Joon, I'm relying on someone elses number onthe $2-$3 per disk number that I believe.
However this is the same person that predicted months before it was
common knowledge that Syquest had to be losing money on every EZ135 they sell.
Also, Fujis description of it's ATOMM technology is that it is high density and
*low cost*. This is the disk media that Iomega uses in it's zip disks.
As far as construction, all there is to the disks is the media, the casing
almost the same as a 3.5 1.44 meg disk), and the "bike reflector".
I'll ask around on this also.
The Compaq Ls120 is a threat but I believe Iomega has a planned response to
squelch it as soon as it arrives. If I remember correctly, Compaq etc. are
using technology that Iomega gave up on and sold to them. According to
KE, this type of technology does not have a good migration path. I take this
to mean that the LS 120 cannot get bigger and faster as easily as the zip.
As far as what is going on with Iomega and HP, I don't know. But, HP is
so big that it has the possibility to be amazing. I envision zips
OEMed inside some of HP's computers, some have already stated this as fact.
From there they can spread to many more of HP's spider web of
divisions. Hp got the second highest rank as far as their computers
in the March PC World (after Compaq).
Overall I believe that with Iomega's head start (installed base),
better migration path, the Ls120s tie to Compaq (competitors won't want it),
and better price/performance from the zip, Iomega will win. LS120 internal
is $200, zip internal is $150 if I recall correctly.
Ken |
