The floppy disk refused to die in Japan - laws that forced the continued use of floppies have finally hit the chopping block
The floppy disk refused to die in Japan - laws that forced the continued use of floppies have finally hit the chopping block
Officials won't ask for CD media either.
This sort of thing is why I dislike legislation that mandates the use of something very specific. Things change and it is better to create laws that don’t become outdated as fast as tech tends to.
That's a Japan thing and a legislative failure.
What normally happens in most countries is the law would say something vague like "digital means or devices such as floppy disks or equivalent".
Then the Executive makes and maintains the rules of application of that law according to the Hierarchy of Norms (things probably are organized differently in Common Law countries so I don't know the English term but the principle is the same), which dictates in more detail how the law is to be applied ("please use a web form, or a USB keys for legacy processes").Sometimes the executive lags behind a bit but typically it's just a ministry making decisions within the margin of the law, so it's not too bad.
Without it we get a different iPhone charger every year that no other device is allowing to use
The law doesn't even force USBC it just forces whatever the international standards working group recommends, if they change the recommendation it will change the port.
So we're actually having our cake and eating it.
Also stuff like USB 5.0 specifications are designed to work on USBC port so again no actual upgrade will be required.
Guess what the EU just did with USB-C?
The EU regulation doesn't say "USB-C", but "industry standard charging port" or something. What's industry standard is an executive decision of the EU commission, unless the USB-IF does something tremendously stupid the commission is just going to rubber-stamp any new standard they come up with.
The EU didn't event want to legislate in the first place and would've preferred for manufacturers to get together and just be sensible, but, well, Apple. The only hold-out.
When needed, they can change it faster than Japan did.
you're incorrect. It doesn't restrict itself to the USB-C
Luckily usb-c is probably gonna stick around for a while and it's just a form factor. The standard itself has room to grow, and the EU left the rules open to change.
But I understand the concern, legislating tech sucks. On the other hand, when companies care almost exclusively about profit, not customers or the future of our planet, and won't improve things themselves... not a lot of other options.
If the 1.44MB DS/HD floppies are too modern for your gear, 720MB DS/DD media is also available (for a premium).
they probably meant 720KB there
I hear data in Japan is smaller and efficiently organized.
Are you snubbing 8" floppies just because they don't fit in your pocket?
Is that a floppie in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?
What in the hell are they using them for? They hold so little data I don’t see how they can even be practical at this point.
where I live (not Japan), trams are updated with a suitcase worth of floppy disks (and these are the more modern trams here)
One thing came to mind, Irreplaceable infrastructure computer systems from decades ago.
There are powerplants and oil rigs that use computer from decades ago which is irreplaceable (either due to technical or cost effective).
Their government agencies still used a lot of them.
Ah man the translucent colourful floppies.. that takes me back
It was a happier time, I miss my atomic purple floppies.
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I rewrote that several times because I have the mind of a child, but atomic purple 3.5” was even worse so I give up and you get to enjoy both.
I miss 8" floppies, where you could double their capacity with a pair of scissors.
I still have some somewhere. One even says "DOOM" on it, of course.
Lol. I think I still have a bunch of the old Slackware floppies somewhere.
Yes, but can I still submit using a fax machine?
Japan has been living in the year 2000 for 40 years
Noooo!
I just like them.
I think they are neat
I use them as coasters and as a source of filters for making IR only cameras.
