this post was submitted on 19 Dec 2025
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[–] rockerface@lemmy.cafe 63 points 4 days ago (2 children)
[–] Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world 36 points 4 days ago (1 children)
[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 24 points 4 days ago (2 children)

and/or well financially off.

In fairness, it was largely a convenience tax. Through my Atari ST, early PC, and (to a minimal degree) Amiga days, two or more drives just reduced the need for disk-swapping.

However... I'm not saying things were done on an industrial scale; but Xcopy with two drives was like trading a Vauxhall Nova for a Lambo Countach.

[–] HakFoo 14 points 4 days ago (2 children)

There was also a period where you needed 3.5 AND 5.25 drives to use off the shelf software.

[–] PhobosAnomaly@feddit.uk 9 points 4 days ago

holy jesus, I thought I'd banished the actual floppy disk to the back of my mind, particularly the DS ones.

You know what, it's easy to rag on the devs at the time, but they worked with what they had. Good on them.

[–] marine_mustang@sh.itjust.works 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Yeah, that’s around where I came in. Although I did have an old 386 with two 5.25” drives and no hard drive.

[–] ReluctantMuskrat@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

A 386 with no hard drive was crazy even then. My first was an 8088 (though technically a NEC v20) with a 5.25" and a 20 MB hard drive

Then there was me with A: and B: but no C: in my Sanyo luggable.

I tried adding an MFM drive and controller, but the power supply wasn't having a bar of that.

[–] nonentity@sh.itjust.works 2 points 4 days ago

B: entered before the pins 0xA-0xF twist.