Re: Why a Zip Drive?

[madsci@tribeca.ios.com (Eric Dietrich)]

> From what I have read, the EZ is just a cheap version of the old syquest 
> technology they have been using for years.  My brother once knocked his 
> cartridge off his desk.  His data was completely gone.  The ZIP is some 
> completely new technology (ie. NOT bernoulli, NOT floptical).  They 
> claim the disks can withstand an 8 foot drop.  I have about 15 and I 
> take them everywhere (and I'm not at all gentle with them).  I haven't 
> had one go bad yet.

I'll second that vote for the Zip.  I've used mine on just about
everything that has SCSI, from my IIgs to my macs and even a PC or two,
and the drive seems happy just about anywhere.  The disks are rugged (the
ones we have at work are abused continually) and have never missed a beat.

Last week my boss was waiting on a subway platform in New York City when
he dropped a zip disk, in its case, over the side.  It landed in between
the tracks in the drainage channel.  He was going to jump down to get it,
but a train was coming.  So he waited, cringing as tons of steel and
several sets of 600VDC motors rumbled over top the disk.  After the train
had departed, he got the cart and took it home.  The jewel case was
cracked, but the disk was intact.  Norton Disk Doctor reports no errors.


The drive seems to be more Apple friendly then the Syquest; it acts just
like a floppy does (and like any removable drive should under GS/OS or
MacOS).  Its light (except for the powerbrick) and small.

-Eric