ROY, Utah: Data storage firm Iomega Corp. on Thursday unveiled a portable
disk drive system that can hold massive quantities of music and data and fits in
a jacket pocket. The Utah-based Iomega, known for its Zip and Jaz drives and
disks, said that it was now shipping its Peerless system, a standalone,
peripheral drive that comes in 10 gigabyte and 20 gigabyte capacities, greater
than that of DVD or CD-write disks.
The two-piece system includes a disk roughly the size of a handheld computer
or PDA, which slips into a vertical docking station. The drive will sell for
about $250 while the disks will retail at $160 for 10 gigabytes and $200 for 20
gigabytes. Combined packages will be discounted, Iomega said.
Encouraged by the growth of gadgets that let consumers to combine contact
lists and scheduling information in one handheld device, Iomega launched
Peerless as a means for users to quickly carry and share large-scale files
between destinations. For example, a user at an office workstation would could
save a corporate application, hundreds of MP3 files and graphics onto the drive
and easily take it home and download the information.
Iomega is also working on internal versions that, for example, would fit in
television set-top boxes and in cars, giving users the ability to save, or back
up, prized data, as well as expand the capacity of devices such as personal
video recorder and digital music players.
"I could save my office files and my MP3 music to Peerless, and plug it
into a system in my car and listen to my music while I drive," explained
Iomega senior vice president of marketing Doug Collier. "Then, at home, I
plug it into my computer, and I finish my work, until I plug it into my set-top
box, where I download a movie and save it to the same disk."
"We are looking at Peerless as a way to bridge the spectrum of data
management," he said. Iomega said it worked with International Business
Machines Corp. to develop the hard drive. The company said it has a backlog of
about 25,000 units. It will begin to ship drives this week to those who ordered
early, and the models will hit retail store shelves in late June.
The Peerless system was discussed under the tenure of Bruce Albertson who
resigned on Monday, over differences with the board of directors about the
long-term direction of the firm. Albertson is the second CEO to leave the
company in less than two years.
(C) Reuters Limited 2001.