Basically, a microdrive is a brand name pertaining to IBM’s miniature hard disk. However, it became a general term, eventually referring to the 1-inch hard disk that can fit a CF (CompactFlash) Type II slot. It is able to work with high-powered devices since it uses power that is up to 500 mA compared to a flash memory. Generally, microdrives are meant for additional space on your hard disk but professional photographers find them useful because they can store print-quality and high-resolution images. PDA-users can also find microdrives useful because it helps boost the storage capacity of their gadgets.

Different microdrives to choose from.

Among the microdrives you can choose from include the following: GS Magic, IBM, Seagate ST1, Hitachi, Sony Compact Vault, and the Cornice microdrive. Each of them have unique features and different storage capacities.

If you want something original, you can choose the one designed by IBM, which is now being manufactured by Hitachi. Its storage capacities range among 4GB, 1GB, 170MB, 512MB, and 340MB. Some of Hitachi’s microdrives are also available with those storage capacities, but they also have 3GB, 6GB, 2GB, 8GB, and 10GB.

The GS Magic microdrive has variants like 2.2GB ATA, USB (native), and the CF variants. There is also the 3GB and 4GB ATA, along with CF variants. Seagate ST1 is available in 2.5GB, 6GB, 8GB, 4GB, 12GB, and 5GB with a 2MB cache memory.

Sony Compact Vault can be bought in 2GB, 8GB, 5GB, and 4GB models, while the Cornice microdrive has a storage capacity of 4GB.

In choosing among these microdrives, it is important for you to consider their storage capacities and transfer rates. Fast transfer rates are measured in Mbps (megabytes per second). This is important especially if you need to transfer large files.