Zip drive

A Zip drive and Zip disk is a hardware data storage device developed by Iomega that functions like a standard 1.44" floppy drive and diskette. What makes the Iomega Zip drive unique is its capability to hold up to 100 MB, 250 MB, or 750 MB of data on the later models. Iomega Zip drives became popular in late 1990s but quickly became less popular as users needed larger storage capabilities. The drive was eventually replaced by CD-R (compact disc recordable) and CD-RW (compact disc re-writable) drives and discs as they became cheaper since they offered more storage and compatibility.

In the picture is an Iomega Zip disk that is bigger than a floppy diskette and made of a much harder plastic. Much like a floppy diskette, the Zip disk contains a magnetic circular disk that holds information. To read and write information on a Zip diskette, it is placed into a Zip drive that moves the metal cover exposing the magnetic disk.

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