• Creative's $500 Nomad Jukebox (pictured above), was not only "sleek"—at least when compared to a CD Walkman—but "can hold as much music as 150 CDs."

• The Extiva was a $350 DVD player from Samsung with the Nuon chip, so "you can also play videogames." Not sure which videogames we were referring to there.

• Our pick for digital camera was Nikon's twisty CoolPix 990, 3 million pixels for 1 thousand dollars.

• Gateway laptop with 12.1-in. display, 550MHz chip and a year of free AOL was "a great deal" at $1300.

• Two-way pagers from Motorola, $180 each, let you send messages back and forth, and came in "four hot colors."

• LG's Touchpoint 3000 smartish phone cost $400, combined an address book and an organizer, and had one killer app: "Tap someone's name, and it dials for you."

• The $300 Iomega HipZip took little PocketZip magnetic disks instead of flash memory so it was easier to "get with the MP3 revolution"—hooray for obscure proprietary formats that died within a year!

• Cybiko was invented a decade ago but promised to do almost more than what the Peek does today—with wireless messaging and an MP3 "attachment."

• "It's near impossible to find this killer game console—and just as hard to find good titles to play on it." The console? PlayStation 2.

• Handspring Visor Prism, the great hope of the PDA world, had a cartridge slot so that you could "turn it into a cellphone, an MP3 player, or a miniature digital camera." Only trouble was when the cartridges started costing more than the $450 PDA.

The whole list is pretty hilarious—I encourage you to pop over and read more. [Time.com]

I apologize for the crappy quality of some of the images—I had to go grab promo shots found out on the web. For some reason, Time didn't preserve our gorgeous photoshoot online. Guess they thought the internet was just a fad.

The Price:

1TB for $270, 2TB for $370 and 4TB for $700

The Verdict:

It does a lot, and it does it pretty well, for not a lot of cash.

Here's a list of the exciting bits on the Ix2-200's feature list:

• Automated backup and restore: Full Time Machine support for Macs as well as Retrospect, a different backup scheme, for PCs and Macs.
• Automated copy jobs, which can automatically and incrementally copy (either with Windows file sharing or rsync) files off of network shares and dump it onto its own storage, or the other way around. Perfect for backing up other network shares for double data security
• RAID1
• DLNA, iTunes Servers
• Quiet running
• SMB features like email notifications, event logs, iSCSI, automated video surveillance (provided you have a compatible camera) and USB printer support
• A load of networking support, like Apple File Sharing, Bluetooth, FTP, NFS, Rsync, SNMP and standard Windows File Sharing (CIFS)
• Torrent downloading
• Remote access

Instead of building a Windows Home Server, like so many others have done, Iomega decided to build their own system from their own technology, and came out pretty feature-rich because of it.

The setup process is slightly finicky—you install the Iomega Solutions CD and wait while it searches your network for the server. This can actually take a few hours (we thought the Mac version was malfunctioning until it completed its setup and discovery process), but once you're up, you're up.

You control the server with a web interface, which works with a local app to provide integration into your file system. It's pretty simple to use, and there aren't too many tabs or options to confuse users with.

Backup and file storage

Time Machine works as well as if you were just shoving in a USB hard drive, and there's little difference compared to running your backups over the network as if it were a Time Capsule. Iomega tells us that they've learned from HP's first Windows Home Servers, the ones who weren't able to run a complete Time Machine restore in the event of a total drive failure, so Mac users shouldn't need to worry.

Retrospect, another backup software, can also configure backup plans on a schedule and automatically execute them without any input from you. Just choose which drives and folders you want to back up—it even backs up your network folders—and pick your schedule. If you don't have a Windows Home Server on your network to handle your Windows backups, this is a pretty good substitute. And of course you can use Retrospect to restore your backups to your machine, in case of data failure.

Automated copy jobs is another feature that's especially sweet for me, since I have a lot of network storage and I always worry about what would happen if one fails. This way, the Ix2-200 can maintain up-to-date copies of whatever's sitting on other network drives, and act as the schoolmarm for all your data.

Networking and other features

Some of the other features are pretty much evaluated on a yes/no basis in terms of whether or not they work. The fan is very quiet even when transferring a mass load of files—although the hard drive is not, so that's kind of moot—but is virtually silent otherwise. RAID1 works, and comes set up by default. The DLNA and iTunes streaming works in their respective clients, and Xbox 360/PS3 has no problem streaming files off of the server.

BitTorrent download works, but the server gets confused if you give it a URL to download a .torrent file from, so to play it safe you should just go ahead and download the .torrent yourself and feed that instead. Download speeds are decent, and you can configure what the maximum upload/download speeds are so as to not saturate your internet connection. You should also change your default port as well, since ISPS throttle that 6881 port hard.

All the networking stuff works as expected, as do the email notifications and event logs. The rest of the higher end stuff, like video surveillance integration and iSCSI we didn't test, so we can't say if there are any issues with them or not. It's more than likely that they do work, but we don't know if there are any quirks you should watch out for.

It's a pretty good deal

Iomega's aiming this at both the prosumer and the SMB market, which means that for most people, it's going to have a lot of features that they don't need. But that doesn't matter! The Ix2-200 is so packed with stuff that it should satisfy the needs of just about any user who's hurting for a network storage solution. And at a starting price of only $270 for the 1TB version, it's a cheaper alternative than Windows Home Servers, and can do just about all the same things. Plus with its user-replaceable drives and three USB ports, you can easily upgrade the storage yourself and expand your storage after the fact. [Iomega]

Great backup options including Time Machine and Retrospect

Small, quiet and fast

Feature loaded

Fairly cheap for what you get

Setup process isn't as easy as it could be

It looks kinda chubby and short, but the StorCenter ix2-200's full of features to appeal to the movie-downloading, home-server-building, tofu-eating, lazy ass in you. The entire device seems to revolve around making its feature set as easy to use as humanly possible while keeping up with the "green" gadget trend.

We've shown you what you can use a NAS for, but it all seems like it'll be easier with the ix2-200: You don't even need to have a PC attached to download torrents, you can grab files from your Bluetooth-capable phone, and the Apple lovers can use it for Time Machine backups.

The ix2-200 starts at $270 for the 1TB version, $370 for the 2TB, and $700 for the 4TB version.

Iomega Announces Next Generation "Green" Desktop Network Storage Appliance With Powerful Enterprise and Consumer Features

***

Compact StorCenter ix2-200 Features:

* Easy Push Button Appliance-to-Appliance Copy and Backup
* Disk Spin Down for Energy Efficiency
* User Replaceable Disk Drives and More

SAN DIEGO, October 8, 2009 – Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a global leader in data protection, today announced the next generation of its popular double-drive desktop NAS appliance with the worldwide launch of the new Iomega® StorCenter™ ix2-200. Based on industry-leading enterprise-class EMC® storage technologies, the versatile yet affordable StorCenter ix2-200 wraps ease-of-use around big business data management functionality and advanced media serving and other consumer features that make it the ideal NAS appliance for small business users and home users.

Available in 1TB*, 2TB and 4TB capacities, the new ix2-200 utilizes a very simple four-step setup to be operational in a matter of minutes – be it in a business setting or in the digital home.

Starting at less than $270.00, the ix2-200 employs an easy-to-understand interface to provide robust data management and protection for the serious business user, as well as the latest in multimedia serving and remote access features that makes it a breeze to access your own data, whether in the office, the home, or anywhere else in the world.**

Among the standout business features of the new StorCenter ix2-200:

* Device-to-device replication for business continuity and file recovery
* iSCSI block-level access for efficient storage utilization
* RAID 1 configurations for optimized data protection
* Windows® Active Directory support
* A new front panel QuikTransfer button for easy copying of selected files
* User replaceable hard drives
* Multiple IP security camera support
* And for the forward-thinking small business, VMware® certification for virtualization installations.

