I originally bought this product when it was the only cheap portable storage solution in 1995. I liked it for its portability as I had a laptop computer and the fact that I could run large programs on the drive, something I wasn't able to do with floppies. I also used it for backing up my hard drive.

The installation was quite easy and required no tweaking. It came with a parallel port cable that you plug into your computer's parallel port. I liked the extra parallel port that the Zip drive provided for the printer so that I didn't need to unplug the drive every time I need to use the printer. If your computer could detect the drive via the Add Hardware in the Control Panel, then that's great, otherwise, you'll have to download the latest Iomegaware software drivers directly from Iomega.com for the drivers for your operating system (WinMe, Win 2000, Win 95, Win 98, etc). Once you run the software (after downloading it), the computer should detect the drive and you should be able to access it and start using it.

As Iomega is pretty much the leader in zip drives and disks, it is quite popular and the disks are relatively cheap. Most people have Zip disks for storage, which makes it easier to exchange files between friends. I like the "guest" feature of the drive, which allows you to transport the drive to any computer. You can basically copy an entire directory (of a program) to another computer and the program runs. All that's required to set up the drive is a simple software installation to have the computer recognize the drive and you're set. With the parallel port version, it pretty much can be set up on virtually any PC.

The drive (my old drive) comes with software that makes copying files easy. It has a one step backup feature that makes hard drive backup very simple. It also comes with a free utility called Norton Rescue. This program is a great utility to have as you can get your computer back up and running when you have problems booting up. All that's required is a floppy disk and a Zip Disk. You need to just boot up with the disks and the computer will boot up, although it does take a while. For those who fear of encountering problems with boot up and don't know how to get their computers back up from DOS, this is a great program. And it's free. You can download the program from Iomega's web site if it doesn't come with your drive.

Although 100MB is not much space nowadays, it still is enough to transport most programs. I wouldn't recommend paying more for the 250MB version as you're getting the same drive with the extra option of using the 250MB zip disk and its compatibility with the 100MB disk.

One thing I don't like about it is its speed. Compared to hard drives, it is very slow. Depending on your O/S and the Iomegaware software, you may have the option of optimizing the Parallel port transfer speed via their "Parallel Port Accelerator". All you need to do is just select it and let the computer adjust itself to optimize the speed of the parallel port. Copying large files takes quite a while. But, for the cost, it is a good buy.

The Zip disks seem quite durable and so is the drive, up to a point. There is a free program that Steve Gibson of Gibson Research that can detect the eventual deterioration of your Zip drive and hopefully help keep it working a little longer before its eventual demise. It's called "Trouble in Paradise". This program detects and attempts to fix certain read/write problems with the Zip drive. As it does check the entire 100MB zip disk, it will take a while for the program to run. But, if you have a Zip or Jaz drive, it makes sense to check out this program.

http://grc.com/clickdeath.htm

Also, due to the defect of the the Zip drive due to the "clicking" as discovered by Steve Gibson, Iomega has been replacing all defective Zip drives for free. All that's required is that you convince the Iomega representative that you had a clicking problem that killed your drive. They will send you a replacement for free provided that you provide a credit card number and return the defective drive back. That's to prevent anyone from not sending the defective drive back. They will take all important information from you such as the serial number of the drive, the model, your name and address. They will provide you with a case number.

In Canada, Iomega redirects all customers to a company called Adtech (www.adtech1.com) who coordinates it for Iomega in the States, probably due to customs problems, I don't know. Adtech will take more info and will provide you with another reference number.

For me, it took over 3 weeks (Adtech was out of stock) before I received the replacement drive via Purolator. I had to ship the defective drive back via Xpresspost all paid for by Adtech via a pre-printed waybill enclosed. Even with the wait, it was still worth it to get a replacement drive and 2 free Zip disks. So, it's probably worth a try and the hassle to get a free replacement for a dead drive.

But, in the age of home networking, I find it unbelievable that anyone with a home network would want to buy a Zip drive. If you have a home network, it takes almost no time to copy and paste, and move files between computers. It's almost instantaneous. If you have a home network, you don't need this since you've already got something that works much faster and better than the Zip drive. But, if you still have an old laptop or computer and may probably need to move files between computers, then, the Zip drive may still be an option. Or, you could always check out ebay.com for the now obsolete Syquest SparQ drives that offered 1 GB ore larger cartridges at exceptionally dirt cheap prices.

Or, you could even invest in a CDRW drive and burn cheap CDRs for backup or whatever and it's still faster and cheaper than investing in a Zip drive.

Overall, the Zip drive is great for its portability, durability, "guest" feature, and Norton Rescue software among others. So, if speed isn't much of a factor, you don't have a home network, and you still have an old computer, I would still recommend this product. Otherwise, I would suggest looking at other alternatives I've brought up above.

Thanks for taking the time to read my review.

Recommended: Yes