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Floppy disk external drive for macbook pro?

P

Politis

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 10, 2010
125
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I have some information stored on floppy disks which I made when I had a Mac duo back in 1997. I need to transfer the information in them onto my macbook pro. Where can I find an external drive that links up to my macbook pro? I live in London. Thanks
 
Last edited:
Politis said:
I have some information stored on floppy disks which I made when I had a Mac duo back in 1997. I need to transfer the information in them onto my macbook pro. Where can I find an external drive that links up to my macbook pro? I live in London. Thanks
Click to expand...

I know there are a few places in London that sell the USB floppy drives.
 
15 bucks is pretty hard to beat, but if you didn't want to buy anything or are on a budget, there have been a few things I have done in the past 5 years to get misc info off of floppies:

1) find a friend or dig through your basement and find an old computer that has one built in
2) go to a work-place store like Fed Ex Kinkos and use it (it will costs like a dollar and
3) my university, which allows alumni free access, has computers with floppies (well did, I don't know about now)

Some people have also said (amusingly) that finding an entire computer that has one built in costs less than buying an actual drive.

Just a few ideas...
 
Thanks, will try everything!

Thank, will try all this since I cannot afford to lose that information.
 
a review from one day ago for that drive states

"The drive was not Mac compatible and had no branding or part number on it"

hm but then the drive has a comment 17hrs ago that says it worked... interesting
 
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Politis said:
Thank, will try all this since I cannot afford to lose that information.
Click to expand...

Are you sure that the disks are still any good? 14 years is a long time to expect data you can't afford to lose to last on a floppy disk. I'm not even sure you could trust a CD that long. I think I remember reading that floppies have a life expectancy of only 3 years, but that's been a while ago.
 
floppies work, macbook pro frustrating

wct097 said:
Are you sure that the disks are still any good?
Click to expand...

I tried some on a pc desktop last year and they seemed fine. In any case I have the info stored on my antediluvian macs (mac powerPC 5200 and a small macbook duo) so the info can be copied from there onto new floppies and from there to my new macbook pro 15 matt screen. If I don't send it back for all its frustrating features.
 
Do you think the 2011 MacBook Pro models will have an internal floppy drive?
 
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croooow said:
Do you think the 2011 MacBook Pro models will have an internal floppy drive?
Click to expand...

Have u just crawled out from under a rock.....
 
wct097 said:
Are you sure that the disks are still any good? 14 years is a long time to expect data you can't afford to lose to last on a floppy disk. I'm not even sure you could trust a CD that long. I think I remember reading that floppies have a life expectancy of only 3 years, but that's been a while ago.
Click to expand...
It entirely depends on how the floppies are stored. All of my 90's Amiga floppies still work fine, likewise my Amstrad CPC 3-inchers (which are still fine from 1986!!)
 
ZilogZ80 said:
It entirely depends on how the floppies are stored. All of my 90's Amiga floppies still work fine, likewise my Amstrad CPC 3-inchers (which are still fine from 1986!!)
Click to expand...

I suppose. I had some floppies in the 80's that didn't last 2 years in the box in my bedroom.
 
Politis said:
Ahh, floppies, those were the days....
Click to expand...

These were the days...
200612659_17cf67995b.jpg

No idea what the big one is:confused:


...and for that special floppy lover who just cant seem to let go...
floppy-disk-journal.jpg



Were you able to get the info off? I have some 15 year old floppies I'm considering going through (And Jazz and Zip drives) but I have no idea if they still work
 
La Cie used to make a good silver one that attaches with USB. I have purchased two of them and they worked GREAAAAATTTTT..
 
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