----- Original Message -----
From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2010 11:12 PM
Subject: Re: the beginning of the end for floppies
On 29 Apr 2010 at 22:19, Andrew Burton wrote:
Perhaps someone (no I'm *not* volunteering!) should look in to
documenting how floppy discs are made? I have a general idea, but how
they actually make and coat the media should be preserved for future
generations now, before it gets forgotten. For example, how do they
attach the metal slider with that tiny spring inside? In 10 (or 20)
years that sort of information would probably be lost or very hard to
find.
I ascribe the decline in floppy media at least in part to a similar
decline in consumer video tape, mostly VHS. ISTR that 360K 5.25"
floppies use approximately the same coating formulation and thickness
as VHS tape. Instead of cutting the substrate into long strips, you
cut it into round "cookies'.
--Chuck
(Audio) Cassettes are also no longer used, which must also make an impact. I
remember a time (say around 1990) when my dad would get tokens from the
local petrol station here in the UK. Once you collected say 10 tokens you
could exchange them for a free pack of audio cassettes (4 cassettes, with 90
minutes per cassette). It was great for me, as I was just learning to
program on the ZX Spectrum 128K and had just discovered country music.
Regards,
Andrew B
aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk