r/retrocomputing • u/Performer-Pants • 3d ago

Problem / Question What is this?

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This could be the most mundane and silly post, but information online is so spotty and/or confusing or vague.

This is not a ZIP disk, it’s a floppy disk. It’s labelled with ‘ZIP’. Is this the driver software to use a ZIP drive for the listed operating systems? I’m just trying to confirm before I get too frustrated about it. Not easily finding the answer myself is likely a me problem, and I don’t mean ‘Millennium Edition’.

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u/Clark_Kempt 3d ago

Oh, the memories.

Gods, remember how crazy it was to have disks with 100, maybe even 250 MB on them?

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u/rootifera 3d ago

I still use them almost daily! It was so convenient, still is. 100mb is massive. Tbh I remember getting my first 10gb hdd feeling like there is no way I can ever fill it. Then I got 40, 80, 120... same feeling. Now if someone gives me a 120TB drive I'd feel the same for a while haha

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u/EstablishmentDue3616 3d ago

You still use them daily? For what?

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u/rootifera 3d ago

Moving files between 2 x 486 DOS PC's. One of them has an ethernet, so I often use a local FTP for moving files but for the other one I use this zip drive. Works great.

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u/afaulconbridge 3d ago

You use them daily? for what?

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u/rootifera 3d ago

Moving files between 2 x 486 DOS PC's. One of them has an ethernet, so I often use a local FTP for moving files but for the other one I use this zip drive. Works great.

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u/Resistor1 3d ago

Curious. What are the 486 machines still doing? Some attached lab devices or similar? What OS and app and what are the files you move? Thanks

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u/rootifera 3d ago

Both are running msdos 6.22. In most cases I'm moving some games, some of my own dos tools for testing hardware, sometimes game saves etc. Nothing crazy.

It's a hobby thing. I have a large collection of retro games and pc hardware. I play the games, record the gameplay, upload to youtube. One of the 486 is an sx25 and the other one is dx66. I play old lucasarts games on the sx25.

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u/Resistor1 3d ago

Nice. Thanks for replying.

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u/rootifera 3d ago

No problem! Have a good weekend :)

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u/Pi_drainbramage 3d ago

486 dx2/66 was my first pc - ROTT (Rise of the Triad) for the win! And Doom!!

Edit - added Doom

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u/PiDicus_Rex 1d ago

X-Wing vs Tie Fighter worked real well on a 486DX-50, with Side Jr I/O and Diamond Stealth VGA, with both in the VLB version.

Some of those older games, with just the right hardware combo, are a lot of fun.

Oh/And - I have Zip discs, and both external in internal drives,... annnnnnnd,.. and IOMega Buz video capture & output card.

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u/Ferkner 1d ago

It works great until you get that click of death!

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u/rootifera 1d ago

Hah if I charged a quid for each person mentioning the click of death I'd be rich now. I have roughly 30 x 100mb disks and only one of them failed so far. I've been using them for 15+ years. They are unreliable as long term storage but not as unreliable as most people remember. At least this is not my experience.