BS: Floppy formats

Subject: BS: Floppy formats
From: beardedbruce
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 10:40 AM

From a closed thread ( otherwise, I would answer it there) :

Subject: RE: BS: Free speech- as long as you're Liberal.
From: Joe Offer - PM
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 04:02 AM

I never catch onto these Internet acronyms that everybody seems to know about. I Googled "SSDD," and found it means "single-sided, double-density."

I think that's how they used to distribute the Digital Tradition, back in the day.

I'll get me coat....

-Joe-
........................................................

As far as I know, the initial distributions of the DT were DSSD 5 1/4 floppies ( 360Kbytes each). On request, on later we used DSDD (720Kbytes) or DSQD (1.44 MBytes) 3 1/2 floppies ( which are in a hard shell). I believe that the last distributions have been on CD-ROM.

I was making floppy copies at the Getaway before Mudcat. Zenith 248, with both 5 1/4 and 3 1/2 drives.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 10:44 AM

5.75 inches floppy, 3.5 inches hard?

Isn't that the wrong way around?



I'll get my pullover :)

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 10:58 AM

I've still got a big box of very expensive Iomega Zip Drives somewhere...

Last time I plugged in the USB Zip reader was circa 2000 - wonder if it still works...???

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:07 AM

There were also 3" floppies (for Amstrads).

There weren't many slots that would accept one that small.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:22 AM

You'd be surprised - people are still buying and selling the old formats on eBay. Part of it has to do with computerized machinery. For example, a friend owns a business making promotional shirts, hats, bags, etc. Printing, embroidery, embossing, etc. The embroidery machine works like a champ but is old and still uses the old 3 1/2 floppy disks.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: beardedbruce
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:32 AM

I have the drive and disks for 3 1/4 as well- they were floppies, not hard cased.

Zip disks were 100 MBytes and 250 Mbytes, but required different drives. Jazz disks were 1 and 2 Gbytes.

All have been superceded by USB flash drives (sticks)- common interface, no moving parts ( except perhaps on the casing).

I suspect the best media to use for a new DT distribution would be USB stick.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 12:21 PM

My Triton piano still runs on floppies for downloads and recordings.
It could be updated with new hardware and drivers. So could I.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: DaveRo
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 12:37 PM

Back in the 80's we used to backup an IBM business computer to a stack of 8-inch floppies - 'diskettes' as IBM called them. It could write to up to 16 of these in one operation, loaded into two plastic cartridges. A 'jukebox' inserted each diskette into the drive in turn, replaced it after writing, and slid the cartridge along to the next slot.

The early Macintoshes used to get more data on their 3½-inch floppies by rotating them at variable speed so that more bits could be recorded on the outer tracks. This made the floppies unreadable on PCs.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 02:50 PM

Believe it or not our nuclear missile launch facilities are just now being updated to go from 8 inch floppies to thumb drives.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Joe Offer
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 03:45 PM

You know, a man gets to an age when he doesn't want to hear the word "floppy"...

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: beardedbruce
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 04:37 PM

This song is by Bob Franke and appears on the compilation "Vince Emery Presents the Funniest Computer Songs" (1989)

.
You been runnin' your program on your little PC
Tryin' to fix your business with your 1-2-3
That little Junior jus' can't manage your files
Well, I got some hardware that will make you smile

Chorus: 'Cause I'm a mainframe, baby
I got a hard disk, too
An' I can do twenty times
What that mini floppy driver can do

That's pow'ful software that you got to run
But you just can't run it on that sonovagun
That little Junior's got no mem-o-ry
Come on baby, get on line with me

Little lights of amber, little lights of green
You got more data than I've ever seen
That little board can't even dump your screen
Oh baby, check out the soul of a new machine

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 04:55 PM

Concerted erections are no problem but the spontaneous and accidental erections go the way of hair and having to bow to the toilet to pee in the morning. Sitting or standing work equally as well but I've never tried kneeling.

Whether you are a pop top or a hose, a strong stream means you are good to go.
Of course there are many types of penii; baby bird, Nazi helmet, opposite color, veiny, smooth, warped cue, reverse curve, too big to park, too short to knock on the cervix door and different growth ratios. Not that I am an expert. Now lets list the different kind of valleys. Genitals are generally over rated.

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: beardedbruce
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 06:06 PM

This song is by Frank Hayes .

Threes Rev 1.1

Deep in engineering down where mortals seldom go
A manager and customer come looking for a show
They pass amused among us, and they sign in on the log
They've come to see our pony and they've come to see our dog

Three things you should be wary of
A new kid in his prime
A man with all the answers
And a code that runs first time

Summoned from our cubicles to conference room we go
We bring our dog and pony for we know they'll want a show
Watching as we enter with a shifty restless eye
The customer sits waiting in his pinstripe suit and tie

Three things never trust in
That's the vendor's final bill
The promises your boss makes
And the customer's good will

The pony kicks his heels up as the doggie does his trick
And hands are waved with vigor as we lay it on real thick
The customer just watches as we do this song and dance
Then reaches for his briefcase, only giving us a glance

Three things see no end
A loop with exit code done wrong
A semaphore untested
And the change that comes along

From briefcase then there comes a list of things we must revise
And all but four within the room are taken by surprise
And all but four are thinking of their last job with remorse
The customer, the manager, the doggie, and the horse

Three things hold no secret
Files that somehow hit the net
Your boss's secretary
And the third thing I forget

First twenty-one new features that somehow we must add in
Then thirty-seven changes show up, much to our chagrin
And this thing's just inadequate, and that one's just plain wrong
And by the way, your schedule is about three months too long

Three things it is better far that
Only you should know
How much you're paid, the schedule pad
And what is just for show

The customer proceeds to go through each change line by line
Excruciating detail which no logic can divine
When it ends there's only four not sitting there agog
The customer, the manager, the pony and the dog

Three things never anger
First the one who runs your deck
The one who does the back-up
And the one who signs the check

Now we are contract software types who spend our days and nights
Embedded in the system down with all the bits and bytes
And none but us can tell full well the damage done today
It's what they do not know for which they're gonna have to pay

Three things are most perilous
Connectors that corrode
Unproven algorithms
And self modifying code

The manager and customer are quick to leave this bunch
They take the dog and pony and they all go out to lunch
Now how will we revenge ourselves on those who raise our ire?
Write code that self destructs the day the warranties expire

Three things trust above all else
Your knowledge of your craft
That someone makes a profit
And that you will get the shaft

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: Mr Red
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 04:44 AM

5.75 inches floppy, 3.5 inches hard?

in OZ, apparently, they referred to the latter as stiffies






I'll get my, er, um, er, - where's the machine?

Subject: RE: BS: Floppy formats
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 08:23 AM

Then there was the audio format 7 inch flexi disc...

In life, hard may be optimal, but flexi does usually perform better than floppy...