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Non-Tech : Any info about Iomega (IOM)? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Mel Boreham who wrote (54041)	5/2/1998 8:37:00 AM
From: Les White	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 58324

Back to 1944 Nice post, Mel. A few more points: It looks like Sony's launch strategy is based on no OEM's. All they have is a retail external and their own internal. Retailing HiFiz externals won't be so easy because who needs the backwards compatibility since your box already has one. All they'll have to offer is higher capacity disk, cheaper/meg. But they won't be perceived as the standard so they'll probably have little more success than LS-120. Sony's internals in their own boxes will be the beta test for any other box makers considering switching to HiFiz. And that's gonna take a while. So how long will it take for HiFiz to make any significant penetration into the OEM market? Too long IMO. IOM is already there. Tested, chanelled, available in needed quantities, and way ahead in the ramp to standard heaven. With all of the early adopters on board with Zip, who is left to convince. The mass market who normally always follows the lead of the early adopters. So Sony has an incredibly tough challenge to say the least. The problem for Sony is that they don't have a leap frog benefit to offer the consumer. They're giving them 1.4 capability that they already have. A little faster, so what, not really needed. Larger capacity, not needed but Zip 200 is probably waiting in the wings if the market says they want it. Let Sony find out, IOM will respond accordingly. It's basically a "me too" approach with some added features. IMO this is not near good enough to overcome the installed base lead that IOM already has. Not to mention OEM relationships that Sony will have quite a challenge replicating. Do the box makers really want to follow Sony's lead with HiFiz? Sony is going to have to make it painfully attractive for them to consider it. IOM has been targeting the OEM's for some time now and I'm sure they're ready to chew to the bone if necessary. The war may get ugly but I think IOM has too much lead to be simply brushed aside. Sony knows all of the above and has acknowledged their challenge in their press release. So they've told their pilots that they may be on a one way mission just like in 1944. Will they return? I wouldn't send my son out with them. Les

To: Mel Boreham who wrote (54041)	5/2/1998 9:14:00 AM
From: sheila rothstein	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 58324

Hi Mel, welcome back. As usual your posts are very interesting and pertinent and I agree with your analysis of Zip vs. HiFud. We do have a great product but I think the main problem IOM faces is how to make a PROFIT on the niche product. Once this is addressed, with Clik! and other new storage products IOM can become an 800 lb gorilla. SR... P.S. It would be nice if we could hear from Prof. SANKAR. on this matter.

To: Mel Boreham who wrote (54041)	5/2/1998 9:54:00 AM
From: Jeff Sheeran	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 58324

Good post Ben, one thing people over look is that floppy drive is not in an expansion slot anymore. They way they design these sleek new machines it is part of the styling now. Before any drive gets accepted as a standard it would have to be an accesory for quite a while. If it is backward compatible then it loses any advantage, why get a floppy+ls120 combo? I can get the zip + floppy instead. I guess my point is the floppy IS part of the design in systems now. Probably costs about the same as an extension cord too. When will we see USB Zip and Jazz? or buzz and clik for that matter. I would like to see Norton Utilities ( with zip as A drive) on a Zip disk (in addition to Iomega tools) to ship with every new DELL, Gateway, Micron. regards, Jeff

To: Mel Boreham who wrote (54041)	5/2/1998 2:42:00 PM
From: HRP	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 58324

<< If IOMEGA didn't have its 200 MB or greater density Zip drives ready for the manufacturing lines, then again they would be suspect of having too many coffee breaks or not hiring good R & D people>> You would like this to be true. Consider the ramp up of the Jaz 2 GD drive. << Why also worry about having a new $200 drive with features you already have... ALL COMPUTERS NOW COME WITH A 1.44 floppy drive BUILT IN.>> True, but there are 90 million or so new drives sold each year.