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[ REMOVABLE MEDIA // MODEL-SPECIFIC RECORD ]

Iomega Bernoulli 8-inch 20 MB Cartridge

Original Iomega Bernoulli Box, 8-inch media generation (introduced 1982). 20 MB nominal removable-disk capacity, the top capacity documented for the original 8-inch Bernoulli family. The flexible disk is enclosed in a rigid cartridge.

Original local schematic for Iomega Bernoulli 8-inch 20 MB Cartridge; not a product photograph
ORIGINAL LOCAL SCHEMATIC // NOT TO SCALE

IDENTIFICATION: Verify the exact capacity, physical format, and generation printed on the medium. A cartridge has no host interface of its own; drive interface and system support must be checked against the exact reader model.

Format, capacity and compatibility

Product / media modelIomega Bernoulli 8-inch 20 MB Cartridge
Generation / formatOriginal Iomega Bernoulli Box, 8-inch media generation (introduced 1982).
Capacity and medium20 MB nominal removable-disk capacity, the top capacity documented for the original 8-inch Bernoulli family. The flexible disk is enclosed in a rigid cartridge.
Media and drive interfaceCartridge has no electrical interface. The original external drive used a controller/host connection specific to the drive configuration; verify the controller, cable, and host support independently.
CompatibilityUse with an original-generation Bernoulli Box drive explicitly supporting 20 MB media. No host connector is present on the cartridge; controller/interface compatibility is determined by the drive. Not compatible by form factor with 5.25-inch Box II cartridges.
Version and model caveatThis 20 MB 8-inch cartridge is not the later Bernoulli Box II 20 MB medium: the latter is 5.25-inch and belongs to another physical drive generation.

Handling and preservation

Keep the cartridge in its protective case, away from dust, moisture, heat, strong magnetic fields, and physical shock. Do not open a sealed cartridge or force it into a drive. For preservation, image read-only with a known-compatible mechanism, retain the source media, record the drive/interface used, and verify copied data with checksums.

  • Photograph the label and shell before use; preserve packaging, write-protect state, and acquisition notes.
  • Keep at least two independent verified copies of important data. A legacy removable cartridge by itself is not an archival strategy.

Model and generation notes

This 20 MB 8-inch cartridge is not the later Bernoulli Box II 20 MB medium: the latter is 5.25-inch and belongs to another physical drive generation.

Storage capacity names and drive interface names describe different things: confirm the cartridge format/generation first, then check the exact reader model, host connector, controller, operating-system driver, and filesystem separately.

Sources and standards

  1. Museum of Obsolete Media — Iomega Bernoulli disk, 8-inchDocuments the original 8-inch cartridge and its 5–20 MB capacity range.
  2. InfoWorld, August 1985 — Bernoulli Box review (Google Books)Period account of the original 8-inch Bernoulli system.
  3. Internet Archive — Bernoulli Box 20 MB documentation searchSearches archival references for the 20 MB original-generation drive and medium.

Discontinued-media specifications are cross-checked against period product material and museum/archive documentation. Family-level history does not replace the exact drive manual for interchangeability.