- The function of a floppy disk is to store relatively small amounts of computer data, no more than 1.44MB, on a small, portable drive. The portable nature allows users to save files from one computer to the floppy drive and then access those same files on a different computer, along with the benefit of being able to update and change them if need be. For this reason, they were particularly useful when it came to school and workplace presentations, for example.
- The first floppy disk was invented by IBM in 1967 and was 8 inches across. With this proving much too large, a 5.25-inch disk replaced it, and the flexible nature of its packaging gave the floppy disk its name. It wasn't until the mid-'80s that the floppy disk as we know it came into being, when the 3.5-inch floppy disk was invented. Despite the launch of other floppy disk formats, in different sizes and with larger storage capacities, the 3.5-inch floppy disk continued to control the market throughout the '90s, until it began to fall out of favor.
- The floppy disk is 3.5 inches across, with a shell made out of hard plastic, most commonly black or gray but also coming in an array of colors. The front of the disk has a label and a thin piece of rectangular metal, which is used for reading and writing data, appearing in the top center. The back of the disk is also plastic and contains a small metal circle in the middle containing two small holes, which allow it to be grasped properly by the floppy disk drive. Floppy disks often come with a hard plastic case to protect it from the elements.
- Ease of use was a main benefit of the floppy disk. The user inserts the disk into the floppy drive, with the side with the metal section going in first. Once inserted, the computer reads the floppy as a "removable disk," usually drive E or F. Files can be saved directly to the floppy disk by using the "Save As" function and choosing the floppy drive or by dragging and dropping files onto the drive from other drives and folders. Users can both add and delete data from the disk and save updates to the files on the floppy disk.
- The floppy drive was ubiquitous in the 1990s, with a floppy drive appearing on nearly ever computer made. Because of its disadvantages, however--having limited file space and being easily damaged, for example--the floppy disk has fallen out of general favor. It has been replaced by both the CD and the USB drive, with the USB drive performing most like a floppy disk with the ability to add and delete files. Floppy disks are often not a standard feature on new computers anymore; often, in fact, users will have to pay extra for a computer with a floppy drive.
