The reliance on old-fashioned floppies means there’s no need for an Internet connection, and that narrows the possibility of cyber-assault considerably. One of the biggest advantages of keeping the system in place, outside of the decades of means-testing that it has undergone, is the fact that it’s far removed from modern computing. Therefore, if a system is ‘old,’ but still reliable, we are inclined to use it.” “As you can imagine, we want to ensure the utmost in reliability and efficacy when operating such a critical weapon system. “The floppy disks and associated technology are tried and true,” I was told. Speaking to a representative of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command, I found that this was still the case some 18 months since that report initially aired. That report indicated that changes were in the pipeline, but the security of this outmoded technology was difficult to replicate with modern materials. Last year, a broadcast of 60 Minutes surprised many viewers with the discovery that 8-inch floppy disks were still the preferred method of removable storage for the computers in a U.S. If the thought of vital flight equipment using a floppy for input seems far-fetched, then you may well be surprised to hear that the format is still in use by the United States Department of Defense. The reach of the floppy disk today goes further than you might expect. Tom lists the aforementioned embroidery machines, as well as ATMs, and some aviation tech as prime examples of devices that still have a need for data introduced through a floppy drive. Replacing the machines would seem the logical option, but many of them are too valuable to scrap, or can’t be easily replaced by a modern equivilent. “In the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of industrial machines were built around floppy disks, which were high-tech of the time,” he tells me. Therein lies the biggest reason that floppy disks are still in demand in some corners of industry. “They could do that on a hard drive - except their machinery doesn’t work with a hard drive.” “There’s a large embroidery company that does 500 jobs a day,” he goes on.
“There are people who love floppy disks,” he tells me, giving the example of a court reporter who uses the format for sheer convenience and force of habit. Speaking to the men and women buying his wares also allows Tom to keep track of just how floppies are used circa 2015. This allows Tom to build up a rapport with his customers, something that typically can’t be found at Staples or OfficeMax. Today, there’s a pleasing sense of nostalgia to the business model that mimics the product that the company sells - while half of orders come via the web store, the other half are typically completed over the phone. His customer base has actually grown as retailers have abandoned the format. In the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of industrial machines were built around floppy disks. “Well, what happens when everyone else gets out? You become that last man standing.” “How could a small company compete with Best Buy, Walmart, Office Depot, and the rest?” he asks me. The site endures to this day, a fact that Tom looks at with no sense of ego. Persky wrestled the phone from his hands and agreed to the deal. Tom received a telephone call in the early 1990s asking if he would like to purchase the domain name but refused the offer, incensed that the company of “domain-squatters” wanted $250 for the address. Tom Persky is the owner and operator of - although, were it not for his wife, he might not be. Instead it’s a product that’s alive and well in the 21st century. The floppy disk might seem like something better left in the 1990s. They’re in dire need of the disks, which most manufacturers have stopped producing.
When was the last time that you used a floppy disk? While still used as the save icon in modern software packages like Microsoft’s Office suite, it’s unusual to see one out in the wild. Given that a typical floppy disk offers up a minuscule 1.44MB of space - not even enough to house a three-minute pop song in MP3 format - there’s seemingly no reason for these disks to stay in circulation.īut while the average user might not have any cause to use a floppy disk, there are those out there who can’t settle for anything else.