Article: ONCE CRUCIAL TO PCS, FLOPPY DRIVE NOW A WASTE OF SPACE

When's the last time you used that floppy disk drive on the front of your computer? Once an indispensable feature of the PC, the floppy drive is now little more than a waste of space.

As often happens, Apple Computer Inc. chairman Steve Jobs saw the trend coming a long way off. Nearly four years ago, his first iMac computer dispensed with the floppy altogether, much to the derision of this columnist, among others.

Jobs made his move too soon. Granted, floppy sales peaked at 5 billion in 1995, and have been falling ever since, and floppies only hold a measly 1.4 megabytes. Still, back in 1998, the only alternatives were costly, clunky, and in some cases crummy.

But times change. The PC makers ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!