Comments on: Iomega’s Zip Drive is back with a vengeance http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/ Gadgets, gear and computer hardware. Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:58:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: VideoGuy http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558633 VideoGuy Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:38:56 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558633 OK, after checking out the website, the 70g disks are $70/ea, and the drives themselves are $600 retail. Average seek time is 12ms(read) and 13ms(write), spindle speed is a paltry 4200rpm. Since it's USB, transfer speeds may be additionally throttled by the controller, but assuming no external throttling, they claim burst transfer rates of 60mb/sec with a max data transfer rate on the outer disk of 25mb/sec and 12.5mb/sec for inner disk. In other words, expensive, with slow read/write rates, lousy spindle speed and poor transfer rates in comparison to just about any 'average' hard drive you can buy. Iomega is pitching it as competition for small to medium companies which currently use tape backup and for that I suppose it could be (more-or-less) a decent alternative, but they're also pitching it to a secondary market of people who want to use it for their digital media content... Personally, I don't think the economics work in that scenario... OK, after checking out the website, the 70g disks are $70/ea, and the drives themselves are $600 retail. Average seek time is 12ms(read) and 13ms(write), spindle speed is a paltry 4200rpm. Since it’s USB, transfer speeds may be additionally throttled by the controller, but assuming no external throttling, they claim burst transfer rates of 60mb/sec with a max data transfer rate on the outer disk of 25mb/sec and 12.5mb/sec for inner disk. In other words, expensive, with slow read/write rates, lousy spindle speed and poor transfer rates in comparison to just about any ‘average’ hard drive you can buy.

Iomega is pitching it as competition for small to medium companies which currently use tape backup and for that I suppose it could be (more-or-less) a decent alternative, but they’re also pitching it to a secondary market of people who want to use it for their digital media content… Personally, I don’t think the economics work in that scenario…

]]> By: VideoGuy http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558609 VideoGuy Wed, 09 Jan 2008 23:15:37 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558609 You know, like many of you my initial reaction was "WTF, who needs this POS," but upon reflection a product like this might actually make sense for me... I work with video for a living and it is not uncommon for me to have large quantities (50gb+ is common) of raw and edited video data which I want to archive for completed projects. That's a lot of DVD-Rs for a project, but simply chucking it on a big HD has not been an adequate long-term solution for me either- what if the drive fails? With this solution, since the read/write heads and motors (the parts that typically fail on a HD) are separate from the platters (making it essentially non-volatile storage), if the moving parts fail, I'm not SOL, or paying someone big-bucks to (maybe) retrieve my data in a clean-room somewhere... Now admittedly, I'm a 'niche user,' so I'm far from an indicator of a viable market, and the cost per disk would have to be low enough to make sense vs. an actual HD, and/or the major hassle of burning off several DVD-Rs at the end of every project lifecycle. Assuming the price is right, I could see myself using it, though... You know, like many of you my initial reaction was “WTF, who needs this POS,” but upon reflection a product like this might actually make sense for me…

I work with video for a living and it is not uncommon for me to have large quantities (50gb+ is common) of raw and edited video data which I want to archive for completed projects. That’s a lot of DVD-Rs for a project, but simply chucking it on a big HD has not been an adequate long-term solution for me either- what if the drive fails? With this solution, since the read/write heads and motors (the parts that typically fail on a HD) are separate from the platters (making it essentially non-volatile storage), if the moving parts fail, I’m not SOL, or paying someone big-bucks to (maybe) retrieve my data in a clean-room somewhere…

Now admittedly, I’m a ‘niche user,’ so I’m far from an indicator of a viable market, and the cost per disk would have to be low enough to make sense vs. an actual HD, and/or the major hassle of burning off several DVD-Rs at the end of every project lifecycle. Assuming the price is right, I could see myself using it, though…

]]> By: Nick http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558411 Nick Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:59:17 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558411 What is the price? What is the price?

]]> By: Jarett http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558407 Jarett Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:47:51 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558407 Assuming (rather safely) that these things will never catch on, you'll need to carry around your disk and the drive with you. Good thing that'll be easier and lighter than carrying around a USB hard drive. Oh, wait. Assuming (rather safely) that these things will never catch on, you’ll need to carry around your disk and the drive with you. Good thing that’ll be easier and lighter than carrying around a USB hard drive.

Oh, wait.

]]> By: John Zeratsky http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558397 John Zeratsky Wed, 09 Jan 2008 17:34:22 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558397 There are probably a few people that need 70GB removable read/write storage, but the vast majority don't. Hopefully Iomega will find success in selling to those few. There are probably a few people that need 70GB removable read/write storage, but the vast majority don’t. Hopefully Iomega will find success in selling to those few.

]]> By: mortsahl http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558350 mortsahl Wed, 09 Jan 2008 16:35:19 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558350 More click of death? After being ripped off for 2 Zip drives that clicked themselves to death within 90 days, never again. More click of death? After being ripped off for 2 Zip drives that clicked themselves to death within 90 days, never again.

]]> By: Alex http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558068 Alex Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:26:37 +0000 http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/01/08/iomegas-zip-drive-is-back-with-a-vengeance/#comment-558068 Iomega is dead to me. I remember trying to install a zip drive in a computer I had about 10 years ago. Total P.O.S. product with lousy tech support. (The zip drive, not the computer.) Never again. Iomega is dead to me. I remember trying to install a zip drive in a computer I had about 10 years ago. Total P.O.S. product with lousy tech support. (The zip drive, not the computer.) Never again.

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