*POLL* Is your floppy dead?

dragontales · Post by **dragontales** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:48 am

Is the floppy still alive and kicking

qviri · Post by **qviri** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:54 am

Floppies just take up space. Not to mention their cables mess with the airflow.

dragontales · Post by **dragontales** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:56 am

qviri wrote:Floppies just take up space. Not to mention their cables mess with the airflow.

It does not take up that much space does it? Cases are made with a floppy area. I do agree that the cables do create a nice mess.

qviri · Post by **qviri** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:59 am

Not if you build your own case that's too cramped to start with.

derekva · Post by **derekva** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:24 am

The only problem is that as soon as you remove the floppy, something comes up that you need to use a floppy to solve. The more 'useful' floppy drives I've seen also have a built-in card reader w/ multiple formats so that you don't feel (as much) like a dork having a floppy drive in your computer.

-Derek

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:41 am

I've had the same floppy for about 6 years, though when it goes I'm not bothered about replacing it... I use it occasionally, that's all. The only thing you need it for now (AFAIK) is installing RAID drivers on XP, but a forward-thinking user can slipstream one with the drivers already on

At least it's one component you don't need to bother silencing, though! Install one today and you'll always look back!

teejay · Post by **teejay** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:05 am

I just found out a week ago that mine died some time between the last install (~4 months ago) and now... never noticed it until my g/f brought a floppy disk from work. Lucky me, I also found out that I have spare drives for the next few centuries

she finally considered my hardware stockpile vaguely useful!

fisher999 · Post by **fisher999** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:20 am

Installed and occasionally a lifesaver !

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:45 am

No floppy for me, except for an old Gateway mobo which refuses to boot up without a floppy drive attached. In my HTPC, I have a non-connected (dead) black floppy simply because I had nothing else to cleanly cover all of the external 3.5" bays.

Besides taking up space and causing cable clutter, I find the floppy spoils the "can't tell the computer's been powered on" effect. They make noises and blink on the light when powered on.

jackylman · Post by **jackylman** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 12:59 pm

It's mounted in the case, but it's not plugged in. Too noisy plus it only slows down boot process.

lenny · Post by **lenny** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:28 pm

jackylman wrote:It's mounted in the case, but it's not plugged in. Too noisy plus it only slows down boot process.

With most modern BIOS, you can disable floppy seek on startup, and set the boot order to ignore the floppy. The only thing left is that some virus scanners will check the floppy before it shuts down, and sometimes when it first start.

My main problem with the floppy drive is that I can never find any media when I actually need to use the sucker...

mini1 · Post by **mini1** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 2:48 pm

I have no floppy drives installed in any of my computers and never order them. They are a complete waste and so outdated its funny that people still use them. (come on this isn't the 80's anymore!) The USB memory key is now king and the only thing I use.

nici · Post by **nici** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:38 pm

Is it possible to run DOS programs from a USB-memory..? i have a 1Gb stick of it. I use floppys for bios flashing and the hitachi feature tool.. so yes i have a floppy drive...

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:14 pm

nici wrote:Is it possible to run DOS programs from a USB-memory..? i have a 1Gb stick of it. I use floppys for bios flashing and the hitachi feature tool.. so yes i have a floppy drive...

Yes, if your motherboard supports it. (Those made within the last few years?) If not you can always boot from a CDRW instead.

IsaacKuo wrote:Besides taking up space and causing cable clutter, I find the floppy spoils the "can't tell the computer's been powered on" effect. They make noises and blink on the light when powered on.

Maybe you have an unusual drive but the 12+ I've had over the years were silent until accessed. Since nothing accesses it I never hear it until it gets used.

Elixer · Post by **Elixer** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:15 pm

I have a floppy, but it's mounted on the inside of my case so no one can see it. Since I only use the thing once a millenia it's not a big deal to open up my case to use it.

Mar. · Post by **Mar.** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:32 pm

I have a floppy drive somewhere, but it doesn't have a front bezel. Plus, I've not needed it in the year since I build my new PC, so no big deal.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:07 pm

I tossed my floppy drive when I realized that I could do almost everything I needed with CD-RW. What clinched the deal was when I ended up going through a box of floppies trying to find one that would actually format.

So I bought a cheap pack of CD-RW and pretty much used them as floppies. Its just as fast and generally more reliable. The only thing it sucked at was requiring a driver to install Windows on a RAID or SATA controller. Windows is HARDCODED to look for the A:

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 7:33 pm

Why is it that people who make up multiple choice polls, never list the correct answer as one of the choices?

A. The pollster is not knowledgeable about the subject matter.

B. The pollster has an ax to grind and can manipulate the results by limiting the choices.

dragontales · Post by **dragontales** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:08 pm

m0002a wrote:Why is it that people who make up multiple choice polls, never list the correct answer as one of the choices?

A. The pollster is not knowledgeable about the subject matter.

B. The pollster has an ax to grind and can manipulate the results by limiting the choices.

A. I apologize first for not being able to read your mind. I sincerely regret making this multiple choice poll because I have no idea what I am talking about. I am not worthy in your presence because your post clearly displayed your expertise and knowledge in the world of floppies.

B. I confess that I do have a ax to grind because I hate any and all floppies. I hate them with passion because no matter what I try, I cannot seem to keep it silent without maintaining low temperatures. For this evil deed, I apologize again.