The new StorCenter ix2-200 also has a treasure trove of features for the digital home, including:

* A DLNA® certified UPnP® AV Media Server that makes the ix2-200 the central repository for serving up all your movies, pictures, music and other files to any compatible device on your network
* Serves as a Time Machine® target for Apple® computer backups
* Built-in torrent support for file-sharing without the need for a dedicated PC
* Bluetooth® capability for uploading all kinds of digital content from a smart phone
* Cooliris™ slide show plug-in allows for easy photo viewing
* And remote access to the ix2-200 from anywhere in the world

"The new StorCenter ix2-200 is definitely the easiest to use small office and consumer network storage appliance in the marketplace today," said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. "Combining EMC's world class enterprise storage and security technologies with advanced media serving features makes the ix2-200 a versatile and affordable NAS appliance that gives smaller organizations, work groups and home users not only cost-effective and robust network storage but some of the same sophisticated data management capabilities as a Fortune 100 corporation – but without any need for IT experience."

The new Iomega StorCenter ix2-200 NAS appliance is now available in the Americas and Europe from retailers, VARs and IT resellers, including valued Iomega partner CDW.

"When it comes to managing and protecting digital content, small businesses today face many of the same challenges as much larger organizations," said Matt Troka, vice president, Product & Partner Management, CDW Corporation. "Iomega's new StorCenter ix2-200 delivers cost-effective network storage with advanced enterprise features at extremely affordable prices. For the budget conscious small business with a need for dependable network storage that is easy to setup and maintain without any internal IT expertise, the compact StorCenter ix2-200 offers a great value proposition, which makes it a viable data storage and back-up solution for our customers."

The Little Compact Desktop NAS Appliance with Lots of Capabilities

The new StorCenter ix2-200 NAS desktop appliance utilizes the acclaimed EMC LifeLine™ software, a fully-developed Linux operating environment and suite of applications that is designed for cross-platform support with Windows®, Mac® and Linux computers.

The LifeLine operating system presents a simple-to-use graphical interface that makes it easy to perform valuable business tasks while remaining confident that your data is securely stored, protected, and accessible whenever and wherever you need it.

Small office users will enjoy the ix2-200's fast Gigabit Ethernet connectivity and high-performance embedded architecture, which boosts productivity by making data readily accessible and secure over a local network at the office or in the home. The ix2-200 also boasts the versatility of three USB 2.0 ports for adding printers or additional storage capacity with external USB drives.

Key Features of the StorCenter ix2-200 NAS Appliance

The new ix2-200 NAS appliance's many features make it one of the most advanced, innovative and easy-to-use double-drive network storage devices available today. Among the features:

* Device-to-Device Replication (copy jobs): Copy or backup files to and from the ix2-200 to any other NAS or USB-attached storage device without the need for a client computer. Jobs can be set to run at pre-determined schedule or at the touch of the ix2-200's new QuikTransfer button. The ix2-200 uses either the rsync or Windows File Sharing protocol to transfer data between itself and another network storage device.
* iSCSI Support: Provides block-level access for the most efficient storage utilization, especially for database, email and backup application performance. This feature also allows host-based operating systems and virtualization software to use the full capabilities of their native file systems, such as enabling VMFS for VMware utilization.
* VMware® Ready Certification: The ix2-200 is certified as both NAS (NFS) and iSCSI storage for VMware ESX Server 3.5 and 4.0 vSphere. The ix2-200 is listed on the VMware hardware compatibility list, enabling small offices and work groups to affordably take advantage of the benefits and advanced features offered by shared storage in a VMware environment. The ix2-200 is the ideal storage match for smaller virtualization deployments that use the new VMware vSphere Essentials and vSphere Essentials Plus software packages.
* Remote Access: Set up remote access and remotely manage and access pictures, videos, work files and other digital data on the ix2-200 from anywhere in the world. Just enter a personalized web address into any browser for easy downloading and uploading of files securely.
* RAID Support: RAID 1 with automatic RAID rebuild for data redundancy and protection. Single volume (JBOD) mode also available.
* Multiple Network Protocols: Works in Windows, Linux and Mac environments with network protocol support including CIFS/SMB/Rally, NFS, and AFP/Bonjour. The ix2-200 also supports advanced protocols such as HTTP, FTP and SNMP.
* Time Machine® Support: Lets Apple® users easily backup to the ix2-200 with Mac computers running OS X (10.5 or later) using Time Machine.
* Windows® Active Directory Support: Allows the ix2-200 to function as a client member in an Active Directory domain, giving users and groups access to the ix2-200.
* Uninterruptible Power Supply Support: Enables unattended system shutdown without data loss in the case of power failure.
* Gigabit Ethernet: high speed connectivity with jumbo frame support
* Video Surveillance: Connect up to five Axis® Network video cameras for real-time monitoring and video capture, without the need of a dedicated computer (dependent upon system workload and network conditions). The ix2-200 can be used as a storage target for other network surveillance cameras as well.
* Print Server: Supports intelligent print sharing capability for up to three USB printers directly connected to the ix2-200.
* UPnP AV/DLNA Certified Media Server: Compatible with UPnP and DLNA certified media players, the ix2-200 streams photos, audio content and videos to not only laptops and computers but a variety of media devices, including game consoles (Xbox® 360, Sony PlayStation® 3), audio bridges, iTunes™ players, networked digital picture frames and other compatible devices.
* Bluetooth capability: Allows users to upload contacts, photos and more from a cell phone, pocket PC or Blackberry® phone (Bluetooth USB adapter required, sold separately).
* Photo Slideshow: Integrated utility based on Cooliris™ technology for quick browsing and sharing of pictures stored on the ix2-200 to both local and remote users.
* Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP): Supports no touch, automatic transfer of photos from digital cameras via one of the four USB 2.0 ports on the ix2-200.
* Versatility: Supports read and write on various formats, including Fat32, NTFS or ext2/ext3 formatted hard disks; also supports HFS+ (ready only).

Backup and Security Software for a Complete Solution

The StorCenter ix2-200 provides data backup and protection for any number of desktops and laptops with integrated EMC Retrospect® Express backup software. During the set-up process, users choose files and folders for scheduled automatic backups. After that, any changes or additions are updated and saved automatically.

For data security, the ix2-200 also includes RSA® BSAFE® encryption security technology for protecting installs and upgrades from viruses or malware. RSA is the security division of EMC that protects digital data at many of the world's largest banks.

A Power Saving "Green" NAS Appliance

The StorCenter ix2-200 utilizes such power saving features as automatic hard drive spin down when the ix2-200 isn't copying or serving up data, power consumption "green" hard disk drives, and an Energy Star® certified power supply. All of these features ensure the most efficient or minimal power consumption.

Compatibility

The StorCenter ix2-200 is compatible with Windows®, Mac OS®, and Linux® PCs. The interface is localized in 11 supported languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, German, and Russian).

Price and Availability and Warranty

The new 1TB StorCenter ix2-200 NAS appliance is now available in the Americas and Europe for $269.99, the 2TB model is now available for $369.99, and the 4TB model, which will be available later this month, is $699.99. (All prices are U.S. suggested retail.) All three capacities of the new StorCenter ix2-200 will be available in Asia in November. The StorCenter ix2-200 is backed by a three-year warranty (with product registration).

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world's leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC's products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

About Iomega

Iomega Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation headquartered in San Diego, is a worldwide leader in innovative storage and network security solutions for small businesses, home offices, consumers and others. The Company has sold more than 410 million digital storage drives and disks since its inception in 1980. Today, Iomega's product portfolio includes one of the industry's broadest selection of direct-attached external hard drives; industry leading network attached storage products for the home and small business; and the ScreenPlay family of multimedia drives that makes it easy to move video, pictures and other digital files from the computer room to the livingroom. To learn about all of Iomega's digital storage products and managed services solutions, please go to the Web at www.iomega.com. Resellers can visit Iomega at www.iomega.com/ipartner.

