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IoMega Zip100 drive
Posted by: Cosmo on 2012-01-04 20:58:47 Funny found from the local trash's recycling shelf : IoMega Zip100 drive (parallel version) with box of discs (most of them reads Macintosh) inc. cable and PSU. It should work as it was on recycling shelf, not in trashcan it self. Also some mid 90's software CD's for Macintosh inc. Corel Draw (no box). Oh, the IoMega webpage says "The Zip® parallel port drive is not supported on a Macintosh computer". Bummer, but expected as it wasn't SCSI. Edit: But here : http://www.iomega.com/support/documents/10425.html they list support for parallel version Mac OS 7.5-8.1 (driver 2.1.1) and the link works. the link for 8.5-9 driver doesn't it just redirects to current iomega support site (main page).
Posted by: LCGuy on 2012-01-04 22:47:28 I'm at a loss as to why they say the Parallel drives are supported - no Mac has ever had a parallel port, and you cannot use parallel devices on a SCSI interface - it is a completely different interface.
Posted by: Cosmo on 2012-01-04 23:28:21 That's a good question :lol: I saved the drive as in the dark it looked like SCSI, back to recycling it goes.
Posted by: LCGuy on 2012-01-05 00:06:13 Its happened to me a billion times in thrift stores...see zip drive...25 pin ports...me: yay SCSI! Then....I realise its a parallel port drive. And then I get all disappointed. 🙁
Posted by: protocol7 on 2012-01-05 02:32:31 Some of the Mac clones had parallel ports.
Posted by: jruschme on 2012-01-05 04:21:33 There was also the somewhat infamous Zip 100 Plus drive which was both parallel and SCSI compatible. (Tidbit: Parallel port Zip drives are actually SCSI devices with a Parallel-to-SCSI converter. The 100 Plus was just smart enough to know when to get the converter out of the way.) IIRC, it was very twitchy on Macs- wanting to be the only/last device on the chain, etc.
Posted by: Bunsen on 2012-01-05 05:15:20 Parallel port Zip drives are actually SCSI devices with a Parallel-to-SCSI converter. ... they are? So if you rip one apart, there's a standard 50-pin internal SCSI drive inside?
Posted by: jruschme on 2012-01-05 09:20:03 So if you rip one apart, there's a standard 50-pin internal SCSI drive inside? Quoting from the Linux Zip Drive mini-HOWTO: 8.8 Can I use the parallel drive as a real SCSI disk ? The PPA-3 parallel-to-SCSI adapter is implemented as a single ASIC chip that Iomega calls a VPI0. It is embedded on the ZIP drive's controller card. There is an actual SCSI bus present, but not in a useful form. Although I haven't tried to compare the two cards, it seems logical that the VPI0 replaces the conventional electrical buffering circuits that would be required if the SCSI bus were extended outside the package.
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2012-01-05 09:53:15 On the scale that ZIP Drives were produced, it's probably no coincidence that they were all basically SCSI with a Parallel port conversion capable controller was the path taken. Nor is it surprising that the parallel port version supported the Mac. There were Grappler/Hurdler cards for both the Apple II and NuBus Slots. I've got one of the parallel port NuBus Cards. If you weren't way across the pond, I'd love to get that ZIP to try on it. When the IDE interface rolled out, HDD mfrs just started slapping different controller cards on SCSI Drives already in production. HDDs aren't natively SCSI like the ZIP, but generic in the sens that their I/O structure lent itself to either controller card. IIRC, MFM and RLL drives were a tad different, but things shook out quite nicely when IDE hit the streets on the same lane as SCSI. Did the Parallel Port version support the Apple II? Such a solution would make for the second easiest of cross-platform solutions using a single drive. The SCSI/Parallel Port hybrid is news to me, that would be far and away the most simple of, single drive, cross-platform solutions. Anybody have either of which that they'd like to unload here in the States? :?:
Posted by: jruschme on 2012-01-05 11:25:53 Anybody have either of which that they'd like to unload here in the States? I've got one of the Zip 100 Plus drives (SCSI and Parallel selectable) that I could part with easily. That would still leave me a SCSI 100, USB Zips in all three sizes, a SCSI 250, and ATAPI 250s in anything that will take one (including modules for the Pismo and the Inspiron). So, yeah... I can get rid of one. 🙂 Which reminds me... anybody have one of the early USB 250s (the one that will take the optional FW400 interface) that they might want to get rid of cheap? JR
Posted by: Trash80toHP_Mini on 2012-01-05 12:23:19 You've got mail! [😀] ]'> I've got a handful of externals, a friggin PILE of internals and one ea. for the Pismo/Beater_III, PDQ/Beater_II, the 5300ce and I'm still thinking about picking one up for Beater, my maxed out 1400c/G3 original WiFi Lappy. The first two aren't nearly as beat as the 1400, but my naming conventions are about the only thing conventional about my collecting addiction. [😉] ]'> I've got another friggin' PILE of Pismo & Wallstreet Floppy Modules and CD Modules in varying speeds to trade for a 1400c ZIP Module.
Posted by: Cosmo on 2012-01-06 03:44:39 Still have the Zip100 drive, if somebody wants it, let me know, can trade it to something more usefull :lol:
Posted by: tmtomh on 2012-01-06 09:46:26 Which reminds me... anybody have one of the early USB 250s (the one that will take the optional FW400 interface) that they might want to get rid of cheap? @jurschme - I have a VST Firewire ZIP 250 drive, just like this one: http://reviews.cnet.com/other-removable-media-drives/smartdisk-vst-firewire-zip/1707-6407_7-1541732.html For reasons I can't recall, I also have an extra power adapter for it. PM me if you're interested. Thanks!
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