Zip 100MB Value Drive

Even though most folks have moved on to higher capacity backup devices, the little Zip drive still has its place in the world. Most of us don't have CD burners on our laptops, so the inability to back up files on the road presents a little potential nightmare that we'd all like to avoid. Add the ability to shuttle files between computers and the fact that a lot of people still have Zip drives and you can see the little gadget's value. Iomega's new 100MB Zip USB VL-Series drive provides two advantages over the old parallel-port clunker I keep around. First, it will be available in August at a U.S. suggested retail price of $69.95 (not a bad price for a back-up device). Second, it doesn't need a power adapter. Just plug it into a USB port and it's good to go, connecting to a host computer with a single USB cable. The drive is compatible with all Iomega Zip 100MB disks, and comes with a USB cable and IomegaWare software for Macintosh, Windows, and Linux. Sounds like Iomega is cutting costs on the packaging too. The drives will be sold in clear blister packs for display on wall pegs in stores.