Ed Zabrek's Technology Report - This Shark has Teeth!

When is comes to hard drives, you can never have too much speed or storage space. This is particularly true of portable computers. I have used external storage devices for many years. The Iomega, with their Zip and Jaz drives have had the market share for the past several years. (I own and use both.) I was nonetheless intrigued when I saw the Avatar Shark Pro (www.goavatar.com). I was certainly impressed by the small size of the Shark. (Maybe they should have named it the "Minnow", but it may have suffered the fate of Gilligan, and not had marketing "bite".) It is extremely portable—about the size of a cigarette pack (1"x 3.5"x 5.5") and weighs 0.8 lb. in its lightest configuration. It also requires no external power supply! Each cartridge is a little larger than a half-dollar and has a capacity of 250 megabytes. Avatar claims that the Shark is 6 times faster, 1/3rd the size, and holds 2.5 times the capacity of Iomega’s Zip or ZipPlus. It has less 1/4th the capacity of the 1 gig Iomega Jaz drive, but is certainly much more logical choice for portable computing.

Configurations

You can buy the Shark in several configurations (for Windows 95, NT, 3.xx, OS/2 and DOS): parallel port, PCMCIA, and a bundle containing both (the Shark 250 Pro). A SCSI adapter is due out this summer. I highly recommend the Pro since it will allow you to easily take data from your laptop to your desktop and vice versa. Setup of both configurations is automatic, with software being installed from the appropriate floppy and installation files on the included Shark cartridge. The PCMCIA card is truly plug and play. The parallel setup is a bit more involved (though not difficult), requiring you to hook up the parallel cable to the computer’s LPT port, and a keyboard passthrough connector (to power the unit).

Uses

The Shark can used to:

My only complaint is that Avatar has no immediate or future plans for an H/PC link. Iomega will certainly corner this market with its Clik™, due out sometime this year. This small 40 Meg cartridge device will work with PDAs, digital cameras, and other pocketable devices. Look for my review as soon as I can get my hands on one.

Cost and Availability

Considering the size, capacity, and versatility of the Shark, I would call it a bargain! You can buy the PCMCIA or parallel version a most computer stores for $199.00 tax. Avatar is offering a mail-in rebate of $50.00, making the price around $150.00. The "Pro" version, with both the PCMCIA card and the parallel cable lists for $299.00 from Avatar direct (888-goavatar or their web site at www.goavatar.com). (I have not seen this model at local stores, but you may find it in your area for less.) Avatar has a special going on right now where you can buy the "Pro", an extra cartridge, and a convenient carrying case for the drive for $299.00. Since the cartridges sell for $40.00/each ($99.00/3-pack), and the carrying case is $20.00, you have an effective cost savings of $60.00, and you still get the $50.00 rebate!

In summary, the Shark’s most appealing features are its small size and ease of connectivity. It beats the current competition hands down for portability, and power convenience. 250 megs in a smaller package is a dramatic improvement over the Zip’s 100 meg cartridge with its requisite external power supply. If Avatar will just consider making an effort to compete with the Clik, I will sell my Iomega stock!

Edward M. Zabrek, M.D., F.A.C.O.G.
Technology Correspondent
OBGYN.net