Zip Drives Come in New Flavors

Iomega adds to its lineup of external Zip drives with new 100MB and 250MB USB models.

Alan Stafford, PCWorld.com

While Iomega's Zip drive hasn't replaced the standard floppy drive, Zip disks have become nearly as ubiquitous as America Online CD-ROMs. For those who like to count, Iomega now offers ten different Zip drives, including 100MB, 250MB, internal, external, and notebook configurations. The two latest versions--the Zip 100MB USB drive and the Zip 250 USB Powered--offer new variations on the theme.

The Zip 100 USB, as its name implies, accepts only the original, 100MB Zip disks, but the drive costs only $100. Other than a new look--which actually makes it even bigger, so it's harder to lug around--this drive is no different from the External Zip 100MB USB that it replaces.

The other new kid on the block, the Zip 250 USB Powered, is exactly like the External Zip 250 USB drive, except it doesn't require an AC adapter. Instead, it draws power from your system through the USB cable. The drive is about half the size and weight of the Zip 100 USB, so it's much more portable. But at $180 the drive costs almost twice as much as its sibling. Because this model is backward-compatible, it accepts both 250MB disks and the older Zip 100MB disks.

Zip drives and the disks that feed them still serve a variety of uses, because they hit the sweet spot between floppy drives (or e-mail messaging) and hard drive storage. They're as easy to use as a floppy drive, but have much greater capacity. The disks are smaller than CDs, so they're more portable. As a result, they still make sense for people with medium-size storage needs, such as transporting graphics files; small, quick backups of a few folders; or taking home all those MP3 files you downloaded on the corporate T1 line.

Zippy or Drippy Performance?

You'll never confuse a Zip drive with a hard drive in a speed contest. Even CD-Rewritable drives (6X or better) have become faster than Zips. However, Zip remains easy to use and is one of the most universally adopted removable storage formats around, right up there with the floppy drive. Plus, Zip drives still smoke the lowly floppy in copy times.

Iomega claims a maximum sustained transfer rate of 900KB per second for the Zip 250 USB Powered drive, and 700KB/second for the Zip USB 100MB. Of course, those specifications reflect ideal conditions: connecting the drive to a fast system and copying a single file, when no other devices are using the USB port simultaneously. In more realistic tests using folders full of image, text, and application files, we saw average maximum speeds of about 600KB/second with both drives, including the time required for the drive to spin down. For our tests, we used a 250MB disk with the 250MB drive and a 100MB disk with the 100MB drive.

Although the 250MB drive is backward-compatible with 100MB disks, its write performance is significantly slower when using 100MB disks--taking up to four times as long to copy a block of data as it would to a 250MB disk. Iomega says the Zip 250 drive is slower with 100MB disks because it's optimized to read the narrower tracks of a 250MB disk. Read performance, however, is not noticeably affected.

Zipped Up Tight?

These two Zip drives do differ in some respects, though. Despite being much less expensive, the Zip 100 feels substantially sturdier, thanks to its larger and heavier case. The Zip 250, while much more attractive, flexes a bit if pressed on--so don't plan to stack other devices on top of it.

The Zip 250's strong suit is its portability. Since the Zip 250 lacks a power cable, you can carry it around easily and even use it with a notebook; you need only to keep track of the USB cable. (The drive does require a powered USB port, so an unpowered hub or the extra port on a USB keyboard won't work). And its small, thin case fits easily into a backpack or even a coat pocket.

Another point of differentiation is the manner in which each drive handles disks. The Zip 100's approach is the more genteel: As a disk is being ejected, the drive makes a quiet thudding sound. By comparison, the Zip 250 gathers steam and then flings the disk out with a gratingly sharp screee! noise. You'll get to enjoy that lovely sound every time you boot up or restart.

Disk Issues

The Zip 250 USB Powered comes with one of Iomega's newly restyled Zip disks, which the company has dubbed the Titanium U250 Zip disk. The Titanium disk sports a rounded rear and is a little thinner at the back. Iomega calls it a "premium" disk, because it contains a layer of titanium inside, and its ten-year warranty is twice that of the old disks. A single Titanium U250 disk costs $18; prices are expected to fall by a couple of dollars each on the older Zip 250 disks.

In contrast, a three-pack of 100MB disks costs $32.

When choosing between the two drives, note that some Zip drive versions don't include a starter disk (but do include an installation CD-ROM with the drivers). The Zip 100 USB doesn't include one; the Zip 250 USB Powered does.

Zip Options

Iomega seems to have responded to the threat posed by CD-RW drives by diversifying, providing enough options and beginning at a low enough price to prompt some people to choose Zip over CDs. Optical discs have become much less expensive than Zip disks, but Zip disks are still more portable and durable. If you want to carry the drive itself with you, the Zip remains a better and more affordable option, since USB CD-RW drives are still slower and more expensive than internal drives.

If Zip seems like the right external storage choice for your needs, either of these models should serve you well. The diminutive size and portability of the Zip 250 USB Powered makes it an attractive option for people who will often transport the drive and not just the disks that go in it. While we like the sturdiness and low price of the Zip 100 USB, its large case makes it harder to truck around--especially when you factor in the weight and inconvenience of the AC adapter. Plus, it's amazing how quickly you can go through 100MB these days, so the drive's lower capacity might diminish its usefulness.