This may seem as a strange question in this day and age, and it is one I have never even considered before stumbling onto something. Apparently you can in fact RAID floppy drives; http://ohlssonvox.8k.com/fdd_raid.htm I found this quite humorous in spite of the fact that it is done on a mac. (Not sure if this should go here or if it should be under "general". If I have misplaced it I am sure you'll move it to its proper location).
I believe you can also do this in Linux and its brethren. Unfortunately, it can't be done in Windows. I mean, who doesn't want a still-slow, low-capacity, foot-tall tower of clicking, whirring storage?
Aha. I'm currently not fluent enough in Linux to do this ... at least I don't think I am. Still funny though.
that was a good laugh! I see no reason why you couldn't do software RAID for lots of USB drives in Windows - you can with hard drives and USB flash drives - so why not floppy drives? It would be quite cool to do something similar with flash drives and a dedicates controller, that way you can move it between computers. A 256GB flash drive the size of a 2.5" external hard drive would be sweet
OMG! I love C64 and still run the emulator now and then to play older pixelated games. I didn't have the tape, instead jump straight into 5" floppy drive... the size of a toaster.
Sigh, I can still remember the 8" floppy drives, hell we've even got a pre-XT pc made by Ferranti knocking about in a corner of the lab. Its got a solid steel chassis and feels like it weighs about half a ton, I think it still powers up although nobody can remember how to use it, I think it even pre-dates DoS.
You'd be surprised at how many 1960's Ferranti Computers are still used as Signal Processors on British warships. Ah, the Overcomplicated Boot process - Flick that switch up, load the first section from the workstation, flick it down, load the second section, log in on a VT100, start the various processes - Great!
Why would any warship use such a slow, old, heavy & crap piece of equipment? There are situations where using obselete technology has certain advantages, so what's the story here?
Because it works. Every Time. And everyone that's worked on it since the 60's knows it's foibles. It's not being replaced on ships that already have it - it will be decomissioned as the ships reach the end of their working lives. Although having worked on the new system (S1850M) for the Type45 Destroyers, that's still old hardware - first used in the 90's. Don't even get me started on "Windows for Warships"....
If Iraq was a threat to nation security, how do you call this? Or is it just a real life minesweeper game?
Object of the game is to clear all the mines before it blue screens, as then youd be truly in deep water (excuese the pun)
Sometimes you find that old technology can be quite robust, how many times have you heard of some old granny somewhere who still has the same washing machine for 40 years and its never broken down. The Ferranti we have certainly still works but like I said, I doubt anyone can remember how to get it going. Maybe we can sell it to the MoD for spares just like an few years ago when NASA were advertising for 486 PC's to rob for spares for the shuttle. PS Whatever next can we RAID, chalk and slate? Etch-a-Sketch? Abacus? Slide rules?
Indeed - the shuttle had a "massive" upgrade and now uses something along the lines of an original P1 iirc - there's no need for massive power up there, just good ol' fashioned reliability.