Floppy disk
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
The floppy disk (or a 3½ floppy for today's standard) is a storage medium mainly used for computers and laptops. A floppy drive is the part of the computer that reads the floppy disk.
Floppy disks store less data than a CD-ROM or USB flash drive. A current 3½ inch floppy can take 1.44 megabytes of data. This is usually enough for text documents. Special floppies were made to hold 2.88 MB of data, but they were not commonly available.
Floppies have been around since the early 1970s (known as the 8-inch floppy then). Today, floppy disks have been replaced by other storage media, like memory sticks. A few years ago, the Zip Disk was made as a replacement for floppies.
[change] The floppy drive
![A 3 1/2 inch floppy disk](../../../../images/shared/thumb/3/36/3,5"-Diskette.jpg/180px-3,5"-Diskette.jpg)
A floppy drive (often called drive “A” on a computer) can be found on all kinds of personal computers (PCs). It is the part of a computer that reads the disk that can be removed. A disk, often called a floppy disk, is used to store files and carry them from one computer to another by using the floppy drive. The floppy drive reads the disk (or diskette) and the user is then able to open and change the files saved on the disk.
[change] Capacities
| Floppy disk format | Year introduced | Storage capacity (binary kilobytes if not stated) |
Marketed capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-inch (read-only) | 1969 | 80 | ← |
| 8-inch | 1972 | 187.5 | 1.5 Mbit |
| 8-inch | 1973 | 256 | 256 KB |
| 8-inch DD | 1976 | 500 | 0.5 MB |
| 5¼-inch | 1976 | 223 | ← |
| 8-inch double sided | 1977 | 1200 | 1.2 MB |
| 5¼-inch DD | 1978 | 360 | 360 KB |
| 3½-inch HP single sided |
1982 | 280 | 264 KB |
| 3-inch | 1982? | 360? | ← |
| 3½-inch (DD at release) | 1984 | 720 | 720 KB |
| 5¼-inch QD | 1984 | 1200 | 1.2 MB |
| 3-inch DD | 1984? | 720? | ← |
| 3-inch Mitsumi Quick Disk |
1985 | 128 to 256 | ← |
| 2-inch | 1985? | 720? | ← |
| 5¼-inch Perpendicular | 1986? | 100 MiB | ← |
| 3½-inch HD | 1987 | 1440 | 1.44 MB |
| 3½-inch ED | 1991 | 2880 | 2.88 MB |
| 3½-inch LS-120 | 1996 | 120.375 MiB | 120 MB |
| 3½-inch LS-240 | 1997 | 240.75 MiB | 240 MB |
| 3½-inch HiFD | 1998/99 | 150/200 MiB? | 150/200 MB |
| Acronyms: DD = Double Density; QD = Quad Density; HD = High Density ED = Extended Density; LS = Laser Servo; HiFD = High capacity Floppy Disk | |||
Dates and capacities marked ? are of unclear origin and need source information; other listed capacities refer to:
Other formats may get more or less capacity from the same drives and disks. |
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