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Floppy Drives

RNRN
edited April 2004 in Hardware
This just happened... now I am wondering why computer manufacturers do these stupid things:

My friend and I are working on a report dued tomorrow, he didn't have a printer, and he just got a new computer from I think, Gateway or some other brand. Guess what? It didn't have a floppy drive!

He also didn't have any blank CDs so there was no other easy way to transfer the paper to my computer so that I could print it out... So then after I had to sell him one of my floppy drives and it worked out.

Can't computer manufacturers include floppy drives? I mean they are not expensive! We still need them! Doesn't mean its old, means its not useful anymore!

So what do you guys think? Do you agree with the computer manufacturers stop including older stuff in their new computers or keep 'em?
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Comments

  • Ka0sKa0s
    HAH!!!! Wait till Q sees this! We had a topic LIKE this on the OLD OLD OLD forum, WAY back over a year ago! And he called it 'Floppies!"
  • RNRN
    lol Well, glad I brought it up again... Didn't mean to, but I did. lol
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    Well floppy drives are old and some times hard to find the blank disks. Ofcorse Apple did the same thing with the iMac and most Apple users were pissed. Its like damned if you do and damned if you don't. If computer companys are wanting to do away with floppy drives then they should at least toss in one of thoughs USB memory sticks. Or better yet make the floppy drive optional.
  • QQ
    AHHAHHAHAH!

    I remember that topic! I beat WinMan to posting to by like, a minute!

    I like FDDs, they come in handy for stuff like that.

    -Q

    PS. And ofcourse they're a must if you're using ABW.
  • IBMWarpsterIBMWarpster
    Yeah, like for 1 word document, a CD is kinda a waste.

    PS:

    3Mode = 720K - 1.2M - 1.44M
    4Mode = 720L - 1.2M - 1.44M - 2.88M
  • MentalMadnessMentalMadness
    I friend of mine once gave me a saved game file. on a CD-R, because he did not have a FDD. the file was about 40kb LOL :D

    I have a USB stick with MP3 player, but I also use old FDD drives from 486 computers.
  • Ka0sKa0s
    Ive got a USB thing (16MB), CD-RWs that I use, ZIP drive I rarely use, and my LAN comes in handy for transfering gig after gig of files.
  • MentalMadnessMentalMadness
    LAN doesn't work here. My computer keeps saying that I do not have permission to enter the other computer. I'm gonna format my PC, 'cause I'm getting sick and tired of getting that message.

    Internet does work though, but MSN filetransfer between 2 computers sucks
  • Ka0sKa0s
    FAT32 lets you enter, NTFS wont.
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    Try this little command from the RUN box. Just replace server with what ever the computer you want to access's name.

    C: drive
    \\server\c$

    D: drive
    \\server\d$

    Only works for hard drives though. Also you can always add a user on the PC you want to access and thats when the login starts to mean something.
  • RNRN
    Haha... good thing all my computers have floppy drives. They are extremely useful. Well, to me that is.
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    I have three boxes full of floppys drives. From 360KB to 2.88MB
  • wingzeroisminewingzeroismine
    I have two computers without them... Why are USB ones so expensive? I want a cheap USB one, and they are like 50 bucks, guess I could ebay for one... Also, I have a 256MB Attache Pen Drive. After 6 months of use it died....and the thing had problems for a while, it said 247MB storage (formatting of course) and it would cry after 127.999999MB of data was put on it....and now I plug it into a usb port and nothing. I called tech support but they didn't speak english and I wasn't able to make out the number they wanted me to call...The thing has a 1 year warrenty and damnit I spent 60 bucks...well guess I have to try again
    I don't have a receipt either...that could pose a problem.
  • RNRN
    Hey TCP, how do you get 2.88 floppy drives? Where can you find them at?
  • QQ
    Scrap old old IBMs, as for the diskettes, I'm looking fo them.

    -Q

    PS. TCPs method only works if the Server Service is running, which is the default on most Windows systems.
  • IBMWarpsterIBMWarpster
    The PS\2 used a specail cable with a different pinout that carries the power though the ribbon cable. I think some PS\1's were like that. And If I remember I think he said he scrapped it from an old IBM PC Desktop XXXX (I think that was actually the name) becuase he sat the soldering iron right on the case :-) And he had to manually change the pinout.

    I think its just better to buy a 2.88M drive
  • RNRN
    Wait I remember you could format a disk over 1.44 mb I did it in Win98 but I just forgot. Do you know about that?
  • wingzeroisminewingzeroismine
    There are disk softwares that can do that. M$ uses a format called DMF format, they used this slightly larger (about 1.7MB) format method to store more files for windows 95/98/NT floppies. WinImage can make these.
  • IBMWarpsterIBMWarpster
    Yes, about 1.68M.

    There is a software that can do 2M on a 1.44M using compression, but forget the name.
  • wingzeroisminewingzeroismine
    The Drivespace program from windows can compress floppies, but only readable on systems with drivespace.
  • IBMWarpsterIBMWarpster
    yeah, DriveSpace isnt that reliable anyway though.
  • QQ
    DriveSpace isn't worth it, but DoubleSpace OMG, THAT is a program to avoid...

    -Q
  • IBMWarpsterIBMWarpster
    wasnt that the DOS Program from like DOS6 that MS got sued for becuase of the program DoubleSpace? I think it later returned at like 6.2 or 6.21 as DriveSpace.
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    I got a few 2.88MB floppys from a few work stations that the MCI building was tossing out. Also I have quite a few PS\2 2.88MB floppy drives. I converted one to beable to run on a standard desktop. I think the easyest way to find one theses days is though ebay or go to a local computer repair shop and ask if they have a pulled 2.88MB floppy drive.
  • wingzeroisminewingzeroismine
    I think at school there is an IBM [PS/2 (I think)] With a 2.88 MB floppy drive in it...wonder if I can find floppies...
  • TCPMetaTCPMeta
    I found out that most newr 1.44MB floppy drives can also work as 2.88MB. Just set it in the BIOS and use the 2.88MB floppys. Theres a way to turn a 1.44MB floppy into a 2.88MB. Sadly I don't know that trick.
  • AnonymousAnonymous
    Ive been reading through all these 95-96 editions of PC WORLD and they talk about 2.88mb Fdd never hitting it off....... shame though, i would have liked them
  • QQ
    DoubleSpace was a ripped off version of Stac Electronics Stacker (or something like that) that was made into DoubleSpace in DOS 6.20. THey even had the nerve to have a /convstac switch to convert a Stacker compessed volume into a DS one! Stac sued them and DOS 6.21 was DOS without DS. DriveSpace made it's appearance in DOS 6.22.

    -Q

    PS. If MS had never gone down that path, the last non95 DOS would've been DOS 6.2!
  • Ka0sKa0s
    Although I HAVE a floppy drive, I rarely use it since I have a LAN and a CD-RW... I can move shit WAY faster over those...
  • SurfinShell23SurfinShell23
    Warp-
    I have a PS/1, just found a PS/2.

    I was going to scrap the PS/2, but decided to keep it for nostalgia. I did scrap an IBM ValuePoint or something that didn't look too special.
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