2007: Year of the removable disk drive?

Removable hard disk drives are not new technology, but they may be set to go mainstream. Iomega’s REV drive premiered back in 2005. It never really caught on, perhaps because of its somewhat limited capacity (35 GB native, 90 GB compressed) and Iomega’s suspect reputation in some IT circles. Iomega recently launched its second-generation model, which offers 70 GB cartridges. Now Dell has launched the RD1000, which works with 40/80, 80/160, or even 120/240 GB cartridges.

Unfortunately, the cost of the media for these drives is still considerably higher than the cost of regular old USB hard drives. A 120/240 RD1000 cartridge costs $219. You can usually find a 120 GB USB drive for half that amount. But the RD1000 will fit in your pocket or purse for the ride home.

I’d love to see a backup solution that offers the portability and affordability of tape with the speed and reliability of a hard drive. Maybe next year …