https://web.archive.org/web/19990117022714/https://www.pcworld.com/hardware/storage_backup/articles/jan96/jan9621.html

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|              From the January 1996 Issue of PC World                        |
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|              Is Sony's 140MB MiniDisc Drive the Next Betamax?               |
|                                                                             |
|              Sony has great hopes for its MiniDisc Data format as the       |
|              next-generation mass storage media. And why not? On the        |
|              surface, it has a lot going for it. A blank 2.5-inch           |
|              magneto-optical MiniDisc offers 140MB of rewritable storage,   |
|              and Sony promises the dis cs can be rewritten more than a      |
|              million times with no loss of data integrity.                  |
|                                                                             |
|              The battery-powered MDH-10 drive's portability and its         |
|              high-capacity MiniDiscs allow for easy transfer of data from a |
|              desktop to a notebook PC. And the Macintosh- and PC-compatible |
|              MiniDiscs can handle a hybrid of read-only and rewritable      |
|              sections. The drive can also play back audio Mini-Discs (but   |
|              Sony supports only the disc format).                           |
|                                                                             |
|              With a footprint about the size of an average Walkman, the     |
|              MDH-10 drive is smaller than the Iomega Zip Drive and weighs   |
|              in at just 12 ounces, including its rechargeable lithium-ion   |
|              battery pack. The drive also works with the AC adapter that's  |
|              included or with three AA alkaline batteries.                  |
|                                                                             |
|              But the MDH-10 and its MiniDiscs are expensive: The drive      |
|              lists at $769.95, and each blank disc is $29.95. Compared to   |
|              Iomega's $199 Zip Drive, which uses 100MB floppy-like disks    |
|              that cost under $20 each, and Syquest's $240 portable EQ-135   |
|              drive, the MDH-10 is no bargain. This is especially true when  |
|              you consider that the MDH-10 requires Sony's $259 SCSI PC Card |
|              (or a comparable PC Card) for your notebook and a SCSI port    |
|              for your desktop.                                              |
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|              While the MDH-10 and MiniDisc have great storage potential,    |
|              Sony is simply aced out by more affordable technologies like   |
|              the Zip Drive's.                                               |
|                                                                             |
|              - Michael S. Lasky                                             |
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|              Sony MDH-10                                                    |
|              Portable, proprietary MiniDisc drive handles 140MB read/write  |
|              data.                                                          |
|              Sony Electronics Inc. 800/352-7669                             |
|              List price: $769.95, 140MB discs $29.95 each                   |
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