (using dd from Linux), but you would need a PC with an (old) SCSI card and the correct cables.
It sounds like you don't have any other Macs around though--if you post where you live, maybe there's someone nearby who would help?
It would be possible to put it on a network with a PC (the 650 has Ethernet, just needs a AAUI transceiver) and somehow move files over that way, but I understand if you don't want to mess with the existing system software.
A Zip drive could work also, they're pretty cheap in SCSI/USB forms. You'd still need to get some Mac software onto the machine to compress/pack the files though, which could be tough if you don't have another Mac. Also all the files might not fit on a 100 MB ZIP disk.
I would shy away from backing up to tape or zip or another similarly old format--that media can and will go bad. You need to back it up to a file that can be copied to the internet or modern backup drives.