NOTE: This release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the Federal Securities Laws. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including but not limited to: (i) adverse changes in general economic or market conditions; (ii) delays or reductions in information technology spending; (iii) our ability to protect our proprietary technology; (iv) risks associated with managing the growth of our business, including risks associated with acquisitions and investments and the challenges and costs of integration, restructuring and achieving anticipated synergies; (v) fluctuations in VMware, Inc.'s operating results and risks associated with trading of VMware stock; (vi) competitive factors, including but not limited to pricing pressures and new product introductions; (vii) the relative and varying rates of product price and component cost declines and the volume and mixture of product and services revenues; (viii) component and product quality and availability; (ix) the transition to new products, the uncertainty of customer acceptance of new product offerings and rapid technological and market change; (x) insufficient, excess or obsolete inventory; (xi) war or acts of terrorism; (xii) the ability to attract and retain highly qualified employees; (xiii) fluctuating currency exchange rates; and (xiv) other one-time events and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in EMC's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. EMC disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements after the date of this release.

# # #

* 1 TB = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.

** Requires an Internet connection.

[Iomega]

• Zeemote's JS1 Wii nunchuk mobile phone game controller that's been bundled with Sony Ericsson phones for a while now is finally available individually. In theory, it should be able to pair with any Bluetooth enabled phone, but for now RIM, Sony Ericsson and Nokia are the only manufacturers to really support the device. Blackberry developers have had access to the SDK since October of 2008 to add Zeemote functionality to their games. As a result, Gameloft's entire catalog of Blackberry games are compatible with the Zeemote, and many more titles are likely to come now that the controller is widely available. You can grab one today from RIM's online store for $39.99. [Mobilecrunch via Crunchgear]

• Iomega has a new NAS out that's aimed at small and home business owners. The ix4-200d comes with four user-replaceable SATA II hard drives in 2, 4 and 8TB capacities. It also comes with a pretty healthy list of features, like selectable RAID 5, RAID 10 or JBOD drive configurations, Time Machine support, and device-to-device replication so the entire contents of the NAS can be easily transfered to another unit. If you're looking to get something for home use, there are less expensive solutions out there, and certainly more fun options in the form of DIY NAS projects. If you just need something that's ready to go out of the box, though, the ix4-200d looks like a solid contender. Starts at $699 for the 2TB, but the maxed-out 8TB will run you a cool $1,900. [Digital Trends]

The price isn't super-low, but these drives, which start at $85 for the 250GB model and top out with the 500GB, $135 dollar model, are decidedly accessible. They're all (in most cases) powered from a single USB port, and come with a decent suite of EMC backup software.

They're available in four colors (red, silver, blue and black) starting today. Press release below.

SAN DIEGO, May 18, 2009 – Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a global leader in data protection, today announced the worldwide availability of a new generation of the exciting Iomega® eGo™ Portable Hard Drive, featuring new look USB 2.0-powered models with superior ruggedness and the broadest suite of bundled data protection software in the industry, and all backed with a three-year limited warranty. Available in four different colors and up to 500GB* in capacity, the new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive is the ultimate embodiment of style and function in portable drives today.

"The new Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drives are the perfect companions for home users and professionals that want to take their files anywhere with the assurance of a superior rugged portable drive that has style to spare and a compact form with flair," said Jonathan Huberman, President of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. "After two very successful years with the previous model, the new eGo drive sports a compact, sleek new aluminum enclosure in eye-catching colors and comes complete with a suite of backup and anti-virus software to protect your data and your laptop, netbook or personal computer. Top it all off with the best drop spec in the industry and the new eGo drive is the portable hard drive this summer for dads and grads and everyone else."

A key element of the Iomega Protection Suite is McAfee® VirusScan Plus, the market-leading anti-virus, anti-spyware software.

"In today's world of increasing attacks on consumers' data by the bad guys, it's as important to protect your external hard drive data as it is to protect your PC's local data," said Todd Gebhart, President, Consumer Products, McAfee, Inc. "Iomega is the first to recognize this fact and we're pleased to be partnering with them in this fight."

Cool Hardware with Superior Functionality

The new USB 2.0-powered eGo Portable Hard Drive comes in variety of colors and capacities: the bright Ruby Red model is available in 250GB, 320GB and 500GB capacities; the sparkling Silver model comes in 320GB; and the deep Midnight Blue model is available in 320GB. (Color and capacity combinations vary in international markets.)

Inside an anodized aluminum shell little more than a half-inch thick (16 mm) and weighing less than 7 ounces (200 grams) is a state-of-the-art 2.5-inch portable hard drive. Iomega's Drop Guard™ feature protects data on the new eGo drive from drops of up to 51 inches, or 40% above the industry average! The new 500GB Iomega® eGo™ BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0, available in June, comes complete with a black eGo Power Grip Belt and Iomega's Drop Guard™ Xtreme, which provides unparalleled protection for the drive from drops of up to 7 feet (2.1 mm) – over twice the industry average!

All of the new USB 2.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives receive power from a laptop or computer's USB port so there's no power supply to carry around. And unlike other portable hard drives, the new USB 2.0 eGo Portable Hard Drives ship with a "Y" cable which gives users the flexibility to use two USB ports to power the drive, if needed. And with up to 500GB of capacity, the new eGo drive can store up to 2,000,000 photos, over 9,250 hours of music or 750 hours of video**.

Most Powerful Software Package Bundle with a Portable Hard Drive Today

Bundled free of charge with the new USB-powered eGo Portable Hard Drives is the new Iomega Protection Suite, a one-stop portfolio of backup and anti-virus software giving users added protection for their photos, videos, music and other files.

The Iomega Protection Suite includes:

* McAfee® VirusScan Plus: a free six-month subscription to this market-leading software that protects your PC with anti-virus, anti-spyware, 2-way firewall, and web security protection (PC only).
* Iomega QuikProtect: backup software for simple scheduled file-level backup of data to hard drives and network-attached storage devices (for Windows and Macintosh desktops and notebooks).
* EMC® Retrospect® Express or Express HD: backup all of your data plus applications and settings (for Windows and Macintosh desktops and notebooks).
* MozyHome™ Online Backup: Convenient online backup service with 2GB of online capacity for free (unlimited online storage for $4.95/month). MozyHome Online service allows you to restore your most important data from any computer with internet access, at any location in the world.

All of the software elements in the Iomega Protection Suite are accessible via easy download to new eGo Portable Hard Drive owners.

Compatibility

The new Iomega® eGo Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 models are compatible with Microsoft® Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, and Windows Vista™, and Mac OS X 10.4 or above. MozyHome software is available for Windows XP and Windows Vista, along with Mac OS X 10.4 and above. EMC Retrospect software is available for both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

New eGo Portable Hard Drive Accessories

Available for purchase at www.iomega.com are two new accessories for the new USB-powered eGo Portable Hard Drive: a durable black carry case, and the Iomega Power Grip Belt (like the one on the eGo BlackBelt Drive), available in black and translucent colors.

Pricing, Availability and Warranty

The Iomega® eGo™ Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 family of drives are available today, except for the new Iomega® BlackBelt Portable Hard Drive 500GB USB 2.0, which will be available in June. The 250GB Ruby Red eGo model is priced at $84.99; the 320GB Ruby Red, Midnight Blue and Silver eGo models are $94.99; the 500GB Ruby Red is $134.99; and the 500GB BlackBelt eGo model is $139.99. (All pricing is U.S. suggested retail.) All of the new USB-powered eGo models include a 3-year limited warranty, and are available from online retailers, VARs, resellers and select retailers, as well as at www.iomega.com.

In June, Iomega will announce additional new eGo Portable Hard Drive models with multiple interface combinations.

