What Is the Capacity of a Zip Disk?

A Zip disk is like a high-capacity floppy disk.

In the 1990s, floppy disks were commonly used as digital data storage devices. Companies attempted to improve upon the functionality and capacity of the floppy disk format. One floppy-like format launched in that decade was the Zip disk.

Definition

A Zip disk is a 3.5-inch removable disk storage system, launched by Iomega in 1995.

Function

Zip disks were designed to provide similar portability of digital data as a floppy disk, but with the higher capacity of a hard drive. Zip disks contain one printed circuit board within a rubber, plastic or metal case. Once inserted into the computer disk drive, the computer powers the circuit board and electronically accesses the memory contained on the disk.

Capacity

Zip disks originally launched with the capacity to hold 100 megabytes. Later versions increased the capacity size to 750 megabytes. In comparison, a typical 3.5-inch floppy disk holds 1.44 megabytes. A megabyte is equivalent to 1,048,576 bytes, or units, of digital data.

References

• PCMag: Definition of: Zip disk
• "Principles of Computer Hardware"; Alan Clements; Oxford University Press; 2006

Resources

• "How Computers Work"; Ron White; Que; 2007