Floppy disks are unquestionably an obsolete technology.

Superseded by both CDs and USB memory keys, the little plastic disks are one thing we were happy to see the back of.

They're no longer included with modern computers, but if you find that you need to use one and your new computer can't do the job (or your old computer's floppy disk drive doesn't work any more) the Iomega Floppy Drive can help.

It's a standard floppy disk drive that connects to the computer's USB socket, and it's easy to install because it's recognised automatically by Windows XP and Vista. That meant the drivers were installed without us having to do anything. Unlike a standard disk drive, this one doesn't appear as an icon unless you insert a disk, but when you do the drive detects it and the icon appears.

The drive is fairly fast (although floppy disks are considerably slower than modern storage, so that's a relative comparison) and it worked, in our tests, flawlessly. If you find that you need to access a floppy disk, this is an excellent device, although it's possible to buy unbranded similar devices for much less money.

Vista compatible: Yes