zipdrives are obsolete

[MaxDSP]

<< Why not get one of those usb memory key chain things? Just about every computer has a usb port. It would be cheaper than getting a zip drive and media. >>



yea, these things are horrendously expensive. Once the technology becomes better, they may become affordable for the larger sizes. The 512MB (or is it the 1 GB?) versions of some of these go for like $1000+. That's absolutly ridiculous, unless the convenience is worth it for you.

 

[spanky]

kami: a few minutes to backup say a 30mb file? on zip...it would take like 20 seconds. again, i stress...i'm not saying zips are better than cdr's. but in certain scenerios, i would prefer to use a zip as opposed to a cdr. thus supporting my arguement against cuteybunny's original comment that zips are obsolete. i think cuteybunny should just make a poll on this subject.

 

[Wedesdo]

<< its not totally usless. its probably faster/easier to transfer certain things onto a zip disk than a cdr. for example...if i wanted to transfer a 10mb powepoint doc...obviously its not going to fit onto a floppy. so i would use a zip. i would not, however, want to open up a cd-burning program, and go thru the chore of making the image, and then burning the cd. know what i'm getting at? >>


Took 38 seconds with Nero and my Plextor/Iomega (ultimate irony...) 12x CD-RW... You were saying?

 

[Jerboy]

<<
True. But even my zips didn't hold enough for the stuff I did. I never use my zip drive anymore. I wish CD-RW's were more universally used at schools. Maybe now that prices have dropped to more acceptable levels they will. >>




Oh heavens forbid that at my school.. Think about all those poor kids who can't afford to buy music would be hogging the computer pirating his/her friend's CD.

 

[spanky]

<< Took 38 seconds with Nero and my Plextor/Iomega (ultimate irony...) 12x CD-RW... You were saying? >>




geez, u really want to be nit picky? it took like 8 seconds on my usb zip. happy?

 

[yoda291]

I never saw the use of zips. If I needed to store something large, I"d burn it. Something smaller that I only needed for the day, a floppy(that's about how long I trust the data to be safe on a floppy). Anything in the middle, I'll either upload it to the web, throw it into my ftp here at home, or email it to myself. Maybe it's like crack cocaine, you can live fine without them, but once you start, it's over.

 

[cuteybunny]

zip drive are almost as old as floppy itself, some people still using it doesn't make it not obsolete just like removable harddrive. but since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media. you can rewrite just as much. but the fact is cd require better care then zip, it is not protected in a sleeve. making it much more expensive, 10 dollar per megs, or 10 per 250 megs is the most economical way for a backup media. Floppy on the otherhand is much cheaper and serve only one uses, to boot up your computer if you can't boot from harddrive. at best buy, there was huge section of cdr/cdrw media but the zip media was in a very small section as if it hiding from the consumer

 

[ultimatebob]

<<

<< Actually, Zip drives are still quite useful on the Mac platform. You can't even GET an internal floppy drive from Apple anymore, and Mac OS allows you to boot from Zip disks. With 100 (or 250) MB of space on a Zip, you can make a really cool system restore disk that will let you fix corrupted file systems or copy files off of the drive.

Besides, even floppy drives are useful for certain tasks on PC's. Things like making boot disks for BIOS updates and OS install/repair disks. >>

Floppies are now useless, especially for what you described. There is not one thing that can't be done with CD-ROMs that you have mentioned about floppies. You can create boot disks with CDs, store all your BIOS updates as well as 600-700MB of whatever the hell you want. I have made several boot CDs and they are awesome. Boot the comp to a clean DOS prompt with CD-ROM support in 2 seconds.

-RSI >>



Many utilities like Partition Magic and Norton Ghost allow for easy creation of recovery diskettes, and DO NOT have an option for creating a bootable CD. Sure, you could have to spend an extra 30 minutes or so to create one, but why bother? Also, most BIOS updates come in a bootable diskette image format, and many operating systems such as Windows NT have problems with installing from a CD.

