Why is floppy disk still the save icon?

While floppy disks aren’t regularly used to save anything on our computers anymore, the obsolete storage method is back in the spotlight thanks to one curious child. During the advent of computer programs such as Microsoft Word, programmers simply adopted the floppy disk as the symbol for saving one’s work.

What is a floppy disk icon?

The Floppy Disk Icon means “save” for a whole generation of people who have never seen one.

Which file system is used by floppy disks?

FAT12 file system
Most floppy disks used by PCs use the FAT12 file system format, which imposes certain practical defaults on the logical geometry in order to be recognizable by all operating systems. Sometimes disks may use a more exotic file system.

What is the Save symbol of?

The Floppy disk icon is a common icon that’s been engraved into the minds as the Save icon.

What is the Save icon on a computer?

The save option is found in almost all programs commonly under the “File” drop-down menu or through an icon that resembles a floppy diskette. When clicking the Save option, the file is saved as its previous name.

When did we stop using floppy disk?

Floppy disks remained a popular medium for nearly 40 years, but their use was declining by the mid- to late 1990s.

How do you save a floppy disk?

Saving a File to a Floppy Disk Place a formatted disk in the floppy disk drive. Click File on the Menu Bar and choose (click) Save As. In the “Save As” dialog box, click in the “Save in:” menu box or on the arrow to the right of the menu box to see the hierarchy of disk drives and folders on your computer.

Where is data stored on a floppy disk?

The heart of a floppy disk, or floppy, is a circle of magnetic material (Figure 6-19). Information is recorded in circular tracks in turn divided into wedge-shaped sectors (Figure 6-20). The hardware is designed to access the disk by sector number. Disks may be hard-sectored or soft-sectored.

What is the storage capacity of floppy disk?

The first 8-inch floppy disk had a storage capacity of about 80 kilobytes. By 1986, IBM introduced the 3-1/2 inch floppy disk with 1.44 megabytes of storage space. This may seem like very little now, but at the time it was hard to imagine needing more space than that.

Why are symbols used in computer?

There are thousands of symbols used by computers today to represent a function, specification, certification, company, or warning. For example, one of the most recognizable symbols is an almost full circle with a vertical line at the top that indicates power. Network, Wireless, and Internet symbols.

What does the floppy disk icon mean?

The floppy disk icon lives on as technical shorthand instead of a physical object, nowadays representing more of the concept of saving, more than it represents floppy disks. This aspect of established meaning over time poses new questions.

Is the floppy disk save icon a vending machine?

The floppy disk save icon has become problematic to those who don’t recognize the technology it represents. The tweet by Twitter user trihex seen below showcases a Japanese user of Microsoft Excel mistaking the save icon as a vending machine with a dispensed canned beverage.

What are floppy disks used for?

8-inch, ​5 1⁄4-inch, and ​3 1⁄2-inch floppy disks used for data storage. Floppy disks were popular digital storage options during the 1980s and 1990s, though were barely used in personal computers by 2006 (2). Image Source The floppy disk save icon has become problematic to those who don’t recognize the technology it represents.

Why does Microsoft Office save look like a floppy disk?

Applications like Microsoft Office undergo regular interface revamps, but one element weirdly persists. The icon for Save in many applications remains an image of a floppy disk, even though the floppy is now a moribund storage format.