2000-era Zip disk == 2014-era external Zip drive compatible?

Question

2000-era Zip disk == 2014-era external Zip drive compatible?

Hello,

Way back in 2000 or so (when I used to do DTP & artworking), I installed one of these internal IDE Zip 100 drives on my non-USB, PCI-card-only Windows PC:

Internal IDE ZIP 100 Drive

I have tons of zip disks with terrabytes of old work files on 'em.

Fast-forward to now. My old my non-USB, PCI-card-only Windows PC with the above IDE Zip drive is no more. I need to buy an external USB Zip drive for my G4 (running Tiger) so that I can access all those old files stored on all my old circa 2000 Zip disks. My question, therefore, is: Does anybody know whether or not my 2000-era Zip disks are compatible with any of these more modern external USB Zip drives?

Iomega ZIP 100MB USB External Disk Drive

IOMEGA ZIP 250 USB DRIVE

Thanks in advance for your help.

NB: I MUST buy a USB Zip drive so that I can use it on my new 2014-era Windows laptop

Posted on Apr 2, 2014 5:45 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

82,953 points

Apr 2, 2014 6:24 AM in response to l'il john l'concharoo

I strongly recommend getting your data onto a better format.

250 MB is paltry in terms of the space you can get on a current USB Flash drive. 2 GB (stores 7 to 8 of the 250 MB drives) Flash drives are easy to find at CVS and Big Lots stores.

That said, first off, the 250 MB drive may work in 10.4 on a PowerMac. But there is no software for it to work on Intel Macs except under Windows on those Macs. Here's the report of it working up to 10.4.4 on a PowerMac:

http://download.cnet.com/IomegaWare-OS-X/3000-2122_4-10200791.html

You can always put in a second ATA/IDE drive in the PowerMac and install just 10.4.4 for that purpose.

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Answer 2

Apr 2, 2014 6:41 AM in response to a brody

Thanks for that link a brody.

a brody wrote:

I strongly recommend getting your data onto a better format...

Right. That IS the point of this whole exercise 🙂. Of course, I first need to get a compatible drive that can read the disks in order to transfer it into that better format. But you knew that, I'm sure.

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Answer 3

Apr 2, 2014 12:17 PM in response to l'il john l'concharoo

Here is the Straight Dope; right from the horses mouth:

Is the Zip® 250 drive compatible with my Zip® 100 disks?

Document # 30008.html

The Iomega® Zip® 250 drive is fully read/write compatible with Zip 100 disks. Performance with a Zip 250 drive reading and writing to a Zip 100 disk may be slower than with a Zip 250 disk.

Note: You cannot use Zip 250 disks in a Zip 100 drive. If you place a 250 disk in a Zip 100 drive, the drive will immediately eject the disk.

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