The name seems tailor-made for a Seinfeld bit: “What is the deal with floppy disks? They’re not floppy, and they’re not disks!”Certainly the 3.5-inch colorful plastic squares that today represent the majority of floppies in circulation don’t appear to fit the description implied by their moniker, but the name refers to what came before, and what still lies beneath. The first floppies were flexible 8-inch plastic disks coated with iron oxide and housed in a protective jacket lined with a fabric that would clean the surface of the disk as it rotated. Now obsolete, they were produced by IBM in 1971 in response to a problem with its System 370 computer. (The 370’s operating instructions were stored in semiconductor memory; turning off the machine erased the instructions.) The disk could store about 80,000 bytes, and it launched the era of the personal computer.As computers got smaller, so did the disks. The 5.25-inch version came along in 1976—its size allegedly inspired by a cocktail napkin its developers came across while talking shop in a Boston bar. It has since been usurped by the 3.5-inch diskette, which Sony launched in 1981. Though even these are losing ground to newer tools for transferring files between machines, most computers still include slots to hold these little items, a comfort to the wise (or paranoid) among us who still rely on them to back up our hard drives. Related content news Concerns remain even as the EU reaches a landmark deal to govern AI Experts believe the new regulation would add a significant compliance burden on businesses as some argue it could even stifle the growth of the rapidly developing technology. By Gagandeep Kaur Dec 11, 2023 7 mins Regulation Regulation Government feature CIOs grapple with the ethics of implementing AI With ethical considerations around AI use increasingly top of mind, IT leaders are developing governance frameworks, establishing review boards, and coming to terms with the difficult discussions and decisions ahead. By Esther Shein Dec 11, 2023 13 mins Generative AI Data Governance IT Governance feature Reed Smith turns to AI for lawyer staffing solution The legal firm’s Smart Resourcing tool helps balance workloads and ensure partners find associates with the right skills and experience, while empowering employees to make connections across the firm’s global footprint. By Sarah K. White Dec 11, 2023 8 mins CIO 100 Legal Digital Transformation news Emirates NBD drives sustainability goals with Microsoft partnership By Andrea Benito Dec 10, 2023 2 mins CIO Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe