[Floppy Drives] When will they finally die??

M

Misery_Machine

Veteran XV
First of all, let me ask if a floppy drive is required to build a PC? If so, why the fuck? Why must we hold on to a techology that can only handle 1.44 MB media? I understand that floppy drives are used for boot sequences and for BIOS flashes and other diagnostics. However, why can't this be done with flash media or USB memory sticks? Can anyone come up with a rational explanation why these archaic devices are still being used?

- MM
 
Its not required however not ALL motherboards are made to look for something like a usb bootup device. you still have millions of computers out there that do need floppies. Its sort of like asking 'when will old camaro fenders finally die'...when people stop owning old camaros
 
Because they're simple and reliable.

Give it a few more years. USB is almost fully integrated into BIOSes for boot support. When the OEMs finally pick it up 100%, you will witness the death of the floppy.
 
Floppy drives are on the way out. I'd say give it another 5 years or more.

Many new PC's do not come with them. Then again their motherboards don't include any type of HD controller that needs a floppy based driver to be loaded when installing Win2k or XP.

Its happening, slowly but surely.


Data said:
Because they're simple and reliable.

Give it a few more years. USB is almost fully integrated into BIOSes for boot support. When the OEMs finally pick it up 100%, you will witness the death of the floppy.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
Thanks, xpdnc. I'm gonna put a media card reader in my new pc instead.



I see your point, JuggerNaught. I never really thought of floppy drives needing replaced. However, if you're building a new machine with a floppy drive, you are an idiot.

- MM
 
Floppy drives are still required for bios updates and hard disk utilities.
When manufacturers make it so these updates can be done from flash cards or something else, then the floppy could die.
But right now, I still use mine all the time.
Long live the floppy.
 
We have about 30 computers in the office. About 12 of them are able to boot from a usb drive. Hell the computer I'm typing this on is about 3 years old and there are older ones still in use here.
 
Misery_Machine said:
Thanks, xpdnc. I'm gonna put a media card reader in my new pc instead.



I see your point, JuggerNaught. I never really thought of floppy drives needing replaced. However, if you're building a new machine with a floppy drive, you are an idiot.

- MM
Click to expand...
:rolleyes:

It's still a useful tool for troubleshooting. More of a last resort than anything, but it's not completely useless (nor is anyone an idiot for paying all of $8 to put one in his system).
 
NoGodForMe said:
Floppy drives are still required for bios updates and hard disk utilities.
Click to expand...

This is the 2nd time this week I've heard this.

I upgraded my bios from the hard disc. :shrug:
 
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i only have 3 machines out of 30 that have floppy drives. they are the machines for business and the servers
 
i do still actually use mine btw

if i only want to carry a single document and the other place doesn't have internet access, why would i waste a cd on it?
 
xpdnc said:
i do still actually use mine btw

if i only want to carry a single document and the other place doesn't have internet access, why would i waste a cd on it?
Click to expand...
this new alien technology has just been unearthed in pyramids of the middle east

It is called
thumb_drive_1.jpg

Thumb drives.
 
you really think my work would spring for computers that have usb ports?

you're crazy, man, crazy!
 
Data said:
It's still a useful tool for troubleshooting. More of a last resort than anything, but it's not completely useless (nor is anyone an idiot for paying all of $8 to put one in his system).
Click to expand...

Well then, i guess my issue is with BIOS makers. Like i said, i can understand needing a floppy drive for diagnostics (troubleshooting) and BIOS flashes...but why can't you do that with a media card reader or a memory stick?

- MM
 
JuggerNaught said:
this new alient technology has just been unearthed in pyramids of the middle east

It is called
http://largefilestransfer.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/thumb_drive_1.jpg[img]
Thumb drives.[/QUOTE]

There's another tech breakthrough I've heard about

It's called 'forward slash'
Click to expand...
 
xpdnc said:
you really think my work would spring for computers that have usb ports?

you're crazy, man, crazy!
Click to expand...
even in the back? lots of pc's have usb ports on the back side, now they are making them more accessible as a normal part of the computer
 
Misery_Machine said:
Well then, i guess my issue is with BIOS makers. Like i said, i can understand needing a floppy drive for diagnostics (troubleshooting) and BIOS flashes...but why can't you do that with a media card reader or a memory stick?

- MM
Click to expand...
Old habits die hard I guess. :p:
 
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