Microdrive Technology Rebounds Thanks to iPod Mini

Posted by timothy on Sunday March 7, 2004 @07:53AM from the 4-gigs-for-cheap dept.

An anonymous reader writes "A few years ago Richard Menta over at MP3 Newswire did a lengthy review on the IBM Microdrive and declared it would significantly alter the MP3 portable market if IBM did one thing - drop the price. That never happened and it prompted Menta last year to declare the iPod's more cost effective Toshiba drive made it moot and he put the Microdrive on his 2002 MP3 loser list. Since then the drive technology was acquired by Hitachi who convinced to Apple to use it for the iPod Mini. The Mini's recent success prompted Menta to revisit his previous write-off. Interesting view of the up and down travils of any technology and how each change can have dramatic effect on its success and failure."

3 of 191 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

IBM Storage Tech in Mini-ipods? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-07 08:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Well I'm sure the RIAA will love the self-destructive nature of those drives
SCO starts selling iPod Mini licenses by azuroff · 2004-03-07 08:23 · Score: 5, Funny

From the press release:

"IBM had access to the SysV source code. IBM also developed the MicroDrive. Therefore, the MicroDrive is obviously a derivative product, and we believe that all iPod Mini owners now owe us $699."
Re:Hrmm by aardvarko · 2004-03-07 09:45 · Score: 5, Funny

iPod Mini (silver): $249
Lexar 8GB CompactFlash: $3000 [1]
Case of Zima: $24
The look on your face after it's stolen from your messenger bag: Priceless

[1]: http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/news/articles/stor y_934.html