If you recall our guide to choosing a network-attached disk (something no Gizmodo household should be without), you'll remember that low-end drives often skimp on features like AFP for Apple networks, etc. Not so here. Good to keep in mind that drives that look good on paper could always have an unseen performance setback (like the Synology drive in our tests), and that these are single-disk models with no RAID redundancy for auto backups. But still, a good value for some quick network storage, as those prices aren't too much of a premium over a non-networked USB disk at those sizes.

[Iomega]

With the new economical Iomega® Home Media Network Hard Drive, consumers can easily share and access photos, videos and music between home computers and other networked devices.

· This new network hard drive provides easy-to-use, yet powerful, network storage for the home user and the three step setup is very simple, even if you've never used a network drive before.

· Home users can save all their digital files to one central location and share them between computers and other networked consumer devices on the home network, including playing back pictures, videos and music from digital media adapters such as game consoles, digital picture frames or high-end TVs.

· The Home Media Network Hard Drive also has a built-in iTunes server which automatically feeds music into iTunes® for easy playback, allowing users to share one printer over the network, even control which family members have access to certain folders. Plus, home users can secure their digital memories and backup automatically to this device with award winning EMC® Retrospect® software (PC/Mac) and for extra protection backup online with MozyHome™ Online Backup service with 2GB free.

· The Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive is available in 500GB and 1TB capacities and starts at just $159.99.
Iomega Home Media Network Hard Drive Features:

· Capacity: 500GB or 1TB (both are single drive units)

· Simple to use: Three step set-up – simply plug into your router, power on, and install the software CD. Friendly web screens for easy management.

· Sharing: Access files from any networked Apple computer for easy file sharing

· High Performance: Gigabit Ethernet connectivity combined with a high performance processor

· UPnP™ AV Media Server: Compatible with DLNA® certified media players, able to stream photos, audio content and videos to a variety of media devices like game consoles, audio bridges, DMAs (digital media adapters), picture frames and more

· iTunes™ Server: Store your audio content in one central location and share it across your iTunes players

· Network File Protocols Supported:

CIFS/SMB (Microsoft), AFP (Apple), HTTP 1.1

· Expandability: Add storage capacity by connecting external USB Hard Disk Drives. Supports FAT32 and NTFS formatted hard drives

· Network Discovery: Automatic network discovery by Apple Bonjour and Microsoft Windows Rally devices

· Data Protection: Touch-free professional-level backup for all your critical data with EMC® Retrospect HD backup software. Effortlessly back up files on a pre-set schedule

· Print Server: Intelligent network print sharing capability for one USB printer directly attached to the Home Media drive

The case itself has gigabit Ethernet and two USB ports for extended storage, and the Linux-based PC inside is running a 400MHz processor with 128MB of memory and an EnergyStar-compliant power adapter.

The Linux "operating environment" is the LifeLine system developed by EMC. It supports UPnP and DLNA for talking to assorted other devices on your network—Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 and iTunes—and it has RSA security, no coincidence since EMC owns them too. The screenshots look a lot like other Linux home-servers, such as the most recent HP Media Vault. More on that when we see the set-up live.

What's cool is that this "environment" expands with added accessories. You can buy a supported Axis surveillance cam and the server becomes a realtime and recording video server; with a Bluetooth dongle, you can transfer files directly from mobile products to the server (locally).

Unlike other products in its class, it doesn't yet support remote access, which is a bummer, but Jonathan Huberman, head of Iomega, told me that they're planning to give customers free upgrades every quarter, adding new functionality. That means remote access is on its way (they're thinking end of this year), and next spring, the ix2 will acquire a cool trick: You buy two of them, set up one at your office and one at home, and they'll clone each other, keeping in sync over the net.

We'll probably test this baby out when it ships next week, but if you get to it before us, let us know how it goes.

New Iomega StorCenter ix2 Brings Leading EMC Network Storage Technologies
To Home and Small Business Users
***
Compact $299.99 Appliance Delivers
Highly Innovative Network Storage Capabilities in Just Four Clicks

SAN DIEGO, October 15, 2008 – Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a global leader in data protection, today announced the worldwide availability of the new Iomega® StorCenter™ ix2, the most advanced and easy-to-use network storage appliance for small businesses and the home. With just four mouse clicks, users can configure up to two terabytes of storage and advanced information management, protection and sharing software that can be connected to multiple devices, including wirelessly with Bluetooth, to manage their ever-increasing digital world.

With a footprint smaller than a large dictionary and starting at just $299.99, the 1TB* and 2TB StorCenter ix2 provides centralized storage to users searching for the easiest and most technologically advanced way to share, secure and protect their most important data – including photos, mp3 files, videos and financial records. The ix2 boosts small office productivity by making data accessible yet secure over a local network. In the home setting, the ix2 allows family members of all ages to effortlessly enjoy their pictures, videos, music and other multimedia files from personal computers as well as all kinds of compatible consumer electronics and home entertainment products.

“The new StorCenter ix2 is a powerful network storage appliance that brings EMC’s world class storage technologies to consumers and small businesses in an easily understandable way and at a price they can afford,” said Jonathan Huberman, president of Iomega and the Consumer and Small Business Products Division of EMC. “The ix2 puts even the most non-technical person at ease with its straightforward operation. But behind the scenes, the ix2 utilizes advanced data protection and data management programs that haven’t been available to consumers and small businesses before. With the ix2, users are literally four clicks away from storage technologies built on the heritage of those that protect data at the world’s largest organizations, all at a cost of less than $300.”

StorCenter ix2 in the Small Business
The Iomega StorCenter ix2 operates EMC’s LifeLine™ software, a fully-developed Linux operating environment and suite of applications that incorporate EMC storage technologies with the capability of adding new storage management features in the future. For business users, the StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance delivers new features and applications to boost office productivity.

In addition to speed, centralized storage capacity and the onboard security to protect all the files on a network, the ix2 delivers optional Bluetooth connectivity, which allows users to send pictures, files and address book contacts directly from cell phones to the StorCenter ix2 for network sharing and data protection; as well as a unique digital video surveillance capability using a compatible Axis™ video surveillance camera for inexpensive real-time viewing and recording of activity inside or outside the office.

The ix2 includes security technology from RSA, the security division of EMC that protects digital data at many of the world’s largest banks and now shields the StorCenter ix2 from viruses or malware.

StorCenter ix2 in the Digital Home
For home users, built-in support for Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) and Digital Living Network Alliance™ (DLNA) certified devices means that the StorCenter ix2 can save, store, and play back all kinds of multimedia files – music, photos, videos and other digital content – using not only laptops and desktop computers but any compatible device on a home network, including:
• consumer electronics and home entertainment products;
• mobile devices such as cell phones, music players, and personal digital assistants.

“Consumers want electronic devices that can easily plug into the home network and connect with each other reliably and simply,” said Huberman. “With UPnP and DLNA support and an integrated iTunes™ server in the StorCenter ix2, families can easily set up a robust media server, making the most of all of the digital content they enjoy today and will add to tomorrow.”

StorCenter ix2 - General Capabilities
Fast network performance at the office or in the home is delivered through a Gigabit Ethernet connection, and data is stored on two high-performance SATA-II drives. Up to two USB devices can be connected to the ix2’s USB ports, including USB printers for network print sharing, a USB Bluetooth dongle for direct uploads, or external USB drives to add incremental storage capacity.

The StorCenter ix2 provides data backup and protection with integrated EMC Retrospect® Express backup software. During the set-up process, users choose files and folders for scheduled automatic backups from all the PCs and Macs on their network. After that, any changes or additions are updated and saved automatically.

Because the EMC Lifeline operating environment is continually being refined to integrate new and existing EMC technologies, users can expect upgraded features and improvements without having to purchase new hardware. New software features planned for the StorCenter ix2 include remote file access, online storage and data security enhancements – all taking advantage of world-class EMC storage technologies.

