there must be a solution

Hey crew,
I've been in and out of this forum a bit, so I know I'm far from the first person to ask this; but are there ANY solutions to this horrible zip drive fiasco? I'm on my third drive and last nerve. There must be some adequate replacement for these noisy, unreliable, and perpetually doomed drives. (hard drives, flash cards, anything?)
I'm pretty confident somebody has figured it out, but to backtrack through this site would be murder. If anyone can give me a link or directions on anything, I would be forever greatful. The last thing I want to do is get rid of my 8 after nearly mastering the thing.