The Rise and Fall of 3M's Floppy Disk (2023)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

3M’s Role in Floppy Disks

  • Several commenters argue the article ambiguously implies 3M “invented” the floppy; they stress IBM/Sony’s roles and say 3M was a major manufacturer, not originator.
  • Others counter that “3M’s floppy disk” can just mean a branded product, not invention.
  • Some recall 3M disks as high quality but relatively rare; others name Sony, Verbatim, Maxell, BASF, TDK, Nashua as more common.
  • There’s discussion of 3M spinning off its media business as Imation and the later decline in media quality across the industry.

What People Associate 3M With

  • Many associate 3M primarily with adhesives and films: Scotch tape, Post-its, Command strips, specialty tapes, sanding media, respirators, filters, automotive films, and N95 masks.
  • A few think first of industrial chemicals or cooling fluids.
  • Some criticize 3M over PFAS contamination, saying it permanently taints the brand; others partially shift blame to military use.

Nostalgia for Legacy Storage

  • Strong nostalgia around 5.25"/3.5" floppies, Zip drives, LS‑120 SuperDisk, MO drives, MiniDisc, MD Data, Floptical, SyQuest, DataPlay, and early removable hard-disk cartridges.
  • People compare capacities, quirks, and robustness (e.g., early floppies seen as “supremely reliable,” later ones cheap and fragile; BD‑R never became ubiquitous).
  • Some still keep and use old media (floppies, minidiscs, vinyl, 4K Blu‑rays).

Physical Media vs Streaming & Ownership

  • Long tangent about how streaming displaced owned collections.
  • Arguments for owning: offline use, no subscriptions or data caps, resistance to removal/censorship/remasters, codec choice, privacy, and true control over files.
  • Counterpoints: streaming is easier, devices handle cloud better than files, and many more creators now share (very modest) streaming income.
  • Disagreement over whether total payouts to artists are higher today or not; some cite CD‑era economics, others note vastly more creators and fragmented revenue.
  • Vinyl and CD sales, niche physical formats, and personal NAS collections are mentioned as resistance to “rental-only” culture.

Data Sharing and File Transfer Today

  • People miss the simplicity of handing someone a floppy or CD‑R as a cheap, disposable, offline transfer.
  • Thumb drives feel more valuable and risky (cost, malware/USB attack surface, even “USB killer” hardware).
  • Complaints that large file transfer now typically requires “the cloud” and accounts, and that cross‑platform direct sharing (Bluetooth, Nearby Share, AirDrop equivalents) is fragile, slow, or restricted.
  • Various workarounds are mentioned: ad‑hoc HTTP servers, P2P tools (e.g., magic‑wormhole, LocalSend), Telegram, microSD as one‑way “throwaway” media.

Retrocomputing and Constraints

  • Some are actively experimenting with USB floppy drives, ESP32‑based floppy projects, and floppy‑disk demoscene work.
  • Constrained environments are seen as a good teaching tool and a source of creative fun.