Compatibility
The StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance is compatible with Windows®, Mac OS®, and Linux® PCs and supports up to two printers or external hard drives. The interface is localized in 11 languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional and Simple Chinese, German, and Russian). Other supported devices include uPnP AV devices, digital media adapters, iTunes™, and PTP (e.g., digital cameras and frames). BlueTooth compatibility requires an optional adapter.

Price and Availability
The StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 1TB is now available worldwide for $299.99; the StorCenter ix2 Network Storage appliance 2TB is available now for $479.99 (EMEA version of release will note price in Euros). (All prices are U.S. suggested retail.)

Iomega Announces Must-Have for MacBook Air Owners:

New Ultra-Thin eGo Helium Portable Hard Drive

***

eGo Helium Delivers 320 Gigabytes of Stylish Storage for MacBook Air

SAN DIEGO, September 17, 2008 – Iomega, an EMC company (NYSE: EMC) and a global leader in data protection and security, today announced the exciting new Iomega® eGo™ Helium Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 320GB*, a perfect match for the style and incremental storage needs of Apple’s revolutionary MacBook Air™ notebook.

On display this week at the Apple Expo tradeshow in Paris, the new eGo Helium portable drive brings the MacBook Air™ notebook’s aesthetic to Iomega’s wildly popular eGo portable hard drive. In addition to the drive’s portable storage, the eGo Helium also harnesses the benefits of cloud computing with Mozy™ online backup service, giving users incredible value and security for securely storing, protecting and accessing important files.

Cool Hardware

The tapered 320GB eGo Helium portable hard drive echoes the stylish lines of the streamlined MacBook Air™ laptop, enclosing a state-of-the-art 2.5-inch portable hard drive in an anodized aluminum shell to create a package that is a mere 0.63 inches thick (16 mm) and weighs only 7 ounces (200 grams). Formatted with Apple’s HFS+ file system, the 320GB hard drive sports Iomega’s Drop Guard™ design feature that protects the drive from drops of up to 51 inches (1.3 meters) onto industrial carpeting—40 percent above the industry average for portable hard drives. The eGo Helium receives power from the USB port so there’s no power supply to carry around. And with space for up to 1,280,000 photos, over 5,920 hours of music or 480 hours of video**, the 320GB eGo Helium drive gives new meaning to stylish portable storage.

“Iomega’s eGo portable hard drives have garnered tremendous attention in the beige world of external storage by offering consumers a choice of several different vibrant colors as well as a camouflage print and genuine leather,” said Peter Wharton, vice president of marketing, Iomega Corporation. “The eGo Helium extends that strong commitment to delivering style with substance. What makes eGo Helium such an effective piece of industrial design is the way it dresses up a highly functional 320GB hard drive device into a durable and sleek package with plenty of storage capability, making it an easy-to-use ‘eye-catcher’ that’s small enough to go anywhere.”

Key Software

Iomega offers two Mac OS® X backup software applications with the eGo Helium portable hard drive as free downloads for added data safety: EMC® Retrospect® Express for Macintosh 6.1 software, and MozyHome™ online backup software (2GB free; unlimited online storage for $4.95/month). Retrospect Express protects a single Macintosh desktop or notebook computer by backing up to internal and external hard drives, NAS devices, CD/DVDs and removable drives such as Iomega’s REV Backup Drive. MozyHome online backup service provides online storage for backing up selected folders or files to world-class EMC data centers.

Computer users running the Windows XP or Vista operating systems can reformat the eGo Helium drive to NTFS for use with Windows only, or the drive can be formatted as Fat 32 for use with both Macs and Windows PCs. Customers running Windows XP or Vista can also download Retrospect Express HD 2.5 for Windows with MozyHome integration, which gives users the convenience of shared setup information and the ability to send backups to either nearline storage (an external hard drive or network drive), online storage (the Internet), or both.

Compatibility

The Iomega® eGo™ Helium™ Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 320GB is compatible with Mac OS X 10.1.5 or above and with Microsoft® Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, and Windows Vista™. MozyHome software is available for Mac OS X 10.4 and above, along with Windows XP and Windows Vista. EMC Retrospect software is available for both Windows and Mac OS X operating systems.

Price and Availability

The Iomega® eGo™ Helium Portable Hard Drive USB 2.0 320GB will be available worldwide in October for $149.99 from online retailers, VARs, resellers and select retailers, as well as at www.iomega.com. (All pricing in this news release is U.S. suggested retail.)

About EMC

EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world's leading developer and provider of information infrastructure technology and solutions that enable organizations of all sizes to transform the way they compete and create value from their information. Information about EMC's products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.

About Mozy

Mozy is the leader in online data backup for consumers and businesses. With more than 850,000 users and 23,000 business customers, Mozy offers a simple, automatic and secure service for backing up data over the Internet. Mozy was acquired by EMC Corporation in 2007 and operates as part of the EMC Cloud Infrastructure and Services Division. Information can be found at www.mozy.com.

About Iomega

Iomega Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of EMC Corporation and headquartered in San Diego, is a worldwide leader in innovative storage and network security solutions for small and mid-sized businesses, consumers and others. The Company has sold more than 400 million digital storage drives and disks since its inception in 1980. Today, Iomega’s product portfolio includes industry leading network storage products, external hard drives, and our award-winning removable storage technology, the REV® Backup Drive. To learn about all of Iomega’s digital storage products and managed services solutions, please go to the Web at www.iomega.com. Resellers can visit Iomega at www.iomega.com/ipartner.

Make just posted a piece on how to turn the now useless drives into one of these playful cybernetically styled puppets. (It's called Zippy. Get it?) The one thing that throws me off is this: The actual Boy Scout who is ostensibly masterminding this transformation probably wasn't alive when the Zip drive was popular. Somebody definitely put him up to it. I'm guessing it was his dad. [Make]

Note: Save that link, because tomorrow morning Make will post a full video of Zip drive marionette making for you to watch—from what I can tell, it's antiquated computer hardware fun for the whole family!

The Price: $200

The Verdict: This thing kinda sucks. I was hoping the ScreenPlay would be able to replace my current setup of streaming media over an Xbox 360. The 360 works most of the time, but sometimes it gets hung up buffering large files, and I don't have an external HDD the size of the ScreenPlay to plug into it. If this one could play all the codecs of the Xbox while looking halfway decent and not lagging, I'd convert in a heartbeat.

The first problem came when I tried to load files from my Mac. The drive is formatted in NTFS, rendering it incompatible with OS X. Worried I'd lose the ScreenPlay's UI if I formatted the drive, I got some files from my roommate's PC first. (Later, I formatted the drive to FAT, and everything loaded fine from both computers.) The AVIs transferred quickly, and I hooked it up to the TV via HDMI.

The UI is just a basic file manager, nothing special or sexy about it. One thing I found particularly annoying is that the button in the center of the D-Pad is "Play" and not "OK," so pressing play on a folder went straight to the first file. It took me about five times of hitting it to figure it out. However, I did like that the ScreenPlay accepted multiple levels of folders, something I haven't been able to figure out for my Mac files on the Xbox.

Picture quality on the ScreenPlay wasn't very good. It claims to upscale content, but my low-qual Flight of the Conchords videos looked like junk, and higher-res BSG episodes looked the same as they do on Xbox. When I tried to play a 720p ep of Planet Earth, I got a "resolution not supported" error—this never happens on Xbox. The MP4 videos that I use to encode all my Handbrake rips didn't show up in the menu, since they are not supported. Music and photo playback were decent, but the interface wasn't nearly as robust as the Xbox.

The ScreenPlay HD didn't meet my expectations at all. Sure, it can play some videos and other multimedia, and it's nice to not worry about buffering, but the playback limitations outweigh the benefits. On top of that, $200 is steep for a 500GB HD, especially considering Iomega sells others for under $100. There's no chance that this would replace my Xbox for watching computer media on TV, but it could make a nice, if expensive, addition to plug into the 360's USB port. [Iomega]

Iomega Makes the Move From Gigabytes To A New One Terabyte "Super eGo" External Hard Drive # # # A Big Beauty in Three Striking Colors Arrives on the Desktop: The New eGo 1TB Desktop Hard Drive

SAN DIEGO, May 29, 2008 - Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a global leader in data protection and security, today announced that stylish data security has reached the 1TB* plateau with the worldwide introduction of the Iomega® eGo™ 1TB Desktop Hard Drive.

