General Dynamics Itronix Floppy disk drive

Advantages: quicker than floppys, holds several hundread MBs of data, easy to carry around
Disadvantages: will need a zip drive, not all computers will have them

...drives have been around for a few years now this price is dropping all the time. If you are wondering what 250MB of data storage will hold then think of a CD (Compact Disk); a zip disk can of 250MB can hold roughly half of what a CD can hold. That is pretty impressive as ZIP disks can be easily placed in a pocket and are not so delicate as CDs, for example CDs can be scratched easily and dust settling on them makes them not work. HOW A ZIP DRIVE WORKS (Briefly) When you insert a Zip disk into the drive, the metal sheild slides to one side to expose a small opening along the leading edge of the plastic case. A metal hub in the cookie is engaged by a motor that spins at 3,000 rpm. This gives the drive a faster access time than a regular floppy turning at 360 rpm. When the disk is fully inserted, the hole in its casing matches up with a hole... Read review

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Advantages: Compact
Disadvantages: Small 1.44MB storage space

...PHONES NEAR FLOPPY DISKS Floppy disks are very expensive with some costing up to 50p or more each. At Uni they cost £1 for ONE. Lets use 20p as an example price per disk and say the standard hard drive is 80GB (which it roughly is now) it would cost £11959.12 to buy 80GB in floppy disks, when you can get an 80GB hard drive for about £40. Consider other alternatives for example, and which will save money in the long run ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 700MB CD-R's. Costs about £10 per pack of 100. 10p per disk. Costs £11.70 for 80GB, but each disk can only be written on once. 700MB CD-RW's. Costs about £10 per pack of 25. 40p per disk. Costs £46.81 for 80GB, but each disk can be written on again and again. 256MB USB Flash Disk. The prices range from £12 - £75 depending on the size... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, efficient, safe data, portable, no extra power needed
Disadvantages: Pricey, noisy at PC startup

...Iomega are no doubt best known for their ZIP drives and disks. The ZIP disk is the best thing in file transfer since a floppy disk - it looks similar and is also used in the same way. Just stick the disk in the drive and start copying files just as you would with anything else! This review will focus on my external Zip250 drive, but also a little on the disks too. **ZIP Disks** Although they look similar and are roughly the same size, the disks themselves are much chunkier and heavier than floppy disks. However, the maximum capacity ones can store over 400x the amount you can on a floppy disk, which is very good. Providing you take care of them one disk can last a very long time -- I've had mine over 2 years now. They are generally pretty fast - copying a 50mb file will take just a few minutes. They're also very easy to use, no more... Read review

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