Review: Iomega Rev 120GB data storage

Iomega has been searching for years for a hit product to match the huge success of its old Zip drives. And, in some ways, the Rev drive does look like a bigger, better version of the Zip.

Like the Zip drive, the Rev consists of a main drive unit that can accept removable disk cartridges. If you need more storage you just buy more disks.

This allows you to upgrade your storage capacity to whatever level you need, as well as making it easy to store specific projects or files on their own disk for convenient filing and archiving.

The original Rev drive provided a storage capacity of 35GB per disk, which was soon upgraded to 70GB per disk. This latest version increases the capacity even further – to 120GB per disk.

The external drive uses a standard USB2 interface, although an internal Sata model is available as well. Both models cost about £350, which includes one 120GB disk, with additional disks costing about £60 each (slightly less if you buy a five-pack for £280).

That’s pretty expensive compared to a conventional hard disk – Iomega itself sells 500GB hard disks for about £90 – so home and small-business users who simply need a low-cost backup device would certainly be better off buying an ordinary hard disk.

However, the Rev is primarily designed as an alternative to the tape-drive systems that many large businesses use to archive their data.

The Rev disks are a bit more expensive than tape cartridges, but the Rev drive itself is a lot cheaper than many of the tape drives currently on sale.

That makes it a good option for larger business users who need a reliable and robust archiving system that can be used by entire departments.