Finally, Death of the 3.5 inch floppy disk
in [Computers]
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From: SG1 on 27 Apr 2010 15:13 "John Tserkezis" <jt(a)techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote in message news:4bd6c587$0$32019$afc38c87(a)news.optusnet.com.au... > Stuart Longland wrote: > >>> The only way to load device drivers (drive interfaces, SCSI drivers >>> etc) when installing windows is via the drive at A:. And that's your >>> only option. >>> Short of creating a magical alternate boot install CD/DVD for every new >>> model of box we get. Not looking forward to it. > >> Actually, rumour has it, this is not the case in the two latest >> revisions of their OS. I say rumour as I have not ever tried >> installing one of these latest creations -- the one Windows Vista >> machine I used had it preloaded, and I've never touched Windows 7. > > No idea about Vista, but have installed Win7 several times so far, and > yes, your only option is F6 to look at drive A:. > >> But yes, you make a valid point ... and I shall make a note to stock >> up on 3.5" floppy disks while they're easily available, as some of the >> ones I have at home are slowly decaying with age. > > Indeed. I've never had much luck with the longevity of 3.5" disks. > They simply do not last. And, owning to the fact we don't use them too > often, (we get boxs with newfanged interfaces when we're least expecting > it) we grab the first disk that's been kicking around in cabinet here. > After we go through several bad ones, we throw them out to find there > are none left. > > As I said, we can create a custom boot disk, this is very doable, but > we could have that box up and running in several minutes verses lots more. > > Contrary to popular belief we DO have more important things to do than > screw around with installs that don't like to play with the other > children. I have some disks from 1993 that are still readable. I have some from later that are gibberish, reformat did not help them come back to life. Guess it depends on the manufacturer.
From: . on 27 Apr 2010 17:04 "SG1" <lostitall(a)the.races> wrote in message news:hHGBn.159540$y13.85755(a)newsfe12.iad... > > "John Tserkezis" <jt(a)techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote in message > news:4bd6c587$0$32019$afc38c87(a)news.optusnet.com.au... >> Stuart Longland wrote: >> >>>> The only way to load device drivers (drive interfaces, SCSI drivers >>>> etc) when installing windows is via the drive at A:. And that's your >>>> only option. >>>> Short of creating a magical alternate boot install CD/DVD for every >>>> new >>>> model of box we get. Not looking forward to it. >> >>> Actually, rumour has it, this is not the case in the two latest >>> revisions of their OS. I say rumour as I have not ever tried >>> installing one of these latest creations -- the one Windows Vista >>> machine I used had it preloaded, and I've never touched Windows 7. >> >> No idea about Vista, but have installed Win7 several times so far, and >> yes, your only option is F6 to look at drive A:. >> >>> But yes, you make a valid point ... and I shall make a note to stock >>> up on 3.5" floppy disks while they're easily available, as some of the >>> ones I have at home are slowly decaying with age. >> >> Indeed. I've never had much luck with the longevity of 3.5" disks. >> They simply do not last. And, owning to the fact we don't use them too >> often, (we get boxs with newfanged interfaces when we're least expecting >> it) we grab the first disk that's been kicking around in cabinet here. >> After we go through several bad ones, we throw them out to find there >> are none left. >> >> As I said, we can create a custom boot disk, this is very doable, but >> we could have that box up and running in several minutes verses lots >> more. >> >> Contrary to popular belief we DO have more important things to do than >> screw around with installs that don't like to play with the other >> children. > > I have some disks from 1993 that are still readable. I have some from > later that are gibberish, reformat did not help them come back to life. > Guess it depends on the manufacturer. > > They may be requiered when the PC don`t want to boot any more :( http://www.bootdisk.com/ Or become priceless item on ebay. :P
From: Joerg on 27 Apr 2010 21:54 Mr.T wrote: > "Don McKenzie" <5V(a)2.5A> wrote in message > news:83m9q8FlphU1(a)mid.individual.net... >> Sony to discontinue 3.5 inch floppy disk >> April 24, 11:34 PMJapan Headlines ExaminerJoshua Williams >> >> Sony announced on April 23rd that they will be discontinuing sales of >> the classic 3.5 inch floppy disk in Japan in 2011. The news marks a >> major end to a nearly three decade history of the disk type that the >> company helped to pioneer. >> >> According to Sony, they introduced the 3.5 inch floppy disk size to the >> world in 1981, and began sales within Japan in 1983. Sony had shipped >> approximately 47 million disks within the country at its peak around the >> year 2000, but that number had fallen to around 8.5 million by 2009, >> Sankei News reported. > > > > WOW, still 8.5 million sales in 2009 from one company alone! So far from > dead then. > Let's assume a retail price of 50c a pop. And that's a lot because that is what I paid in the early 90's for top quality disks. This would be $4.25 million in gross revenue. In the world of big corporations that generates a long-stretched yawn, followed by the drop of the axe. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: Joerg on 27 Apr 2010 21:55 Stuart Longland wrote: > On Apr 27, 10:56 am, John Tserkezis > <j...(a)techniciansyndrome.org.invalid> wrote: >> Don McKenzie wrote: >>> Sony announced on April 23rd that they will be discontinuing sales of >>> the classic 3.5 inch floppy disk in Japan in 2011. The news marks a >>> major end to a nearly three decade history of the disk type that the >>> company helped to pioneer. >> Someone forgot to tell microsoft. >> >> The only way to load device drivers (drive interfaces, SCSI drivers >> etc) when installing windows is via the drive at A:. And that's your >> only option. >> >> Short of creating a magical alternate boot install CD/DVD for every new >> model of box we get. Not looking forward to it. > > Actually, rumour has it, this is not the case in the two latest > revisions of their OS. I say rumour as I have not ever tried > installing one of these latest creations -- the one Windows Vista > machine I used had it preloaded, and I've never touched Windows 7. > > But yes, you make a valid point ... and I shall make a note to stock > up on 3.5" floppy disks while they're easily available, as some of the > ones I have at home are slowly decaying with age. Interesting. What's decaying about them? I've got Fuji MF2HD from the 90's and they still work fine. -- Regards, Joerg http://www.analogconsultants.com/ "gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam. Use another domain or send PM.
From: F Murtz on 28 Apr 2010 04:09
Don McKenzie wrote: > > Sony to discontinue 3.5 inch floppy disk > April 24, 11:34 PMJapan Headlines ExaminerJoshua Williams > > Sony announced on April 23rd that they will be discontinuing sales of > the classic 3.5 inch floppy disk in Japan in 2011. The news marks a > major end to a nearly three decade history of the disk type that the > company helped to pioneer. > > According to Sony, they introduced the 3.5 inch floppy disk size to the > world in 1981, and began sales within Japan in 1983. Sony had shipped > approximately 47 million disks within the country at its peak around the > year 2000, but that number had fallen to around 8.5 million by 2009, > Sankei News reported. No wonder the sales have fallen, I have not seen any for sale for a year or so in any of the big chains or even computer markets. > > http://www.examiner.com/x-16352-Japan-Headlines-Examiner~y2010m4d24-Sony-to-discontinue-35-inch-floppy-disk-in-Japan > > > Cheers Don... > > > |