# floppy disk

> removable disk storage medium

**Wikidata**: [Q5293](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5293)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/floppy-disk

## Summary
A floppy disk is a removable magnetic storage medium used for storing and transferring digital data. It was a primary portable storage format for personal computers from the 1970s through the early 2000s.

## Key Facts
- Invented in 1964 by IBM engineers including Alan Shugart
- Available in multiple physical sizes: 8-inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch formats
- Typical storage capacities ranged from 80 KB to 1.44 MB depending on format
- Uses magnetic recording on flexible plastic disks coated with iron oxide
- Connected to computers via floppy disk drives
- Classified as removable media, magnetic storage, and computer storage media

## FAQs
### Q: What is a floppy disk used for?
A: A floppy disk is used to store and transfer digital data between computers. It served as portable storage for documents, programs, and operating systems before USB drives and cloud storage became common.

### Q: How much data can a floppy disk hold?
A: Storage capacity varies by format: 8-inch disks held about 80 KB, 5¼-inch disks held 1.2 MB, and 3½-inch disks held 1.44 MB of data.

### Q: Why are floppy disks no longer used?
A: Floppy disks have been replaced by higher-capacity, more reliable storage technologies like USB flash drives, CDs/DVDs, and cloud storage. Modern computers no longer include floppy disk drives.

## Why It Matters
The floppy disk revolutionized personal computing by providing an affordable, portable way to store and transfer data between machines. Before its invention, data transfer required physical media like punch cards or magnetic tape reels that were bulky and expensive. The floppy disk's compact size, relatively low cost, and ease of use made personal computers practical for everyday users and businesses. It enabled software distribution, data backup, and file sharing in ways that were previously impossible. The 3½-inch floppy disk, introduced in 1981, became the standard for nearly two decades and played a crucial role in the personal computer revolution. Even though it's now obsolete, the floppy disk's influence can be seen in modern removable storage concepts and the universal save icon (a stylized floppy disk) that remains in use today.

## Notable For
- First widely successful removable magnetic storage medium for personal computers
- Standardized data transfer between different computer systems
- Introduced the concept of portable software distribution
- Served as the primary backup medium for personal computers for over 20 years
- Created the iconic save icon still used in modern software interfaces

## Body
### History and Development
The floppy disk was developed by IBM in 1964 as a replacement for punch cards and magnetic tape. Alan Shugart, who later founded Shugart Associates, was one of the key engineers involved in its creation. The original 8-inch format was designed for mainframe computers, but the technology quickly evolved for use in minicomputers and eventually personal computers.

### Physical Formats
Three main physical formats dominated the market:
- 8-inch: The original format, introduced in 1971, with a flexible plastic jacket
- 5¼-inch: Introduced in the late 1970s, became popular with early personal computers
- 3½-inch: Introduced by Sony in 1981, featured a rigid plastic case and sliding metal cover

### Technical Specifications
Floppy disks use magnetic recording technology where data is stored as patterns of magnetized particles on a thin, flexible plastic disk coated with iron oxide. The disk spins inside a protective jacket, and read/write heads access the data through a small opening. Different formats used varying track densities and encoding schemes to achieve different storage capacities.

### Usage and Applications
Floppy disks served multiple purposes in computing:
- Software distribution and installation
- Document and file transfer between computers
- Operating system boot media
- Data backup for personal and small business users
- Firmware updates for various devices

### Legacy and Cultural Impact
Although obsolete for practical use, floppy disks remain culturally significant. The 3½-inch floppy disk icon persists as the universal symbol for "save" in software applications. The technology also influenced the development of other removable storage formats and established standards for data portability that continue to influence modern computing.

## Schema Markup
```json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Thing",
  "name": "floppy disk",
  "description": "removable disk storage medium",
  "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk",
  "sameAs": [
    "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8370",
    "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk"
  ],
  "additionalType": "ComputerStorageMedium"
}

## References

1. [Source](https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/43322/floppy-disk)
2. [Source](https://obsoletemedia.org/8-inch-floppy-disk/)
3. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
4. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
5. National Library of Israel
6. KBpedia
7. GF WordNet
8. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)