![]() It utilized very small (approximately 2 x 2 x 0.7 inches) magnetic floppy disks and equally small drives, including one that fit into a standard PCMCIA card slot. In 1999, Iomega introduced Clik!-a small, pocket-sized removable storage system. With the 750 MB drive, Zip disks surpassed the 650 MB capacity of a CD-R for the first time. This captured attention in the press, but it arrived too late to make much of a difference in the market. This drive utilized 750 MB disks but remained backward-compatible with the 100 and 250 MB disks. In 2002, the company launched the Zip 750 (above, center) for $180. After the initial 100 MB drive, Iomega released a 250 MB (above, right) in 1999 for $199. Over its lifespan, the Zip brand had three disk sizes. But unlike the floppy, this disk spun at a very high 2,968 RPM, which allowed the much faster data transfer rates. Like the 3.5-inch floppy, each Zip disk contained rotating flexible magnetic media inside. They had a hard, rugged shell with a spring-loaded metal shutter. Measuring 4 x 4 x 0.25 inches, they were only slightly larger than the 3.5-inch floppies. The Original Zip Disks IomegaĪfter you formatted Zip’s original 100 MB disks (in MS-DOS or Windows), they stored about 96 MB of data. Iomega later introduced an internal version of the ZIP drive that fit in a standard 5.25-inch drive bay, but the external models (shown above) remained more popular. You could see the label of an inserted disk without ejecting it thanks to a window on top of the drive. It followed a deep channel out to the back of the unit to prevent accidental unplugging when the drive was reading or writing data. You inserted the power plug at a right angle. Zip’s design bristled with smart touches, including two sets of rubber feet, so people could position the drive vertically or horizontally. Small and light, the drive measured about 7.2 x 5.3 x 1.5 inches and weighed under one pound. Its deep indigo color stood out in a world of beige PCs and Macs. A Stylish Design IomegaĬompared to the standards of the day, the original Zip drive’s industrial design felt cool and modern. To celebrate its 25th birthday, let’s take a look at what made Zip so zippy, how the brand changed over time, and what eventually killed it.
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