LS120 Devices

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ranga
  • Start date Start date
R

Ranga

Hello greats,

Can anyone help me, what are the LS120 Devices?

Are they Floppy Drives? Are they superior to 1.44MB Drives?

Please help me.

with regards,
Ranga.
 
First developed by Compaq Corp for use with its PCs. A few months later was
available in tandem with a specialized card interface to boot from.
Originally required special driver to work with Windows 95 and Windows 95A.
Currently works with Windows 95B and higher versions natively without
special hardware or software.

A form of magnetic optical device. Optics are used to track the head across
the diskette it uses during read or write.

Can be used as boot device.
Uses diskettes similar, but not the same as, standard floppy diskettes.
Can read or write to standard 1.44MB floppy diskettes.

Something rather odd about this device is that it writes much faster than it
can read using its diskette or a standard floppy diskette.

Some specialized uses I've found for this device. Make it bootable in
windows 95B up or its MS-DOS. If you use NAV, you can create a rescue
folder to your hard drive, then save the entire folder to the bootable
LS-120. Using Partition Magic or Drive Image bootable diskettes? Combine
all to a folder on your HD, then save to a bootable LS-120. Old application
that uses many diskettes to install? Example is Word 5.0. Copy all
diskettes to separate folder to your HD, then copy all to the LS-120. All
those special utilities that only work in MS-DOS, copy them to one bootable
LS-120 diskette.

Microsoft BS: Windows 95B up, and NT 4.0 SP6 uses slightly different format
on the LS-120. They are not interchangeable. XP, not sure.

Smaller than CDs of course, no special software required with proper
operating system to implement read or write. Bootable with most bios dated
last 4 or 5 years.

Have had problems with repeated writes to LS-120 media. Special software
application available for low-level format that runs in MS-DOS mode. LS-120
can cause slow downs on older computers with older hard drives if on same
ribbon cable. This is an ATAPI device, not a genuine ide device.

Compared to a CD burner, it has less capacity. But it has some uses since
it works natively with current OSes and bootable with most bios. In my
opinion, is therefore more flexible.

But what do I know? I've been using same since they were introduced.
Dave
 
The LS-120 Imation SuperDrive was a good idea-- similar to Zip disks. Holds
120mB rather than 1.44 mB of standard 3.5 floppies. Drives and cameras made to
take the LS-120 disks will also accept standard 3.5" floppies, but of course
does not give them any greater capacity. The LS-120 disk has physically the
same outside dimensions. The disk drive can be used in a desktop system instead
of a standard 3.5 drive.(There was a model made for laptops, too.) I was
disappointed that Imation dropped the ball and no longer produce this drive,
but I understand they are still making the disks for their customers who have
already bought the drives. Panasonic made 2 digital camersa, a 1.3 megapixel
model and a 3.3 megapixel job, but they discontinued production because Imation
quit supplying the drives, and apparently is not going to sell their patent
rights on it.
 
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