Peerless launch heralds end of all that Jaz
Iomega launches portable storage device in Europe
Iomega launched its Peerless portable storage device in Europe last week, which looks set to halt further development of its 2Gb Jaz offering.
Available in 20Mb and 10Mb cartridge flavours, the Peerless drive is configured for USB and 1394 (firewire) interfaces and is, in essence, a portable hard drive.
But Iomega is not entering the hard drive business, according to Joseph Saroukhanian, the firm's product manager. To this end, the system is based on IBM Travelstar notebook hard drive technology.
Write and rewrite functions are performed in the cartridge and not the drive bay, so the unit is hot-pluggable. This means that the cartridge can be removed and reinserted without having to reboot.
The Peerless drive offers IT managers three levels of security: password protection, read/write protection and a chip identifier which ensures the cartridge can't be used with another base station.
"Jaz is coming to the end of its lifecycle. There were two options: develop Jaz or take a different approach," said Saroukhanian.
Iomega plans to target three markets for its Peerless drive: creative, small office/home office and early adopter. It seems likely the storage company will try to migrate its loyal Jaz user base onto the Peerless system.
When a mailer about Peerless was sent out to the 70,000 Jaz user base there were 10,000 replies, said Saroukhanian. In addition, he said, Iomega is planning an upgrade path for Jaz users. At present, details of this upgrade path have not been finalised.
Rob Wilson, creative director of independent technology agency Gyro, has been piloting the Peerless drive. He said it was ideal for quick file transfers with his desktop, and for taking work home. He also said the drive would save a fortune in ISDN bills when sending graphically intensive files.
Available through distributors Computer 2000 and CMS Peripherals, the system costs £399 including VAT. 20Mb cartridges cost £159 and 10Mb versions cost £129.