I hope I have helped you decide what removable-media drive is best for your needs (or that you don’t need a removable-media drive). The speed of the “disk” depends on your Internet connection speed.

Online StorageĪnother option if you need more storage space or to back-up files is FreeDrive, which gives you 20 MB of Internet storage space for free.

They are less expensive than a SuperDisk drive. These drives are best for using your old floppy disks and for slowly transferring small files to and from other computers that also have floppy drives. These have the same capabilities as the internal Apple SuperDrives (not to be confused with SuperDisk drives).* As you probably already know, the formatted capacity of high-density floppy disks is 1.44 MB. Regular USB floppy disk drives are made by VST, Mactell, Microtech, and Newer Technologies. The Imation drive is five bucks cheaper, but the Winstation drive can be oriented in the space-saving vertical position. SuperDisk drives are best for the same uses as floppy drives (below), as well as storing larger files and backing up. Since the drive uses a standard floppy mechanism, it can also read and write PC and Mac HD floppy disks.* These allow the read/write heads to be placed much more precisely and boosts formatted capacity to 118 MB. SuperDisks use “Floptical” technology, which is almost exactly identical to a floppy except that the disks have optical servo tracks. USB SuperDisk drives are made by Imation ($149) and Winstation ($154). The Iomega drive is much cheaper, but the Microtech drive is a lot smaller and (in my humble opinion) looks cooler. Zip Drives are best for storing larger files, backing up, and sending large files to service bureaus. Zip technology is the fastest in the group, 3-15 times as fast as a SuperDisk or a floppy.Ī Zip disk is similar in design to a floppy except that the read/write heads slide in through the front of the disk and the disks are a lot thicker. Zip drives for USB Macs, such as the iMac and the Blue & White G3, are made by Iomega, who invented the Zip ($129), and Microtech (their drive is called the Mii SlimZip) ($199).

LS-120) drive, or a standard floppy drive. With this criteria, you have three options: a Zip drive, a SuperDisk (a.k.a. So you have an iMac or Blue & White G3, and you totally love it – but you need to buy a low-cost removable-media drive.

Imation superdisk usb drive