Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive?

mimo2005 · 04-09-2007, 03:19 PM

The More You Know

http://ask.yahoo.com/20050304.html

DeathHawk · 04-09-2007, 03:31 PM

how on earth do you find these little wonders???

ebackhus · 04-09-2007, 04:04 PM

I remember having a B: drive!

**Joefireline** · 04-09-2007, 04:29 PM

Wow, that's really interesting. So now I know.

**Terrister** · 04-09-2007, 04:32 PM

My work computer has 2 3.5 floppy drives on it. So I do have a B drive.

Of course most people would not need this. It makes copying floppies much easier.

**karusho** · 04-09-2007, 06:23 PM

This is one of those little things from the olden days that no one knows about anymore.

ebackhus · 04-09-2007, 06:43 PM

I've got one of the old combo drives that has 3.5" and 5 1/4" in one unit. Truly epic.

**Terrister** · 04-09-2007, 07:09 PM

5 1/4 disk were terrible. Also getting errors or just not working when you went to read them again. I was a happy camper when 3.5 disk came out.

I remember the combo drives. Nice drives, but did not last long. Just like 5 1/4 floppies.

**Kalim** · 04-09-2007, 10:24 PM

I'm surprised people wouldn't know this. Mainly anyone whose used a computer back in DOS 3.1 days.

My system has a drive A for floppy, B works as the logical floppy, C as the main USB I use, D for OS, E, F for apps, G as CDRW/DVDRW, H as BD-RE and I, J, K for storage. A few more tools and drives after that but backup is elsewhere.

DeathHawk · 04-09-2007, 10:24 PM

as these floppy drives were so important years ago-how do you guys feel about this news then?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6314251.stm

sinclair_tm · 04-09-2007, 10:40 PM

i remember those days well. i even remember when the 3.5 disk drives made the switch from being the b: drive to being the a: drive. needless to say, i started my tech support career then telling fellow classmates that they were getting errors because the little disk was now a: not b: on these "modern" computers.

crazijoe · 04-10-2007, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathHawk

as these floppy drives were so important years ago-how do you guys feel about this news then?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6314251.stm

So sad. I still use my floppy drive. And if a customer has a computer that needs to be worked on, that is sans a floppy drive, I have a USB floppy to boot from. I still use floppies for utilities and BIOS flashing.

Zazula · 04-10-2007, 07:42 AM

Just like crazijoe, I also can't live without floppies. About a year ago I noticed a mobo manufacturer (can't recall 100%, but I believe it was MSI) were running a poll on their site about "which mobo feature has to go", and the floppy was high on their list. I simply disagree with that. (And I hate seeing laptops without floppies, too.)

ebackhus · 04-10-2007, 11:43 AM

All the Dells at the library have modular bays that are currently fitted with 3.5" drives. This annoys me because the patrons jam in broken disks all the time. The PCs also have USB ports, but if you're coming to the library to use a PC you likely don't own one, and thus have little or no need for a USB drive. We're also getting an increase in users brinings CD-RW discs that we can't read. TECH-NO-LO-GY.

**DumberDrummer** · 04-10-2007, 06:47 PM

hrm... last I NEEDED to use a floppy was.... a few months ago, on an old PII... other than that, there's never any reason. My new PC is floppy free and chugging along just fine. If I need to boot something, CD or thumb drive for me :P

~~Nik00117~~ · 04-12-2007, 02:25 AM

A and B are reserved for floppy

Thats why, and who the hell has two floppies?

This is basic A+ knowledge.

04-09-2007, 03:19 PM	#1 (permalink)
mimo2005 Manager, Emeritus Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 11,142 OS: xp	Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? The More You Know http://ask.yahoo.com/20050304.html __________________ TSF has outgrown its server, again. Please help "Gutta cavat lapidem, non vi sed saepe cadendo"

04-09-2007, 03:31 PM	#2 (permalink)
DeathHawk Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London Posts: 382 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? how on earth do you find these little wonders???

04-09-2007, 04:04 PM	#3 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,284 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? I remember having a B: drive! __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

04-09-2007, 04:29 PM	#4 (permalink)
Joefireline Enthusiastic TSFer~Joseph Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Portishead (Bristol) England Posts: 5,319 OS: Windows 7 64bit(Desktop) / XP Home SP2(laptop) My System	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? Wow, that's really interesting. So now I know.

04-09-2007, 04:32 PM	#5 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,098 OS: Xp	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? My work computer has 2 3.5 floppy drives on it. So I do have a B drive. Of course most people would not need this. It makes copying floppies much easier. __________________

04-09-2007, 06:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
karusho TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Silicon Valley Posts: 1,217 OS: Windows XP SP2, Windows Vista SP1, Ubuntu 8.04 My System	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? This is one of those little things from the olden days that no one knows about anymore.

04-09-2007, 06:43 PM	#7 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,284 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? I've got one of the old combo drives that has 3.5" and 5 1/4" in one unit. Truly epic. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

04-09-2007, 07:09 PM	#8 (permalink)
Terrister Moderator Hardware Forum Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: West Georgia, USA Posts: 7,098 OS: Xp	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? 5 1/4 disk were terrible. Also getting errors or just not working when you went to read them again. I was a happy camper when 3.5 disk came out. I remember the combo drives. Nice drives, but did not last long. Just like 5 1/4 floppies. __________________

04-09-2007, 10:24 PM	#9 (permalink)
Kalim Roaming To Help Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 5,642 OS: Many	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? I'm surprised people wouldn't know this. Mainly anyone whose used a computer back in DOS 3.1 days. My system has a drive A for floppy, B works as the logical floppy, C as the main USB I use, D for OS, E, F for apps, G as CDRW/DVDRW, H as BD-RE and I, J, K for storage. A few more tools and drives after that but backup is elsewhere.

04-09-2007, 10:24 PM	#10 (permalink)
DeathHawk Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London Posts: 382 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? as these floppy drives were so important years ago-how do you guys feel about this news then? http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6314251.stm

04-10-2007, 07:42 AM	#13 (permalink)
Zazula Manager Emeritus, I'm blond, James Blond Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Athens, Greece Posts: 7,667 OS: Win XP Pro SP2	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? Just like crazijoe, I also can't live without floppies. About a year ago I noticed a mobo manufacturer (can't recall 100%, but I believe it was MSI) were running a poll on their site about "which mobo feature has to go", and the floppy was high on their list. I simply disagree with that. (And I hate seeing laptops without floppies, too.) __________________ "Time is the wisest because it discovers everything" Thales of Miletus (ca.624BC-ca.546BC) "Everything flows, nothing stands still." Heraclitus of Ephesus (ca.535BC-475BC) "One thing I know, that I know nothing" Socrates of Athens (ca.470BC–399BC)

04-10-2007, 11:43 AM	#14 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 14,284 OS: WinXP Pro SP3/Windows 7 RTM My System Blog Entries: 28	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? All the Dells at the library have modular bays that are currently fitted with 3.5" drives. This annoys me because the patrons jam in broken disks all the time. The PCs also have USB ports, but if you're coming to the library to use a PC you likely don't own one, and thus have little or no need for a USB drive. We're also getting an increase in users brinings CD-RW discs that we can't read. TECH-NO-LO-GY. __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.

04-10-2007, 06:47 PM	#15 (permalink)
DumberDrummer Cymru am byth Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,385 OS: Windows XP Pro SP2 My System	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? hrm... last I NEEDED to use a floppy was.... a few months ago, on an old PII... other than that, there's never any reason. My new PC is floppy free and chugging along just fine. If I need to boot something, CD or thumb drive for me :P __________________ Living with Louie dog's the only way to stay sane _____________________________________________ ... and with those words so begins my lifetime of longing for the devil's warm embrace

04-12-2007, 02:25 AM	#16 (permalink)
~~Nik00117~~ Troubled Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Germany Posts: 1,572 OS: XP Pro, Vista Ulimate My System	Re: Why is it that computers never have a "B" drive? A and B are reserved for floppy Thats why, and who the hell has two floppies? This is basic A+ knowledge.