C. I must also confess to manipulating the results. I want the data to reflect my anger toward those overheating floppy bastards. I crashed windows when I tried overclocking that sucker. Heck, I even fried a pack of 10 floppy diskettes. After an unsuccessful overclocking experience, I tried to RMA it back to Newegg. Newegg refused me. So I'm out to destroy Newegg and want the rest of the world to never ever buy another floppy again. This is the real reason why I created this unfair, dense, dim-witted, moronic, senseless, and ignorant of a poll.

D. Get a life. A real one.

Mar. · Post by **Mar.** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:16 pm

0vercl0ck your fl0ppy drive to t3h m4x!!!!

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 8:37 pm

dragontales wrote:I confess that I do have a ax to grind because I hate any and all floppies.

No need to apologize, but your confession is a breath of fresh air, and a welcome adjunct to your poll.

IonYz · Post by **IonYz** » Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:29 pm

Coming from a Mac I'm hoping between CDs, thumb/pen drives, and external USB floppy (use one at work) and MO that I don't need an internal floppy.

Heard people need it to S-ATA but that the nForce boards don't need anything special to install XP onto it.

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 12:02 am

nForce2 needs sata drivers on a floppy if you intend to install windiws on a sata drive, nF4 does not. not shure about the nForce3.

Oh well, ill keep my floppy anyway. It doesnt do any harm, and i think its convenient to have say one floppy for Hitachi Feature Tool and one for another program.. Though i suppose i could do this with cds too

btw i didnt wote

nutball · Post by **nutball** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:20 am

nici wrote:nForce2 needs sata drivers on a floppy if you intend to install windiws on a sata drive, nF4 does not. not shure about the nForce3.

Slipstream the drivers into your Windows install image

My floppy drive is in the cupboard, and has been for nearly three years now. The floppy slot in my case sports a 7-in-1 memory card reader ... which gets regular use

nici · Post by **nici** » Fri Jul 15, 2005 9:54 am

Too lazy to slipstream.. besides i dont use the nF2 machine at the moment, and i have a pata hdd waiting to get installed in it

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 4:04 am

A floppy drive is still installed in every one of my own systems. I use floppies to run Drive Image and to do the occasional BIOS flash on every system I own. I also use them for running diagnostic tests. I have turned a lot of bootable floppy-based apps into bootable CD's, but there's other stuff that I'm just not smart enough to pull off on my own, and there's no reason to waste a lot of time futzing with it when I can just create and run a bootable floppy in a few minutes.

I also install floppies on every system I build for customers, otherwise I'll invariably hear about it later. The Average Joe, non-enthusiast computer user still seems to use floppies often enough that the drives just can't be eliminated entirely, yet.

Random73421 · Post by **Random73421** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 8:45 am

I always include a floppy in my builds. I highly recommend NEC drives. I've had no problems with them, even on the oldest ones.

peteamer · Post by **peteamer** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:13 am

I have one and it's cable, in the drawer of my comp desk... I think... at least there was one there..... (And about a half a dozen in the loft... just in case...)

-----------------------------------------
With Respect:

m0002a, If you had included something constructive to your posts above they would have seemed less like SPAM... and much more in keeping with the generally calm posts that are the very Ethos of SPCR...

IMHO there's little point to a critical post unless it offers help, guidance or at least an alternative.
It may be of course that I am the only one that thinks this...
-----------------------------------------

Pete.
(Mods... If the bit between the -----'s is deemed... 'un****' feel free to dispose of it. Though not the whole post Please.

)

m0002a · Post by **m0002a** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:43 am

peteamer wrote:m0002a, If you had included something constructive to your posts above they would have seemed less like SPAM... and much more in keeping with the generally calm posts that are the very Ethos of SPCR. IMHO there's little point to a critical post unless it offers help, guidance or at least an alternative.
It may be of course that I am the only one that thinks this

I believe that I posted something extraordinarily useful in this thread--that multiple choice polls are biased (unless one assumes the creator of the poll is just grossly ignorant).

For example, the creator of this thread is saying in his poll (read the choices if you don't believe me), that anyone who installs a floppy drive believes both of the following:

1. The floppy is the most silent component in my system, and

2. It is a “must have” component in my system.

I don't think anyone who has a floppy believes both of these things (certainly not me), and it is more than a little insulting to have someone tell me (by clear implication) that I must believe these things if I installed a floppy.

By no means did I mean (nor did I say) that the multiple choice poll in this thread is the only one that is biased. In fact, if you study the example of the poll in this thread and understand how a multiple choice poll can distort the reporting of public opinion (although usually more skillful and more subtle than in this thread), you could learn an extremely important lesson.

Further, I really don’t believe that my posts in this thread could reasonably be considered as SPAM, even if you don’t like my comments, or if even if you considered them inappropriate (sort of like I consider the poll inappropriate). SPAM is something different altogether.

peteamer · Post by **peteamer** » Sat Jul 16, 2005 11:03 am

m0002a wrote:For example, the creator of this thread is saying in his poll (read the choices if you don't believe me), that anyone who installs a floppy drive believes both of the following:

1. The floppy is the most silent component in my system, and

2. It is a “must have” component in my system.

Then I must Bow to your superior ability to read that which is not written (My girlfriend has this complaint about me also )...
I for one had not seen it and I offer my profuse apologies for my inability to read 'between the lines'...

I offer my humblest apologies for my failings...

Yours in Subservience...
Pete 'The Apologetic' Amer

POLL Is your floppy dead?

How many people still install and use a floppy in their SilentPC?

POLL Is your floppy dead?