Floppy disk
removable disk storage medium
A floppy disk, diskette, or floppy diskette is a type of disk storage made from a thin, flexible disk coated with a magnetic storage medium. It is enclosed in a square or nearly square plastic shell lined with fabric to help remove dust from the spinning disk. Floppy disks store digital data, which can be read or written when inserted into a floppy disk drive (FDD) connected to or built into a computer or other device. The three most popular formats of floppy disks (and their drives) are the 8-inch, 5¼-inch, and 3½-inch versions.
The first floppy disks, invented and made by IBM in 1971, had a disk diameter of 8 inches (200 mm). Subsequently, the 5¼-inch (130 mm) and then the 3½-inch (90 mm) became a ubiquitous form of data storage and data transfer into the first years of the 21st century. By the end of the 1980s, 5¼-inch (130 mm) disks had been superseded by 3½-inch (90 mm) disks. During this time, PCs frequently came equipped with drives of both sizes. By the mid-1990s, 5¼-inch drives had virtually disappeared, the 3½-inch disk became the dominant format. The advantages of the 3½-inch (90 mm) disk were its higher capacity, smaller physical size, and its rigid case which provided better protection from dirt and other environmental risks.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Floppy disk” as removable disk storage medium. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as removable disk storage medium. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Named sources, stable identifiers and responsible institutions provide the strongest route from overview to verifiable evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 27, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5293. The Library of Congress control number is sh96006990. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1971.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Floppy disk”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Floppy disk primary sources, Floppy disk archive and Floppy research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Floppy disk”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Floppy disk” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.