Floppy disks

Floppy disks were removable storage media used to save and transfer computer files before USB drives, CDs, memory cards, and cloud storage became common. The image shows the most recognizable version: the 3.5-inch floppy disk, with a hard plastic shell, sliding metal cover, and magnetic disk inside. The first floppy disk was introduced by IBM in 1971. That original version was much larger: an 8-inch floppy disk. Later, the 5.25-inch floppy became popular in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the smaller 3.5-inch floppy became the most famous version during the late 1980s and especially the 1990s. Most famous era: Floppy disks were widely used from the 1980s through the late 1990s. The 3.5-inch version became especially iconic in the 1990s. Common storage size: The classic 3.5-inch high-density floppy usually stored 1.44 MB. That was enough for documents, small programs, game saves, school assignments, or simple images, but tiny compared with modern storage. Why they were important: Before internet downloads and USB sticks, floppy disks were one of the easiest ways to move files between computers. People used them to install software, boot computers, save homework, share games, and back up important files. Nostalgia factor: Floppy disks are strongly associated with old PCs, computer labs, early Windows, DOS games, school projects, and the nervous feeling of hoping your disk was not corrupted. Even today, the floppy disk lives on as the classic “Save” icon in many apps.