Editing MD Data (section)

{{short description|Type of magneto-optical medium}}
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{{Infobox storage medium
| name = MD Data
| logo = MD Data logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert
| image = Sony MMD-140A.jpg
| caption = MD Data Sony MMD-140A
| type = [[Magneto-optical drive|Magneto-optical disc]]
| encoding = 
| capacity = 140 MB
| read = 780 nm semiconductor laser diode
| write = Magnetic field modulation
| standard =
| owner = [[Sony]]
| use = Data storage
| released = July 1993
| extended from = [[Floppy disk]]<br>[[MiniDisc]]
| extended to = [[Hi-MD]]
}}
{{optical disc authoring}}

'''MD Data''' is a type of [[magneto-optical]] medium derived from [[MiniDisc]].<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]|url=http://www.byte.com/art/9508/sec11/art11.htm|title=Sony's Mini-MO|date=August 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19961220103438/http://www.byte.com/art/9508/sec11/art11.htm |archive-date=20 December 1996}}</ref> 

In developing and marketing it, [[Sony]] was trying to set the new standard for removable media to replace the [[Floppy_disk#3%C2%BD-inch_floppy_disk|3½-inch diskette]] it had also helped create.  MD Data competed in a [[format war]] with other disks such as SyQuest's [[SyQuest EZ 135 Drive|EZ 135]], Imation's [[SuperDisk]], and the [[Iomega Zip]].<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[PC World]] |title=Is Sony's 140MB MiniDisc Drive the Next Betamax?  |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990117022714/https://www.pcworld.com/hardware/storage_backup/articles/jan96/jan9621.html |url=https://www.pcworld.com/hardware/storage_backup/articles/jan96/jan9621.html |archive-date=17 January 1999 |date=January 1996 |author-last=Lasky |author-first=Michael S.}}</ref> Ultimately neither MD Data nor any of its competitors succeeded in becoming the de facto new universal standard fully replacing the 3.5 inch diskette; with [[recordable CD|recordable CDs]] coming closest to filling the role, followed by [[USB flash drives]].