Imaging a standard Mac build for future use...

What would be the best way to take an image of a Mac that has,been built
with 
a standard set of 3rd party apps, so that a DVD could be created that
could 
be used to rebuild the machine to the standard state if needed?

I suppose for 10.5 an external hard disk with a time machine backup could
do 
it. Would a single TM backup be sufficient if there where multiple
machines 
with the same starting standard install, if any of them needed put back to

the standard state. After it is image you could change the machine name
etc. 
in System Prefs.

I'm looking at devices or DVDs to be used directly on the machines in 
question and not tools to image and install apps over the network. I'm 
already testing Jamf Casper Suite and Apple RD3 for this. Sometimes it'll
be 
better to reimage a machine directly and not over the network.

Ian

-- 
Ian Robinson, Belfast, UK
<http://www.canicula.com/wp/>