This new single-drive HDD "Super eGo" is now available worldwide in ruby red, midnight blue, and jet black. Its design is based on the popular Iomega® eGo™ Portable Hard Drive, one of Iomega's best-selling line of hard drives. The eGo Portable is currently available in 160GB, 250GB and 320GB capacities, and in several different colors, including new camouflage and leather-wrapped models. The new eGo Desktop model houses a 1TB, 3.5-inch hard drive with USB 2.0 connectivity that holds up to 4,000,000 photos, over 18,500 hours of music or 1,500 hours of video.**

"By applying the award-winning style of the eGo design to a desktop hard drive, Iomega is giving users a one-terabyte Super eGo that's all about form and function, a beautiful and pleasing design for even the most data-intensive applications," said Peter Wharton, vice president marketing, Iomega Corporation. "Today's computer users want more style, capacity, and data security out of their computer hardware; the colorful, dependable and colossal one terabyte eGo Desktop Hard Drive delivers on all counts."

The new 1TB eGo Desktop Hard Drive is a complete storage solution out of the box, including a license for EMC® Retrospect HD software (PC-only download) for automatic backups, scheduled backups, or on-demand backups.

Compatibility
The Iomega® eGo™ Desktop Hard Drive is compatible with Mac OS X 10.1 or higher and with Microsoft® Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, and Windows Vista™. EMC® Retrospect HD backup software is available for free download (PC only).

Price and Availability
The Iomega® eGo™ Desktop Hard Drive, USB 2.0, 1TB is now available worldwide for $269.95 (pricing is U.S. suggested retail) from online retailers, VARs, resellers and select retailers, as well as at www.iomega.com.

• Iomega will launch HomeCenter Server in the first quarter of next year. The system will run on an AMD Sempron 1.8 Ghz processor and include on 500GB drive plus three extra SATA II bays (four total) for a "easy swapping" and expansion up to 3TB (750GB x 4). The HomeCenter will have a gigabit Ethernet port, but there's no price tag on that yet.

• In Europe three OEMs plan to roll out certified Windows Home Server products this year: the Fujitsu Siemens Computers SCALEO Home Server 1900, the MAXDATA Belinea o.center and Medion Home Server with up to 2TB of storage.

• Some other Windows Home Servers that might soon turn up on your radar include Life|ware, Tranquil, Leo and Velocity Micro (which looks a lot like the Fujitsu Siemens).

Windows Home Server Available Now to Help Families Protect, Connect and Share Their Digital Experiences

The HP MediaSmart Server is now available for pre-order and will be shipped to customers this month; new hardware and software partners announce Windows Home Server products and solutions.

REDMOND, Wash. — Nov. 5, 2007 — Windows Home Server, a new solution to help families easily protect, connect and share their digital media and documents, is generally available today. The HP MediaSmart Server, powered by Windows Home Server software, is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com, Best Buy.com, Buy.com, Circuit City.com and CompUSA.com. It will be shipped to customers and available via other leading retailer Web sites later in November. Additional Microsoft hardware and software partners are also delivering new consumer products and solutions designed to work with Windows Home Server.

"Digital devices and content are everywhere in our day-to-day lives and they are more important all the time," said Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft. "With the launch of Windows Home Server, Microsoft and its partners are creating a new consumer product category that will help people keep their digital media safe and make it easier for them to enjoy it with friends and family."

Windows Home Server is a "stay-at-home" server that delivers the benefits of powerful server technology used by many people at work within a simple, easy-to-use solution for the home. It automatically backs up Windows XP-based and Windows Vista-based home computers each night, provides a central place to organize digital documents and media, and includes a free Windows Live Internet address to access the home server from virtually anywhere and share content with friends and family. It also monitors the health and security status of home computers and can stream media to other devices in the home, such as Xbox 360, allowing people to enjoy digital music, photos and videos on their television.

The HP MediaSmart Server, powered by the AMD LIVE! solution, was designed for the Windows Home Server platform. It provides consumers with easy, more secure access to all their movies, photos, music and documents through any broadband Internet-connected PC. The product also includes HP Photo Webshare software for consumers to easily and more securely share photos with select friends and family. The MediaSmart Server is offered in a 500GB version for $599 (U.S.) and a 1TB model for $749 (U.S.).*

"As more and more entertainment content goes digital, people increasingly want a simple way to access, store and enjoy the wide range of photos, personal videos, music and films they enjoy at home. HP and Microsoft have worked closely to bring to market a powerful, breakthrough solution for today's digital lifestyle that lets people personalize the how, when and where of entertainment," said John Orcutt, senior vice president of the Managed Home Business at HP.

Other leading manufacturers are also releasing Windows Home Server products:

· Available in Europe in late 2007, the Fujitsu Siemens Computers SCALEO Home Server 1900 offers 1TB capacity across two hard drives, Gigabit Ethernet and advanced power management features.

· Iomega Corp. today unveiled new details about its home server product due in early 2008, the Iomega HomeCenter Server, which will ship with one 500GB hard drive and four "easy-swap" drive bays for storage expansion.

· Available in early 2008, the Life|ware Life|storage will offer enterprise-class capabilities to consumers, including Life|ware Entertainment and Automation Server software for home management.

· The MAXDATA Belinea o.center, which will also be available in Europe soon, is energy-efficient, offers advanced management and media functions, and allows up to four hot plug SATA hard drives.

· Also available in Europe later this year, the Medion Home Server comes with up to 2 TB of storage capacity and will offer universal plug-and-play media streaming based on PacketVideo PVConnect software.

· Available now, the Tranquil PC T7-HSA Tranquil Harmony Home Server is a small, quiet and energy-efficient solution with 500GB and 1TB options.

· On sale today, the Velocity Micro NetMagix HomeServer is a small, sleek unit that can be situated in a horizontal or vertical position, starting with 1 TB of expandable storage capacity.

In addition, companies including Ace Computers, Advantec, PC Club and Universal Systems Inc. are now offering Windows Home Server systems based on the system builder version of the software. Other leading manufacturers, such as Gateway Inc. and LaCie, have announced plans for Windows Home Server products. Also, Seagate Technology announced the compatibility of its PC hard drives and external storage devices with Windows Home Server. Intel Corporation will soon be announcing a new, ideal platform for Windows Home Server, as well.

Windows Home Server Software Solutions for the Digital Home

Third-party software developers have created more than 35 innovative add-in programs to run on the Windows Home Server platform. These solutions provide personal blogging and media sharing, home security, home automation, protection against viruses and malware, and more. Several software vendors today announced support for Windows Home Server:

· Avira GmbH in Germany today announced that its malware detection and removal technology will support Windows Home Server.

· Diskeeper Corporation today released a special edition of its Diskeeper 2008 defragmentation software for Windows Home Server.

· Embedded Automation Inc. released the mControl add-in for Windows Home Server, providing home automation functionality.

· Proxure Inc. announced the release of KeepVault for Windows Home Server, providing automatic, online backup and storage of data.

· SageTV LLC released SageTV Media Server for Windows Home Server, enabling media streaming from Windows Home Server to any PC or Macintosh, at home or over the Internet.

· SightSpeed Inc. announced SightSpeed 6.0 video chat service compatibility with Windows Home Server.

· Telligent Systems Graffiti CMS is compatible with Windows Home Server, enabling users to quickly create personal Web sites and blogs.

· WiLife Inc. announced the release of Command Center Software version 2.1 home security software for Windows Home Server.

