Seagate goes for all that Jaz

Iomega's Jaz file format for 1GB hard disk drives scored a major endorsement today when Seagate Technology, the largest disk drive maker in the world, agreed to manufacture removable disc cartridges for the popular line of drives.

Iomega promises that its Jaz drive will provide high-performance backup with instant recovery, costing $499 for the external version and $399 for the internal. While large-capacity disk drives are a dime a dozen, the Jaz drive offers virtually unlimited capacity through the use of removable 1GB cartridges that cost about $100 each.

It is these cartridges that Seagate expects to be manufacturing in volume by the end of the third quarter. Iomega will continue to make its own cartridges, but the Seagate deal will allow the company to greatly expand its production.

The partnership spells more bad news for Syquest, which has been struggling to keep Iomega from taking over its market.

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Iomega beats up on Syquest