[Continuing a discussion about modern removable-media disk drives, which
would be off-topic except that we want to use modern drives on old
computers.]
On the other
hand, I've had nothing but good luck with ZIP drives (which
I won't use zip drives either. I refuse to use an undocumented device to
store my data. When somebody produces a service manual and a bit-level
description of the disk (as I have for all my minicomputer drives) then
I'll consider it.
You may as well forget about using any modern magnetic disk drives, then.
Service manuals don't exist (or are useless). Descriptions of the low-level
format are only available if the format has been blessed by a standards
committee such as ECMA. I'd love to see an ECMA standard for ZIP disks, but I
doubt that it will happen.
On the other hand, ECMA has published standards for various optical
media, including CD-ROM, PD, DVD-ROM, DVD-RAM, and +RW.
I think the
problems with removable rigid media stem
from the lack of any effective measure to keep contamination out of the
drive and disk cartridge; they've tried to use Winchester drive technology
without understanding its inherent limitations.
You mean they _don't_ haev the proper air filters? Ouch. High density
media needs a cleaner environment than the old RK05 units, and those have
pretty serious filters in them.
Air filters? Ha! They have nothing but a shutter on the cartridge and a door
flap on the drive. Absolute rubbish. It's miraculous that they work even for
a few weeks.