[ REMOVABLE MEDIA // MODEL-SPECIFIC RECORD ]
Sony HiFD 150 MB Removable Disk
First-generation Sony HiFD (High-capacity Floppy Disk), introduced in 1998. 150 MB nominal capacity; 3.5-inch-class disk, approximately 94 × 90 × 3.3 mm.
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 model | Sony HiFD 150 MB Removable Disk |
|---|---|
| Generation / format | First-generation Sony HiFD (High-capacity Floppy Disk), introduced in 1998. |
| Capacity and medium | 150 MB nominal capacity; 3.5-inch-class disk, approximately 94 × 90 × 3.3 mm. |
| Media and drive interface | The cartridge has no electrical connector. Check the exact 150 MB HiFD drive for its host interface and required drivers; media compatibility is format-generation specific. |
| Compatibility | Requires a first-generation 150 MB HiFD drive. That drive generation was designed to read/write its HiFD medium and support standard 3.5-inch floppy disks using a separate head. The later 200 MB HiFD generation cannot read or write this 150 MB cartridge. Host interface is drive-model-specific. |
| Version and model caveat | Sony recalled first-generation units in 1999 after head-alignment problems. Treat this 150 MB medium as incompatible with the 200 MB relaunch cartridge despite similar shell dimensions. |
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
Sony recalled first-generation units in 1999 after head-alignment problems. Treat this 150 MB medium as incompatible with the 200 MB relaunch cartridge despite similar shell dimensions.
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
- Museum of Obsolete Media — Sony HiFDDocuments the 1998 150 MB generation, size, separate heads, backward floppy support, and 200 MB incompatibility.
- The Essential Guide to Computer Data Storage, p. 117 (Google Books)Published reference on HiFD and its capacity generations.
- Internet Archive — Sony HiFD 150 MB documentation searchSearches archived product material for first-generation 150 MB media and drive compatibility.
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.