Museum of Out of date Media | Floppy Disk Assortment

Floppy disks (or diskettes) are magnetic disk information storage codecs, often composed of a skinny, versatile disk sealed in an oblong plastic provider. In lots of instances the provider is inflexible, and the phrase floppy refers back to the disc inside. Capacities can vary from just some KB (such because the Olivetti minidisc, with an preliminary capability of three KB) to 750 KB for the most important capability Zip disk.

The floppy disk assortment is a part of the Museum of Out of date Media, which includes over 800 media codecs spanning audio, information, movie and video storage media. This microsite is designed to run from a 3.5-inch Excessive Density microfloppy and is self-contained, so requires no web connection.

Floppy disk index and timeline

IBM introduces the 8-inch floppy disk, initially in read-only type (1971)

8-inch floppy disk (1971 – early Eighties)

IBM introduces a learn/write succesful 8-inch floppy disk drive (1973)

Shugart Associates introduce the 5.25-inch minifloppy disk, to be used on desktop computer systems (1976)

5.25-inch minifloppy disk (1976 – early Nineteen Nineties)

5.25-inch ‘flippy’ disk (1976 – mid Eighties)

Olivetti minidisc (1977 – early Eighties)

The primary on-line bulletin board system (BBS) is launched, accessible by way of a modem (1978)

VisiCalc, the primary spreadsheet program for private computer systems, is launched for the Apple II (1979)

Seagate Expertise introduces a hard-disk drive for desktop computer systems, the ST506, to slot in the identical house as a 5.25-inch minifloppy disk drive (1980)

There are an estimated a million private computer systems in use within the US (1980)

The IBM Private Laptop is launched (1981)

Sony introduces the preliminary design for a 3.5-inch microfloppy disk, which is later modified by the Microfloppy Business Committee earlier than widespread adoption (1981)

MCD cassette (early Eighties)

Iomega Bernoulli disk 8-inch (1982 – 1987)

3.5-inch microfloppy disk (Double Density) (1982 – Nineteen Nineties)

3-inch Compact Floppy disk (1982 – early Nineteen Nineties)

3.25-inch floppy disk (1983 – mid Eighties)

Apple FileWare / Twiggy disk (1983 – 1984)

Apple adopts the 3.5-inch microfloppy disk to be used in its new Macintosh laptop (1984)

IBM introduces the 1.2 MB high-density 5.25-inch minifloppy disk, to be used within the IBM PC AT (1984)

Brother Micro Disc (mid Eighties)

TA Micro-Disk (mid Eighties)

Mitsumi Quick Disk (1985 – late Eighties)

2-inch floppy disk (Video Floppy) (1986 – Nineteen Nineties)

2.8-inch DataDisk (1986 – early Nineteen Nineties)

Nintendo Famicom Disk System (1986 – early Nineteen Nineties)

Sharp Pocket Disk (1986 – early Nineteen Nineties)

Iomega Bernoulli disk 5.25-inch (1987 – 1994)

The 3.5-inch HD (High Density) microfloppy disk is launched, and is first used with the IBM PS/2 vary and the Apple Macintosh IIx (1987)

3.5-inch microfloppy disk (High Density) (1987 – late 2000s)

The three.5-inch microfloppy disk outsells the 5.25-inch minifloppy disk (1988)

2-inch floppy disk (LT-1) (1989 – early Nineteen Nineties)

First communication between a Internet browser and server by way of the open web (1990)

See Also

Mechanically Enhancing Floating Level Accuracy

Amstrad replaces the 3-inch ‘Compact Floppy’ disk drive in its PCW word-processor vary, the final gadgets to make use of this dimension floppy disk, with a 3.5-inch microfloppy disk drive (1991)

3.5-inch microfloppy (Extended Density) (1991 – mid Nineteen Nineties)

Floptical (1991 – 1993)

Microsoft releases Window 3.1 (1992)

Microsoft launches Window 95, the primary model of its working system that’s not obtainable for retail on 5.25-inch minifloppy disks (although it was nonetheless potential to put up a coupon to acquire it on 5.25-inch disks) (1995)

Iomega Zip (1995 – 2004)

Sony introduces the MVC-FD5 and MVC-FD7 nonetheless cameras, the primary to make use of 3.5-inch microfloppy disks for storage (1997)

SuperDisk (1997 – early 2000s)

Apple launches the iMac laptop with no floppy disk drive (1998)

Caleb UHD144 / it drive (1998 – 2002)

HiFD (High capacity Floppy Disk) (1998 – early 2000s)

Iomega Clik! / PocketZip (1999 – early 2000s)

Nintendo 64DD (Dynamic Drive) (1999 – 2000)

Iomega Zip 250 (2001 – 2006)

Iomega Zip U250 (2001 – 2003)

Iomega Zip 750 (2002 – 2006)

Dell begins eradicating floppy disk drives from its PCs (2003)

Solely 2% of PCs and laptops offered nonetheless include a floppy disk drive (2007)

Sony ceases manufacturing of three.5-inch microfloppy disks (2011)