Additional third-party software and service solutions for Windows Home Server include avast! and F-Secure anti-virus and security software, CEIVA digital photo frames, Iron Mountain and Jungle Disk off-site data protection services, Lagotek Home Intelligence Platform for home automation, LobsterTunes for streaming to Windows Mobile-based devices, PacketVideo PVConnect for universal plug-and-play media streaming, Raxco Software PerfectDisk for performance optimization, Riptopia CD loading service, Sonos System Software 2.5 for centralized storage and organization of digital jukeboxes, and Whiist for easy creation of Web pages and photo albums on Windows Home Server.

More information about Windows Home Server is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windowshomeserver.

After I upgraded my MacBook Pro to OS X Leopard, the first thing I did was grab a brand-new Maxtor USB drive and format it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled) using Disk Utility, just like I had countless times before. As soon as I erased the disk, Time Machine popped up as promised, and asked if it could use the disk for backup. I said yes, and was on my merry way. Only I wasn't.

Time Machine ran for a bit, and then crapped out after about 10GB. I went into Disk Utility and saw that although the partition was formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled), the volume itself still said FAT32. I clicked Erase to reformat the drive, and got the format failure error you see above.

I tried this with FAT-formatted drives from Seagate, Iomega and HP as well. Each time I saw the same thing. I could reformat the partition to Mac OS Extended (Journaled), and Time Machine would recognize it. Get Info would say that it was formatted correctly. But Disk Utility showed that the volume was formatted for PC. Inevitably, if the Time Machine backup was greater than 10GB, there were problems. Worst of all, if I dared try to format the volume for Mac, I would get the dreaded error, and the disk would be temporarily unmountable.

Not only did I vary drives, but I tested the problem on various systems too. I tried it booting from the Leopard DVD, with the same results. Ditto when I tried it using my wife's Leopard-upgraded MacBook Pro. (Yes, his n' hers MBPs. You can insert your "awwww" here.) The end result was that I couldn't break the FAT grip on these damn drives.

I made some calls, I talked to some people, and eventually here was the solution: you wipe the hell out of the drive by creating new and different partitions. So, do not head to the Erase tab in Disk Utility to prep a PC-formatted drive for Time Machine. Instead:

• Go to the Partition tab. Create two partitions. Under Options, select GUID Partition Table (what you would use to make a Mac OS boot disk) and click OK then Apply.

• Once your partitions are in place, do it again, reverting back to just one partition, but still keeping the GUID Partition Table option. Click OK and Apply again, and at this point you should be cool.

• To be safe, you can then go to Erase and set formatting for Mac OS Extended (Journaled), then format it once and for all. But when you get there, you will probably see that your volume is already formatted in the right way.

UPDATE: Some people have gotten this to work without creating two partitions. If you like, try creating just a single partition, but using the GUID Partition Table option. This may be all it takes to break the chokehold.

Using this method, I have gotten all of the disks to work just fine with Time Machine, and I don't anticipate any problems in the future.

OK, I know, quite a bit of nerdiness, but I wanted to get out there and tell you about the problem I encountered, in case you are having the same troubles, or plan on getting there sooner or later. Also, this solution is actually a workaround of sorts. My hope is that Apple can update Disk Utility with a stronger form of disk erasing that doesn't require so many manual steps, but if I am missing something obvious, I'd love to hear it. Please share any troubles you've had, or any better solutions you've cooked up.

Special thanks to Dorian and Ken!

Iomega is also updating its mini-inspired MiniMax, with a 750GB version with a 3-port USB 2.0 hub and three FireWire ports to boot.

The sexy stackable UltraMax dual-drive RAID products are already up at Iomega.com, but are probably worth a look if you're in need of hardcore hot-swappable drive action.

There's more information in the press release below, which (confusingly) also discusses previously announced products:

Iomega Unveils New Lineup of Mac-Focused Products at Apple Expo 2007 in Paris
***
New HFS+ Storage Products for Mac Users Highlight Iomega's Strongest Lineup Ever

SAN DIEGO, September 25, 2007 - Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a global leader in data protection and security, today unveiled a dramatically expanded line of external storage products for the Mac® community at the annual Apple Expo tradeshow in Paris.

Visitors to the Iomega booth at Apple Expo 2007 in Paris, which runs September 25 to 29, will see demonstrations of Iomega's new and existing single- and dual-drive products for Mac users in capacities of up to 1.5TB*. With Mac-friendly features like the HFS+ file system, elegant designs, and an array of leading-edge interfaces to choose from, the new Iomega® UltraMax™ and UltraMax Pro Desktop Hard Drive models represent Iomega's biggest advance to date in external storage for the Mac OS X computer user.

"Iomega storage products for Mac users are both functional and versatile with a focus on seamless implementation into a Mac product environment, as well as perfectly complementing the Apple design esthetic," said Romain Cholat, vice president of international sales, Iomega Corporation. "These innovative storage devices are real solutions to the ever-growing demand on storage capacity that Apple users and others are experiencing today in home and office settings. Our new lineup of external storage products on display at Apple Expo strike just the right balance between ease-of-use and functionality and attractive Mac-friendly designs that look great on the desktop."

Dual-Drive RAID Products
Iomega's new 1.5TB UltraMax™ Pro Desktop Hard Drive, with FireWire® 800, FireWire 400, and USB 2.0 interfaces, provides incredible performance and flexibility in a two-drive configuration.

In addition to the default mode of RAID 0, which stripes data across the UltraMax Pro's two SATA-II hard drives for high performance, other drive settings include RAID 1 (where all data is copied to both drives, or mirrored, for data redundancy), 'spanned' (where both hard drives are treated as a single volume), and 'simple' (where each hard drive is treated as its own drive letter). For ease of use, a manual RAID switch allows the user to turn off the RAID configuration and use the drive configured as JBOD.

The UltraMax Pro Desktop Hard Drive contains two FireWire 800 ports, one FireWire 400 port, and one USB 2.0 port; cables for all three interfaces are included in the box. The stackable drive enclosure complements the Mac Pro series of Apple computers as well as the older Power Mac series. The enclosure is metallic grey with a mesh grill, echoing the Mac Pro computer's industrial design. Hot-swappable SATA II hard drives minimize downtime when configured as a RAID 1 array.

Iomega is also shipping a companion product, the Iomega® 1.5 TB UltraMax™ Pro Desktop Hard Drive, featuring eSATA 3GBits and USB 2.0 interfaces and formatted with the FAT32 file system for use in Mac or PC environments.

Single Drive, Four Interfaces
For the broadest possible range of interface options in a single-drive product, Iomega's new UltraMax™ Desktop Hard Drive is hard to beat with eSATA, FireWire 800, FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 ports on board.

Available in both 750GB and 500GB capacities, the new UltraMax Desktop Hard Drive comes with one eSATA port, two FireWire 800 ports, one FireWire 400 port and one USB 2.0 port; cables for all four interfaces are included in the box.

The new UltraMax Desktop Hard Drive is slim and elegant and designed like the UltraMax Pro to complement the Mac Pro series of Apple computers.

Single Drive, Dual Interface
The most economical drive in the UltraMax™ lineup is the dual interface 500GB Iomega® UltraMax™ Desktop Hard Drive. For simpler connectivity needs, or for situations that do not require the faster transfer rates of the eSATA and FireWire 800 interfaces, this FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 drive provides users with the same great design and quality at a lower price.

Iomega MiniMax Desktop Hard Drive
Also new is a 750GB model of the Iomega® MiniMax™ Desktop Hard Drive, which includes a hub with three USB 2.0 ports and three FireWire ports. The 750GB version joins an existing 500GB MiniMax Desktop Hard Drive dual interface with the same hub. The Iomega® MiniMax™ Desktop Hard Drive features a form factor and industrial design that beautifully complements and stacks easily with the Apple Mac Mini computer. In addition, Iomega is offering the 500GB Iomega® MiniMax™ USB 2.0 + Hub, which has three USB 2.0 ports in its hub. The 500GB MiniMax USB 2.0 + Hub is a great companion to the popular Mac AirPort Extreme, providing networked storage when the two devices are plugged together.

Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive
Iomega is also introducing a new dual-interface version of its immensely popular 160GB eGo™ Portable Hard Drive, adding FireWire 400 connectivity to the existing USB 2.0 interface option. Cables for both FireWire 400 and USB 2.0 operation are included in the box. Iomega is also announcing a higher capacity 250GB version of the eGo drive. With its curvaceous cherry-red chassis and chrome endcaps, the eGo has an eye-catching style that sets it apart from other portable drives in its class. In European markets, Iomega will also offer the dual interface eGo Portable Hard Drive in various capacity and color combinations, including a 160GB white version and 250GB black and red versions. The new dual interface eGo models will be available later this year.

Backup Software: EMC Retrospect Express
For secure storage and worry-free backup and disaster recovery, Iomega includes EMC® Retrospect® Express software with all of the drives announced today. Retrospect Express delivers automated, reliable, cost-effective protection for Windows® and Mac® users. Its award-winning design makes it easy to set up and manage highly efficient backups on any PC, greatly simplifying disaster recovery. Users can back up open files, verify backup integrity during the backup, have scheduled backups proceed even without logging in, and recover individual files or a complete system to any point in time.

Compatibility
The Iomega® UltraMax™ and eGo™ models are compatible with Mac® OS X 10.1 and above; the UltraMax™ Pro models are compatible with Mac® OS X 10.3 and above; and the MiniMax™ drive is compatible with Mac® OS X 10.1.5 and above.

UltraMax and UltraMax Pro drives come pre-formatted with HFS+, the native file system for the Mac OS X operating system. The HFS+ file system makes more efficient use of large hard drives and supports journaling under Mac OS X, which makes it easier to recover data in case of a problem. UltraMax Drives can be reformatted to NTFS or FAT32 for use with a PC (instructions included), making the drives compatible with Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Windows XP Home and XP Professional editions. FAT32 format allows cross-platform use.

Availability [note: substitute Euro pricing for EMEA]
The Iomega UltraMax™ Pro Desktop Hard Drive FireWire® 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 1.5TB is available now for $599.95; the UltraMax Pro Desktop Hard Drive eSATA 3GBits/USB 2.0 1.5TB, is available for $599.95.

The Iomega UltraMax™ Desktop Hard Drive eSATA/FireWire® 800/FireWire 400/USB 2.0 is expected to be available in October for $319.95. (750GB) and $219.95 (500GB) respectively. The dual-interface model, the UltraMax™ Desktop Hard Drive FireWire® 400/USB 2.0 500GB is expected in October for $189.95.

The Iomega MiniMax™ Desktop Hard Drive USB 2.0 500GB is available now for $179.95. The Iomega® eGo™ Portable Hard Drive 160GB Hi-Speed USB 2.0/FireWire®, Cherry Red, is expected in October for $159.95. The 250GB USB 2.0 eGo Portable Hard Drive is expected to be available in late October for $259.95. The 250GB Hi-Speed USB 2.0/FireWire® dual interface version of the Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive is expected to be available in the fourth quarter of this year. (All prices are suggested U.S. retail.)

They're not slouches, performance wise, housing 7200 RPM SATA-II hard drives with 8MB cache. You may be sad to hear that the built-in Ethernet is 10/100, not gigabit, but almost like a tradeoff, each drive also has a USB 2.0 port for local connections.

My biggest concern is how well they perform in the home of a total network neophyte. With all the talk of sending network drives home, Iomega hopefully prepared with some nice getting-started software, or at least a well-caffeinated tech-support staff.

Iomega Announces a Breakthrough on the Cost and Complexity Of Effective Network Storage in the Home
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New Iomega Home Network Hard Drive Brings Simple, Affordable Networking to Home Users

SAN DIEGO, August 27, 2007 - Iomega Corporation (NYSE: IOM), a global leader in data protection and an established leader in network storage, today announced a new line of network hard drives that resets the benchmark for price-performance and easy-to-use network storage for the home.

The new line of Iomega® Home Network Hard Drives, available in 320GB, 360GB and 500GB models, makes it possible for the first time to share network storage at home for little more than the cost of a standard desktop external hard drive.

"Today, the most common use for home networks is to enable shared Internet access," said Tom Kampfer, president and COO, Iomega Corporation. "Families are struggling with how to organize data across multiple PCs. Shared network storage made easy and affordable with Iomega's new Home Network Hard Drive adds the benefit of securely sharing and consolidating photos, music and video over a home family network, as well as increasing storage and backup capacity. At less than $150.00, the Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is a new price-performance milestone for networking today's digital home."

Product features and benefits
The network capabilities of the new Iomega® Home Network Hard Drive are based on 10/100 Ethernet technology, the connectivity standard in today's home networks. With the included Ethernet cable, setting up an Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is as easy as connecting it to an available network port on the home router and running the included, easy-to-use Discovery Tool Home utility for Windows on each PC (for Mac and Linux users on the network, configuration is a simple manual process).

All three models of the new Iomega Home Network Hard Drive feature 7200 RPM SATA-II hard drives with 8MB cache. Once a Home Network Hard Drive is set-up and the network is operating, the device can save files from up to four networked PC or Mac computers for easy file sharing and enjoyment.

"There are an estimated 30 million homes in the United States with multiple computers. Iomega's new Home Network Hard Drives are designed for these families, providing a simple, reliable source of network storage that makes it easy to organize and share files," said Kampfer. "Many computer users want the basics at a fair price; they don't need complicated features and they don't want to pay for capabilities they may not use. The Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is the answer to their home networking needs and can potentially create a consumer mass market in this exciting product category."

All three models of the new Iomega Home Network Hard Drive include a USB 2.0 port for use with a single computer, making the Home Network Hard Drive an external hard drive for incremental storage.

Iomega includes award-winning backup software with its new Home Network Hard Drive, giving users a total solution that includes automated backup of critical files. Two client licenses of EMC Retrospect HD backup software allow users to set up automated backup schedules or perform immediate backups; create progressive backups that capture only the changes from the previous backup; restore a file to any previous backed-up point in time; compress backups; and much more. (Additional client licenses are available from Iomega.)

Compatibility
Iomega Home Network Hard Drives are compatible with Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Professional; XP Home/XP Professional/XP Professional x64; Windows Vista™ Home Basic/Home Premium/Business/Ultimate; Mac OS X 10.2.7 or higher; and Linux distributions including Redhat 9, Mandrake 10, Debian 3.0, Gentoo, and FedoraCore 3.

Network drive operation requires an available 10/100 Ethernet port; a network hub, switch or router is recommended. A DHCP configured network is recommended.

Price and Availability
The 320GB Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is available now worldwide for $149.00; the 500GB Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is also available now for $199.00. The 360GB Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is expected to be available in late September for $149.00. The 500GB model (as well as the 360GB model in September) is available from VARs, resellers, distributors and select retailers. The 320GB Iomega Home Network Hard Drive is available only at Iomega's online store, www.iomega.com. (All pricing listed here is U.S. suggested retail.)

The USB 2.0 bus-powered eGo comes with 160GB and costs, by coincidence, $160. It's bundled with EMC's Retrospect software for backup, something you might not need if you run Vista (or if Leopard ever freakin' gets here). More uniquely, it has DropGuard technology, that protects data from accidental damage at drops of up to 51 inches. Iomega calls it a "fashion statement"—I'll just stick with cute little red hard drive.

The 500GB eSATA drive is for the "pros" (aka Torrent luvrs): it's got a 3Gbps eSATA interface if you are lucky enough to have an eSATA connection on your PC. Hey, you might. If not, there's always USB 2.0. The eSATA lists for $210. Man, pricing on 3.5" 500GB drives are really coming down, but it looks like that eSATA card might set you back $70 or more.

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