What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#1

Post by why-el » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:01 PM UTC

What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?
superuser.com

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#2

Post by jader201 » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:45 PM UTC

Duplicates:

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2095628

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2998973

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3775943

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#3

Post by bitwize » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:46 PM UTC

You know you're getting old when you are shocked that someone asks what A: and B: are for, having never seen nor conceptualized that they were once floppy drive letters.

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#4

Post by why-el » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:52 PM UTC

jader201 wrote: post #2

Duplicates: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2095628 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2998973 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3775943

My own link is a duplicate? :)

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#5

Post by octotoad » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:53 PM UTC

Feels strange to realize that there are Windows/PC-using people out there that may have never dealt with a machine that has a floppy drive. Doesn't seem that long ago that they were a standard component. I can still remember Dell releasing their first system that didn't include one.

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#6

Post by Lockyy » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:53 PM UTC

I used floppy disks up until I was around 8-10 years old. Around then my transition away from floppies into cds was pretty much at the point that I never used them again. I occasionally used floppies in primary school but not very often. I only ever used 3.5' however.

I'm 20 now and I didn't remember that floppies were A: and B: so went into the article expecting some interesting explanation and then face-palmed when I realised.

If you'd asked me what A: and B: where I wouldn't have been able to tell you and I used floppies. I feel young...

I saw some floppies for sale in wh smith the other day. I might buy a set.

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#7

Post by jader201 » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:54 PM UTC

why-el wrote: post #4

jader201 wrote: post #2

Duplicates: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2095628 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2998973 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3775943

My own link is a duplicate? :)

Yes. And that link is also a duplicate. See [1] for more information.

[1] https://www.google.com/search?q=recursion

:)

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#8

Post by golgo13 » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:54 PM UTC

Makes me wonder how long the "Save" button will stay as a floppy disk.

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#9

Post by skibob1027 » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 2:56 PM UTC

Is this post a bad omen for Hacker News? In my experience HN has been a safe haven for higher-level tech posts, news, and information; this seems very elementary.

Re: What are the Windows A: and B: drives used for?

#10

Post by kennu » Fri, Mar 30, 2012, 3:03 PM UTC

golgo13 wrote: post #8

Makes me wonder how long the "Save" button will stay as a floppy disk.

In the operating system I'm running, there's no "Save" any more..