Topic: Floppy? Really? (Read 6419 times)

glynor · « **on:** November 02, 2011, 11:30:31 am »

I just bought MC17 for my office, and actually read through the Registration Email (since I needed a receipt for our annoying Purchasing Department). This line made me chuckle:

Quote

Just save the Install Key on a floppy disk or other media, then execute it on the second PC where you have Media Center installed.

A bunch of the young lab assistants I work with at the office (you know, people who have birthdates in the late 80's or early 90's) have literally never used a floppy disk. They know what they are, in theory, I suppose... But how long till even that knowledge fades?

Might want to update that verbiage to "Save the Install Key on a USB Drive or other media" instead.

Jaguu · « **Reply #1 on:** November 02, 2011, 12:13:09 pm »

The whole purchase process may also need an overhaul. At least it should be adapted to the new JRiver website design;) And the receipt mails could be presented in some kind of modern HTML format. Also the possibilities to purchase multiple licences at once and getting a proper invoice (for accounting departments or personal finance consultants). Not having to enter your personal information every time you upgrade again, would be the luxury edition! To me it really makes the impression of last millenium technology.

mojave · « **Reply #2 on:** November 02, 2011, 01:11:30 pm »

My boss insisted on having a floppy drive in his laptop about 6 or 7 years ago. Instead I purchased an external USB floppy drive. He never used it. I've had to use it occasionally when upgrading the bios on a motherboard.

On a side note, I think the computer part that lasted the longest is the PS/2 connector for keyboards and mice. It was introduced in 1987 and can still be found today. My first computer was an IBM PS/2 for which the connector was named.

Matt · « **Reply #3 on:** November 02, 2011, 01:15:53 pm »

We embrace our age.

What other software do you use that's going strong on version 17

KingSparta · « **Reply #4 on:** November 02, 2011, 02:16:09 pm »

I think the saying "hard drive" came from the old west when the cowboys\drovers came in town from a "hard drive"

Alex B · « **Reply #5 on:** November 02, 2011, 02:29:42 pm »

Quote from: Matt on November 02, 2011, 01:15:53 pm

We embrace our age.

What other software do you use that's going strong on version 17

The latest AutoCAD is v.18, but I don't use it. I use Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW - both are v.15. However, all three are ashamed of their age and don't use the real version number in marketing. AutoCAD is 2012, Illustrator is CS5 (from Adobe Creative Suite 5) and CorelDRAW is X5 (unlike JRiver Corel didn't have the guts to release a version 13. They named it X3 instead).

Hendrik · « **Reply #6 on:** November 02, 2011, 02:33:43 pm »

Google Chrome is already in version 15, and by the rate they are increasing the version numbers, 17 isn't far away.

JimH · « **Reply #7 on:** November 02, 2011, 02:33:56 pm »

The 13th has always been lucky for me. I was 13 on Friday the 13th.

Alex B · « **Reply #8 on:** November 02, 2011, 02:50:17 pm »

Quote from: nevcairiel on November 02, 2011, 02:33:43 pm

Google Chrome is already in version 15, and by the rate they are increasing the version numbers, 17 isn't far away.

Of course the release schedules vary a lot. Also Mozilla has released several "full number" Firefox versions this year.

The three software vendors I mentioned have not released a "full number version upgrade" yearly:

AutoCAD 1982-
Illustrator 1987-
CorelDRAW 1989-

maxxsid · « **Reply #9 on:** November 02, 2011, 06:22:31 pm »

On my side of the Iron Curtain we used to call HD's "Winchesters". Was it the same on the other side?

Quote from: KingSparta on November 02, 2011, 02:16:09 pm

I think the saying "hard drive" came from the old west when the cowboys\drovers came in town from a "hard drive"

Daydream · « **Reply #10 on:** November 02, 2011, 07:38:53 pm »

Quote from: maxxsid on November 02, 2011, 06:22:31 pm

On my side of the Iron Curtain we used to call HD's "Winchesters". Was it the same on the other side?

Haha, I heard that mid to late 80's; I believe that's an IBM name though. Anyway at the time I believe I was on the same side of the said curtain as you

.

KingSparta · « **Reply #11 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:04:31 pm »

In 1973, IBM introduced the IBM 3340 "Winchester" disk drive, the first significant commercial use of low mass and low load heads with lubricated media. All modern disk drives now use this technology and/or derivatives thereof. Project head Kenneth Haughton named it after the Winchester 30-30 rifle because it was planned to have two 30 MB spindles; however, the actual product shipped with two spindles for data modules of either 35 MB or 70 MB. The name 'Winchester' and some derivatives are still common in some non-English speaking countries to generally refer to any hard disks (ie. Hungary).

John Gateley · « **Reply #12 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:10:26 pm »

I'm feeling old. Glynor, I think I wrote that line you quoted.

j

pcstockton · « **Reply #13 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:15:03 pm »

"insert the punch-card into the Turing Machine and ensure to reset all push-rods for a clean install"

MrC · « **Reply #14 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:20:29 pm »

My floppy is 8 inches. How big is yours?

