History

In 1976, Shugart Associates first introduced 5 ¼-inch FDD and media partners. 10 producers in 1978, 5 ¼ inch floppy drive was disk formats: hard to compete or such FM, MFM and as GCR coding schemes with various soft sectored. 8 applications for the 5 ¼-inch formats quickly displaced inch, inch and 5 ¼-sectored hard disk format eventually disappeared.

In 1984, 1.2 megabytes of disk IBM introduced double - sided disc, with its model on. Although often backup storage, high density disk used as often by software vendors is used for exchange. In 1986, IBM in its convertible laptop microfloppy 720 kB double density disk 3.5 "started using. The so-called" 1.44MB High concentration with PS / 2 introduced. These units can be added to the previous model, the current PC. In 1988, IBM 2.88 MB "DSED 'launched a campaign for its high in diskettes - Line PS / 2 model, but was a commercial failure.

In the 1980s, the 5 ¼-inch format limitations are becoming apparent. Original design and more practical 8-inch format for small, 5 ¼-inch system was too large, and increase the quality of recording media, the same amount of data can be kept in one small area.

Number of solutions have been developed with 2 units, inches, 2 half-inch, 3 inch and 3 ½ inches (50, 60, 75 and 90 mm) all offered by various companies. All shares on the old format number of benefits, a small form factor to write a report - and with the protection of tabs includes a rigid box. This almost universal use of 5 ¼-inch format for most any of these new formats to gain any significant market share made it difficult .

Their small format Sony introduced 90,0 mm x 94,0 mm disc. However, the draft of another new format similar fate: 5 ¼-inch format was encountered just too much market share. A large number of manufacturers in one Sony, launched in 1982 on the above design, was adopted soon. 3 ½-inch was outselling the 5 ¼-inch 1988.

Late in the 1980s, 5 ¼-inch disk and a half has been replaced by 3-inch disk. While still a 5 ¼-inch drives were available, as the disk, which is losing popularity as the decade began in 1990. In the mid-1990s almost half the 3-inch disk 5 ¼-inch disks had disappeared as a major campaign has become. The main advantage of a 3 ½ inch disk, its small size, which it allows it to fit in a shirt pocket, except for the plastic box that dust, liquids, good protection against fingerprints gives scratches, heat, deformation, and other environmental hazards.