i was just sitting here looking at my computer and i realised that i don't think i've ever used the floppy drive since i've had it.
so the question is... is it still worth having one?

after the 3.5" disk came into use there hasn't been any technological advances of the floppy since the mid 80s.

for all my data transferral i use a USB flash pen drive, its 128 mb which is equivalent to about 90 floppy disks (i believe they go up 4gb atm). its alot quicker than a floppy and its alot more reliable.

also nowadays burning a CD is as cheap as buying a floppy.
and since windows 98, the CDs have been bootable, so you don't even need boot disk anymore.

so what do you think? is the floppy obsolete? or do you still use them regularly?

It's been literally years since I've used a floppy. I can't even remember the last time I used one. (at home, anyway. The school still uses them)

I would say they've outlived their usefulness. CDs are so cheap now and they can hold much more data than floppy disks.

i use it very rarelty , to transport things from the 2 computers here..but thats because i havent been able to fix together a network, and i could as well use the internet. Floppy becomes useless thansk to the internet

I only use floppies for transferring data fro equipment in our FABs that isn't networked. Larger files I use either a nice 5GB PC card HD or my iPod (I basically have 20GB of firewire HD space)

But as a result I have a nice stack of floppies around.

At home - not at all.

Mike

It's really useful the one time you need it...

I use mine to load documents onto it for school

Originally posted by DarkLord60
I use mine to load documents onto it for school

Same here.

Haven't used one in about a year - all computers in my house can now boot from CD or even a USB flash drive.

I use USB flash drives for just about everything these days, and I'm now seeking out options of drives I can replace the floppy drive in my laptop with.

I still use mine in school projects and storing Zip-files that I know that I'd regret to throw into the bin a few weeks after :D
And some times I transfer some games downloaded from internet into my friends comp. :rolleyes:

Well, in fact, floppy disks are my only option, because my computer doesn't have a CD-buring drive, and it's non-upgradeable so I can't even install one. :mad:

btw, a bit OT: for those interested, I got my new computer that I had waited so long for, and it turned out to be crap and was sent back. :( Click for full story (http://www.jediknightiifans.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=46)

I use my floppy drive for school. Otherwise, I just burn thigs onto CDS.

school. and since the school computers don't allow (can't in other words) USB flash drives...

I use a 128mb usb flash drive/mp3 player(the size of an index finger) for portable data. Floppys's are just too damn small, 1.43mb just doesnt amount to much anymore. Zip disks are bulky and need the drive of course..... I do know of younger ppl, including my sister who use floppies to take work from the home comp to school and vice versa, thats about it. My laptop doesnt even have a floppy drive...... it has a dvdrw drive, so I can write disks of up to 4.7gb of uncompressed data, why the heck would I ever need a floppy drive... :p

MTFBWYA

Now that I got a network at my house, I find no need for floppy drives. I used to transfer documents to the computer attached to the printer, but now with the network, it's much quicker.

I still use 'em for school.

I use them for school paper back ups (Just in just in just in just in case :p ) They aren't mug coasters yah know, only AOL disks are

TiE

Originally posted by DarkLord60
I use mine to load documents onto it for school

Me too

Originally posted by Astrotoy7
I use a 128mb usb flash drive/mp3 player(the size of an index finger) for portable data. Floppys's are just too damn small, 1.43mb just doesnt amount to much anymore. Zip disks are bulky and need the drive of course..... I do know of younger ppl, including my sister who use floppies to take work from the home comp to school and vice versa, thats about it. My laptop doesnt even have a floppy drive...... it has a dvdrw drive, so I can write disks of up to 4.7gb of uncompressed data, why the heck would I ever need a floppy drive... :p

MTFBWYA :( lucky guy. I wish I could afford a dvdrw. Need another HD though. Saving up for a 250 gig. :)

Got a new PC last yr without a floppy disk in it, but has a CD burner installed.

I also have a PDA, which allows me to put stuff onto one of 2 256MB flash (CF and SD) or SM cards that I use for my camera. I have over 700MB of flash memory around for use.....