Floppy

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8-Inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch Floppy Disks
8-Inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch Floppy Disks

The Floppy Disk or disk(ette), is a type of disk storage composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic enclosure lined with fabric that removes dust particles. Floppy disks are read and written by a disk(ette) drive.

Diskettes (initially as 8-inch (203 mm) media and later in 5 1⁄4-inch (133 mm) and 3 1⁄2 inch (90 mm) sizes) were a ubiquitous form of data storage and exchange from the mid-1970s into the first years of the 21st century. By 2006 computers were rarely manufactured with installed floppy disk drives; 3 1⁄2-inch floppy disks can be used with an external USB floppy disk drive, but USB drives for 5 1⁄4-inch, 8-inch, and non-standard diskettes are rare to non-existent. These formats are usually handled by older equipment.

Floppy disk drives are seen on several Tektronix instruments like the 3026, 3066, and 3086 Spectrum Analyzers, 2402A Tekmate, 3001GPX, 370 Curve Tracer, 4100-Series Terminals, DSA600, DAS9200, TDS3012, TDS3014, TDS3034, TDS3052, TDS5032, TDS5034, TDS5052, TDS5054, TDS5104, TDS544A, TDS644, TDS684, and TDS784