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A Jaz drive was a removable hard disk storage system sold by Iomega between 1995 and 2002. It was a higher-capacity and higher-end successor to Iomega's popular Zip drive. While Zip disks used a proprietary, high-density floppy disk technology, Jaz cartridges contained actual hard disk platters.

Key features of the Jaz drive

High capacity: When first released in 1995, the Jaz drive offered a significant leap in storage capacity with 1 GB removable disks, at a time when standard floppy disks held only 1.44 MB. A later version, released in 1998, increased the capacity to 2 GB.

Fast performance: The drive's hard-disk-based technology provided faster read/write speeds than its magneto-optical and floppy-based competitors, making it a viable solution for demanding tasks like multimedia production and data backups.

SCSI interface: To achieve its higher performance, Jaz drives primarily used a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) connection, which was faster than the parallel and serial ports common on PCs at the time. Both internal and external models were available.

Removable media: The Jaz system used removable cartridges, or "disks," which made it easy to transport large files and perform off-site backups.

Compatibility issues: The need for a specific SCSI interface or adapter meant that Jaz drives never achieved the same market penetration as the more user-friendly Zip drives.

Reliability problems: Some Jaz drives were known for a reliability issue dubbed the "click of death," where a disk would get stuck inside, make a clicking sound, and become unusable.