Floppy?

[Spacehonkey]

Just a quick question. I'm currently designing a new case mod and like most people I'm having some space issues. I would like to know if there is any real good reason to still install a floppy drive?

If this is in the wrong forum can one of the Adm move it to the correct one. Sorry for any inconvenience.

[.Maleficus.]

Depends I guess. I've been in a tight spot lately not having one. I've been trying to get an old computer working that can only boot from floppy, and I needed to make some sort of boot floppy for it. I don't have one for my computer, so it was tough, but I got it done. If you don't use it on a regular basis, and have a space constraint, don't bother. Otherwise, go for a floppy/card reader combo. Then, you'll actually use it, and they're only like $20 too.

[xRyokenx]

You could hide it in an obscure spot, like somewhere in(side) the case. I haven't used the floppy drive in my PC yet, but it's good if you have something like Acronis on floppy and not a bootable CD, for example.

[Crimson Sky]

There really is no need for a floppy these days. Even if you had tons of word docs on floppy, you could always hook up the floppy for a period and transfer the files to CD. Some legacy motherboards need a floppy to install certain drivers when you load up a new OS, but again that can be done on a temp basis and removed later. good luck with the mod!

[progbuddy]

There really is no need for a floppy these days. Even if you had tons of word docs on floppy, you could always hook up the floppy for a period and transfer the files to CD. Some legacy motherboards need a floppy to install certain drivers when you load up a new OS, but again that can be done on a temp basis and removed later. good luck with the mod!

Yeah. I agree. The only things I could think of that floppies are useful for were Pocket Linux and Flashing your BIOS. Just thank god they still dont use the 5" floppies :p

[OvRiDe]

If you really needed to use a floppy every once and a while you could always pick up a USB floppy, but I agree with the above, no real need to integrate a floppy into a case these days.

Progbuddy.. This may date me a bit, but before there were 5" floppies, they were 8". It just so happens that I still have several boxes of them in storage.

[Guardian]

1 word... External.

I still use floppies for networking. But go with external.

[Spacehonkey]

Well there you have it. I'm not going to include an internal floppy drive in my design. If ever in the need for one I'll just use an external one. Thx for all the advice.

[Airbozo]

My main rig has not had a floppy since about 3 years ago when I set it up with the raid devices. Only needed the floppy for installing the drivers during the windows install. Installed one on the SO's computer so I could read the floppy's from my old digital camera. Now, never used...

At work I use them all the time;
1. for installing drivers on the DELL 690 during the Windows 2003 x64 install
2. for flashing the prom on video cards (had an order for over 100 (old) nvidia cards that had to be upgraded)
3. Sneaker net (some companies request that their systems NEVER get connected to the network).

[Guardian]

All my systems have floppy, but my newest one is going to have this baby.

http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage//21-104-104-02.JPG

Its a media card reader + a floppy drive in one. I mean If you're going to stick a media card in there, Might as well have a floppy. I go to Lan-Parties constantley and to set up a decent lan we transfer the lan data through Floppy Disks since windows only does floppies.

[DaveW]

I would like to know if there is any real good reason to still install a floppy drive?

Nope.

-Dave

[Zephik]

Its called a Flash Drive. ;)

Pocket sized and a gazillion times bigger than a floppy. Just about the same price too.

[xmastree]

Nope.
Almost, there is this:


Flashing your BIOS. which AFAIK can only be done from a floppy, and not an external one.

However, for the limited number of times you would actually do this, it's as well to just hook it up when you need it.

[DaveW]

^ Smart ass... ;)

-Dave

[SgtM]

I have a floppy installed in 1 out of my 4 systems. It's my Dell 1.3gig celeron that I'm using as my server (server 2k3). I do have several floppies lying around just in case, but it's been about 3 years since I've used one for anything constructive.

[Moofaa]

Yeah, theres not really a practical everyday use for them anymore. If you ever need one, just hook up an old one until your done with it. No biggie.

I havent used one in 5 years, and my current PC doesnt have one. Neither will my next rig. I do have an old one sitting in a drawer just in case.

[Gohan]

I don't put floppys in because i have not used them for years

[Ticien]

I use them for 2 reasons.

1. To install my disks of DOS 6.22

2. To install Windows 3.1

Oh wait it isnt 1992 any more. (Still have the disks though...would rather use DOS and WIN 3.1 than Vista any day)

[intergalacticman]

yeah floppies are outdated and useless (says the guy with a 250meg tape drive)

[[MadMan]]

i use card-reader+floppy 3.5" combo - very usefull

[Ticien]

Dont feel bad intergalacticman, Ive got a tape drive too. It's hooked up along with a 5.25" disk drive to my Atari 400...

[Canadian Eh?]

I got a floppy drive, the only thing my family has ever used it for is
1. My dad copying spreadsheets from work 2 home
2. I have a floppy w/ sum pics of me on it and i had to back it up recently

IMO, floppies can be usefull, but only every once in a while!

[Xpirate]

I agree with most of the folks who answered this thread. Keep at least one drive, with the ribbon cable, to do things like update the BIOS. The Western Digital 160 GB drive I bought came with two floppy disks for the formatting tools. It should have came with a CD.

[LiTHiUM0XiD3]

lolz i dont even need a floppy to update my bios lolz
dude... chuck the floppy.... damn things r old as dirt...
i dont think i can remember that last time ive used a floppy.... something like 8 yrs ago....

[DaveW]

lolz

Dude, please don't do that. LOL isn't a word, and by adding a z to the acronym, it makes you look like you're actually trying to pronounce it.

As we say in Scotland:

"Gonna no dae that?"

-Dave

[Aero]

Dude, please don't do that. LOL isn't a word, and by adding a z to the acronym, it makes you look like you're actually trying to pronounce it.

As we say in Scotland:

"Gonna no dae that?"

-Dave

maybe he is talking like he's from The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.

"Laugh Out Loud Zaphod"



OH, and I would say if you have the room for a floppy drive, build it into the mod. If you realize you don't want/need it, you have a perfect spot for another HDD.

OH, and its all about the ZIP drive 100, 250, or 750 mb baby!