These things always win ooohs and aahs of surprise and delight, but seldom mean much in the market, but Matsushita Electrical Industrial Coand Matsushita Communications Industrial Co have developed a floppy drive, the JU-2521, with a phenomenal storage capacity of 28Mb. The super-high density was achieved by mixing a small amount of pure iron in the magnetic material, and by improving the magnetic head, using an amorphous metal for the Metal in Gap Head, giving the head a superior write performance compared with conventional ferrite heads. Also new is a linear motor that rotates at double the standard 300rpm speed to accelerate data retrieval faster. The price for the drive has not yet been set and support from other media makers and a second source will be required for commercial success, but Matsushita will sample it next spring.
