Linux Format forums

candy · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:04 pm Post subject: End of an era?

It's hard to know what to say but I'm feeling a bit sad following the news of PC World's discontinuing of the Floppy Disk.

Apparently they reckon there's little call for them theses days.

It seems to get to you when you've grown up with having them, ready to shove into your computer from the early TRS-80's through todays Macs and IBM/PC computers when you needed to back something up or copy.

Any thoughts on this?

RIP Floppy Disc

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MartyBartfast · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:35 pm Post subject: RE: End of an era?

Well they aren't _REAL_ floppy disks anyhow, a _REAL_ floppy disk is 5 1/4 or 8 1/2 inches and they're long gone.

I won't miss them.
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GMorgan · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:39 pm Post subject: RE: End of an era?

Really they were doomed the moment you needed 25 of them just to hold the Linux kernel source.

Marrea · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:23 pm Post subject:

I still find them incredibly useful for backing up documents.

I suppose PC World will also withdraw their external floppy disk drives as well. It always amuses me when something which used to be integral is removed because "there's no demand for this any more" and the next thing you know they are being sold as add-ons, which surely must prove there is a demand.

nelz · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:58 pm Post subject:

I haven't used a floppy disk in about three years, they became so unreliable that I wouldn't dare trust anything to them. My partner's computer still has a floppy drive, because she gets given work documents on floppy, but then they still send out memos on stone tablets Sad

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SootynSweep · LXF regular Joined: Thu Apr 07, 2005 8:49 am Posts: 261

8 1/2 inches?

Where did you use those?

Largest I can find here is 8 inches, probably from a S/36 or S/38 (double sided, double density a whole 1MB - wow)

towy71 · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:18 pm Post subject:

http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/Creative_Computing/Large_Disk.htm
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MartyBartfast · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:45 pm Post subject:

risc_user · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:56 pm Post subject:

I don't care that much about them being discontinued. The shop down the road will still sell them for another ten years.
They still had 5 1/4" discs until last November when I went in and cleaned them out.
I think in the past few years they've become more unreliable. The production quality must have gone downhill, because all my Acorn discs from the early nineties are still working whereas a box I bought from Currys all corrupted within a month or so.
Who needs PC World anyway.

nordle · LXF regular Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:56 pm Posts: 1497

It's crazy that such a piece of crap lasted so long. I built a machine at the start of 2004 without a floppy drive, no problems (PATA drives). Then I built a machine towards the end of 2006 and I needed a floppy drive! Stupid winxp SATA drivers.... (although I undersand that winxp SP2 SB2 9/10 does not require any floppy drivers).

Over two years down the line and a floppy drive was needed. I'd forgotten that winxp has been around since 2001.

Flash memory sticks are far far better, Amazon were flogging 1GB units for £8! Crazy price, everyone should have one Smile

Creates a bit of a mare for network security though.
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wyliecoyoteuk · Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:34 pm Post subject:

I remember help load an Alcatel Systems drive unit into the skip about 15 years ago, it had four 12" floppy drives and 2 Winchester (removable hard disk units about 20" across) slots.
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M-Saunders · Moderator Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 1:14 pm Posts: 2883

How can they stop selling floppies, when they still sell cassette tapes? My Speccy +2A will never die!

M

jjmac · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:22 pm Post subject:

Everything has its' uses, including floppies. Next thing they will be trying to tell people that no one drives a 'gogo mobile' as well.

I haven't used mine for a long time but i certainly wont be throwing out my 2.4 rescue floppies. Just in case the cd/dvd drive packes it at an inapproprate time.

>>
RIP Floppy Disc
>>

St Trynians will never die !

jm
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Marrea · Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 12:29 pm Post subject:

nordle · LXF regular Joined: Fri Apr 08, 2005 10:56 pm Posts: 1497