20 Sep
2004
20 Sep
'04
3:25 p.m.
On Sun, 19 Sep 2004, Ronald Wayne wrote:
If the floppy disk disappeared, I would notice (I use
them) but would
not care.
For that matter, most of US could disappear without anybody noticing nor
caring. If not for Frank's alert investigation, we wouldn't have even
known about Don's death for a long time.
It is also unfair to say the floppy disk is
disappearing
when CD-ROMs/CD-Rs/CD-RWs are serving similar purposes: to distribute
and install software, to exchange data between machines or people, and
to backup data. The main difference is the technology.
That's right. CDR/RW is the current "floppy" for many systems.
and USB flash drive is the current "floppy for many others.
Besides, floppy diskettes are not as uniform as the
article implies.
They seem to suggest that there are two sizes, then leave it at that.
Well, there were different densities and encodings too. Oh, and there
were more than two physical sizes. (IIRC, 8" and 12" was common.
Then there is all of the similar-but-failed technologies.)
12", if it ever existed, was NEVER common.
I'd gladly trade a 3" and a 3.25" for one.
The common sizes were 8 (with a few physical variations), 5.25 (with many
physical variations), 3", 3.25", 3.5" (with a few evolutionary steps, and
2 main physical varieties), 2", 2.5", 2.9", 3.9".
In addition to the physical varieties, there are thousands of physically
similar disks with mutually incompatible formats.
I couldn't
care less if they disappeared, because all of those different formats
make it next to impossible to transfer data between different
computers.
YOU might not care, but that is pretty damn insensitive towards those of
us who DO need and use them.
During the day today, I will use four to eight different machines, only
one of which is mine, and therefore permissible to make any changes to.
Some have USB ports; some do not.
Some have ZIP drives (mostly 100M); some do not.
Hardly any have CDR or CDRW.
But they ALL have floppy drives, including the one month old HPaq
machines.
I WILL be using floppies today.
Now if you were to say that the serial port is
disappearing ... well
then I would be concerned.
Be converned.
Be very concerned.
RS232 serial is disappearing rapidly, usually replaced by USB.
--
Grumpy Ol' Fred cisin(a)xenosoft.com