Floppy Disk Drives

Overview Floppy disk drives are one of the oldest type of disk based storage devices still used on PCs today. Before the days of large software files, inexpensive hard drives, and CD-ROMs, floppy disk drives were the primary storage device for most home computers. Today's floppy disk drives have evolved almost as much as the PC over the past 15 years. New designs are available today that greatly increase storage capacity and speed.

General Information Just about every personal computer has a floppy drive installed in its system unit. Read all about the history of the floppy disk drive and the disks they use, at www.accurite.com/FloppyPrimer.html. PC Guide offers an in-depth article about floppy disk drives--explaining how they work and how to use them most efficiently--at www.pcguide.com/ref/fdd. The HowStuffWorks site has a detailed article that includes a history of the floppy disk drive, a description of the parts of a floppy disk drive, and information about how data is written to, and retrieved from, a disk. This site also includes a variety of interesting facts about floppies. 

Different Types of Floppy Disk Drives Floppy disk drives have changed over time to meet the needs of modern PC users who require a reliable and portable data storage medium. Read about all of the different floppy disk drives that have developed over the course of the last 15 years by following this link. From the first 8-inch floppy disks, to the modern Zip and SuperDisk drives, they’re all described on this site. For further information about floppy disks and drives visit www.karbosguide.com/hardware/module4a.htm, which describes new developments in floppy disk drive technology. This Web page is full of useful tips for finding the best floppy storage medium for your projects and for installing your new floppy drive. They also provide ratings and reviews of many floppy disk types, as well as links to manufacturers’ pages. Information about the Iomega Zip drive is available at www.iomega.com. 

Additional Links Are you interested in repairing your broken floppy disk drive? If so, visit this ZDNet page where floppy disk drive components are identified and defined for those people who choose to repair or upgrade their floppy drives. Read all about external floppy disk drives for both notebook and desktop computers at www.mysimon.com/. This site provides a long list of drives with the technical specifications and system requirements for each model.