 

[Jzero]

<< zip drive are almost as old as floppy itself, some people still using it doesn't make it not obsolete just like removable harddrive. but since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media. you can rewrite just as much. but the fact is cd require better care then zip, it is not protected in a sleeve. making it much more expensive, 10 dollar per megs, or 10 per 250 megs is the most economical way for a backup media. Floppy on the otherhand is much cheaper and serve only one uses, to boot up your computer if you can't boot from harddrive. at best buy, there was huge section of cdr/cdrw media but the zip media was in a very small section as if it hiding from the consumer >>



Zip drives are maybe 25% as old as floppy drives. Floppy drives have been in existence for at least 30 years, probably more. Zips have been around....what? 5? 10?
The end all is that it's EASIER to rewrite to a Zip than it is to rewrite to a CD. I can't right-click rename a file on a CD. I can't access it that easily. They're not obsolete, you just have to have a use for it. Just b/c you don't have a use for it doesn't make it obsolete.

 

[spanky]

are cdr(w)'s more popular than zips? yes. are zips obsolete? no.

since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media

cdrw's are not as great as u make them to be. the procedure of overwriting them is a pain in the butt IMHO. formatting a zip is faster/easier.

 

[ultimatebob]

<< zip drive are almost as old as floppy itself, some people still using it doesn't make it not obsolete just like removable harddrive. but since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media. you can rewrite just as much. but the fact is cd require better care then zip, it is not protected in a sleeve. making it much more expensive, 10 dollar per megs, or 10 per 250 megs is the most economical way for a backup media. Floppy on the otherhand is much cheaper and serve only one uses, to boot up your computer if you can't boot from harddrive. at best buy, there was huge section of cdr/cdrw media but the zip media was in a very small section as if it hiding from the consumer >>



Great... Now all you have to do is convince all those people and companies who spent $250 on a zip drive and 10 disks two years ago to throw them out and get CD-RW's! Good luck!

Seriously, though. The Zip drive is on the way out, but it was once useful a few years ago. That's why lots of people still have them! It will probably take another few years to convince the majority of people to switch, espically when most computers still aren't coming preinstalled with CD-RW's and easy to use CD Burning software.

 

[Electrode]

Zip disks are anything but obsolete.

Can you boot Windows 98 off of a CD-R? No.
Can you boot Windows 98 off of a 250mb Zip disk? Yes.

No flame replies please, I am only stating simple facts.

 

[Looney]

zip drive are almost as old as floppy itself, some people still using it doesn't make it not obsolete just like removable harddrive. but since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media. you can rewrite just as much. but the fact is cd require better care then zip, it is not protected in a sleeve. making it much more expensive, 10 dollar per megs, or 10 per 250 megs is the most economical way for a backup media. Floppy on the otherhand is much cheaper and serve only one uses, to boot up your computer if you can't boot from harddrive. at best buy, there was huge section of cdr/cdrw media but the zip media was in a very small section as if it hiding from the consumer

LOL you're still obsessed with CDRW?

First, zip isn't as old as floppy itself. Floppy has been in use for about 15 years, whereas the zip is about 5 years old. And your definition of obsolete is entirely wrong.. if some people ARE using it, then it is useful and NOT obsolete. It becomes obsolete when people stop using them, like the CDRW.

At my university, and i assume it's like that for most universities and colleges, zipdrive are much more popular. Infact, i doubt i've ever seen a single university computer that is equipped with a CDRW and the correct software to read them.

 

[WilsonTung]

I use my CD-RW for archiving large files or files I want to keep permanently

I use my ZIP100 drive for quick backups - it's fast and I don't need to use anything other than Windows Explorer to do it.

ZIP still has convenience in its favor

 

[kgraeme]

<< zip drive are almost as old as floppy itself, some people still using it doesn't make it not obsolete just like removable harddrive. but since the introduction of CDRW, there is no reason to use zip media. >>



LOL!!!!!!!!!

You are a kiddie, aren't you? CDRW is 7 years older than Zip.

The CDRW was introduced in 1988 by Philips and Sony. Link

The Zip drive was introduced in 1995. Link

I actually had an old 1x CD burner. Man was that slow!

(IIRC, the 3.5" floppy was introduced in 1980 by Sony. Anybody here have the really old 8" floppies?)