KingSparta · « **Reply #15 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:47:09 pm »

3 1/2 but my wife loves me anyway.

I was just looking at a floppy disk notcher, I Used one oh the memories.

Daydream · « **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2011, 08:55:31 pm »

Quote from: MrC on November 02, 2011, 08:20:29 pm

My floppy is 8 inches. How big is yours?

Betcha is a collector edition, right? Signed. In dust probably

MrC · « **Reply #17 on:** November 02, 2011, 09:07:58 pm »

Quote from: Daydream on November 02, 2011, 08:55:31 pm

Betcha is a collector edition, right? Signed. In dust probably

... and truly floppy.

maxxsid · « **Reply #18 on:** November 02, 2011, 10:17:52 pm »

I used a razor blade for data entry on those cards...

Quote from: pcstockton on November 02, 2011, 08:15:03 pm

"insert the punch-card into the Turing Machine and ensure to reset all push-rods for a clean install"

rjm · « **Reply #19 on:** November 03, 2011, 12:06:53 am »

I felt like the king of the world when I got my brand new double density 8" Shugart drives.

My best friend built a 200 lb solid oak desk to mount the drives and S100 computer chassis.

I rewrote every line of the drive controller bios to make it work better with CP/M.

I also purchased disassembled source code for CP/M and souped it up a little for my personal use.

I was the first Master's student at UBC to write their thesis with Wordstar on a personal computer.

KingSparta · « **Reply #20 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:42:38 am »

Our user group had two 8 inch Shugart drives to run there BBS system.

glynor · « **Reply #21 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:46:06 am »

Quote from: KingSparta on November 02, 2011, 08:47:09 pm

I was just looking at a floppy disk notcher, I Used one oh the memories.

I remember way back in the day NEEDING one of those, and then looking up how much they cost (too much for a single use) and accomplishing the same thing with a pair of scissors.

That was a nervous few minutes though because I really NEEDED whatever it was on that floppy at the time!

KingSparta · « **Reply #22 on:** November 03, 2011, 07:50:44 am »

Alan Field Shugart (September 27, 1930 – December 12, 2006)

BartMan01 · « **Reply #23 on:** November 10, 2011, 08:20:43 am »

Quote from: glynor on November 03, 2011, 07:46:06 am

I remember way back in the day NEEDING one of those, and then looking up how much they cost (too much for a single use) and accomplishing the same thing with a pair of scissors.

That was a nervous few minutes though because I really NEEDED whatever it was on that floppy at the time!

Regular old single hole punches did just fine - no need for no fancy tools.

DarkPenguin · « **Reply #24 on:** November 10, 2011, 08:59:06 am »

I didn't put a DVD drive into my new system until I wanted to rip a CD. OS installs from usb drives are the only way to fly. For now. Until something more convenient comes along...

glynor · « **Reply #25 on:** November 10, 2011, 09:08:51 am »

Agreed. One of my three main systems at home doesn't have an optical drive. If I ever upgrade the server to a new case, I might forgo the optical drives in that too, and just slap the BluRay burner from it into an eSATA/USB case and throw it on the shelf.

I never use them.

The HTPC has a BluRay reader. I'll keep it for the forseeable future, but it hardly ever gets used (and almost exclusively for ripping an occasional CD).

glynor · « **Reply #26 on:** November 10, 2011, 09:11:13 am »

PS. Installing an OS from a USB drive is good, but restoring from an image is even better. I try my hardest to always avoid real "clean installs" whenever possible.

I just had to do it a few times at the office though on one troublesome machine. Four installs of Windows 7 in 8 days. Fun, fun, fun...

DarkPenguin · « **Reply #27 on:** November 10, 2011, 08:14:47 pm »

At work you just keep a gold copy on the SAN. Make a replay, attach it to your server and away you go.

At home I almost never reinstall.

glynor · « **Reply #28 on:** November 11, 2011, 12:19:57 am »

Quote from: DarkPenguin on November 10, 2011, 08:14:47 pm

At work you just keep a gold copy on the SAN. Make a replay, attach it to your server and away you go.

Unfortunately, it was a unique machine. We had no image to use, and encountered one dumb issue after another (like a hard drive with bad sectors, and a video card with a very weird and intermittent, but known, BIOS bug).

PITA.

Yaobing · « **Reply #29 on:** November 11, 2011, 12:41:30 am »

I still have many brand new floppy disks sitting on shelves, a couple of hundreds of them.

When Best Buy was trying to get rid of them, my wife bought them (she is a good bargain hunter), with rebate so the actual cost was zero or near zero. I hope we had put that rebate to good use. Shortly after that, she was frustrated to find that computers at her work place did not have floppy disk drives. It took a while for her to get used to using an USB drive.

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Author Topic: Floppy? Really? (Read 6419 times)