How many of today’s computer users even know what these are?

[longknife]

Would you believe they’re what the US Air Force has been using for its missile launch control system?

I don’t remember when I last saw one of these.

Five years ago, a CBS 60 Minutes report publicized a bit of technology trivia many in the defense community were aware of: the fact that eight-inch floppy disks were still used to store data critical to operating the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile command, control, and communications network. The system, once called the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN), relied on IBM Series/1 computers installed by the Air Force at Minuteman II missile sites in the 1960s and 1970s.

Well, the Air Force is finally getting rid of them, converting to “solid state storage.”

More @ Air Force finally retires 8-inch floppies from missile launch control system

 

[Tijn Von Ingersleben]

People would be amazed about exactly howe low tech commonly used AF systems are. Once the government purchases a platform, many times, unless the contractor upgrades it, that system remains the same until it is exhausted....30...40 years in the future.
The reasons are national security, budget, and down time considerations. For example, most major projects take 5 years to approve.

 

[Wuwei]

I heard military hardware has a paper trail for all the components in the manufacturing, sometimes all the way to the crude ore. Paperwork would be a large part of the expense for any redesign. .

 

[james bond]

It's a penis description or an 8" floppy. I can see why they chose to put it on that. If you put launch codes on a hard drive, for example, then it can be stolen and restored even if erased. You have to break hard media. Floppies are easier to destroy. Today, it's probably easiest and most secure using encryption apps and messages.

 

[fncceo]

Would you believe they’re what the US Air Force has been using for its missile launch control system?

I don’t remember when I last saw one of these.

Five years ago, a CBS 60 Minutes report publicized a bit of technology trivia many in the defense community were aware of: the fact that eight-inch floppy disks were still used to store data critical to operating the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile command, control, and communications network. The system, once called the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN), relied on IBM Series/1 computers installed by the Air Force at Minuteman II missile sites in the 1960s and 1970s.

Well, the Air Force is finally getting rid of them, converting to “solid state storage.”

More @ Air Force finally retires 8-inch floppies from missile launch control system

Poseidon submarine lauched missile systems used platter mag disks for their targeting packages.

Poseidon. When you care enough to send the very best...

 

[james bond]

Poseidon submarine lauched missile systems used platter mag disks for their targeting packages.

Poseidon. When you care enough to send the very best...

It's old tech, but not bad tech since any system can get hacked nowadays.

 

[Oddball]

B-52s are still using early 1960s electronics in their weapons systems....The Iowa class BBs were still using mechanical navigation computing machines all throughout their service lives.

A lot of times, the updating is more costly than just leaving well enough alone.

 

[HaShev]

Would you believe they’re what the US Air Force has been using for its missile launch control system?

I don’t remember when I last saw one of these.

Five years ago, a CBS 60 Minutes report publicized a bit of technology trivia many in the defense community were aware of: the fact that eight-inch floppy disks were still used to store data critical to operating the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile command, control, and communications network. The system, once called the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN), relied on IBM Series/1 computers installed by the Air Force at Minuteman II missile sites in the 1960s and 1970s.

Well, the Air Force is finally getting rid of them, converting to “solid state storage.”

More @ Air Force finally retires 8-inch floppies from missile launch control system

I can see some benefits they had in keeping that disk system.
1)guessing it's harder to quickly copy or steal unnoticed.
2)harder to access disk drive if connected to computer systems/net.
3)if stolen not playable on todays systems, and would be seen as useless and valueless by those accidentally coming across a gov disk.
4)no country would ever dream we'd keep anything of value to them on such a disk.
5)less likely to be used by Adam Schiff to load his collection of naked Trump pics he seeks out from comedic radio jocks posing as Russian agents.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have always maintained if it's not broke, don't fix it...

 

[HaShev]

Oooh got another joke:
They kept the disks so Biden could copy all his old 78 records onto, while he clips old bond coupons from Wall Street.

 

[fncceo]

I have always maintained if it's not broke, don't fix it...

Of course it was broke. In 1978, a floppy disk cost as little as $5, approx $20 in today's money. A single-sided 5.25" floppy could hold 100Kbytes of data -- approximately 5,000 bytes per $1.

At Best Buy, you can get a 64Gbytes for the same $20 --- or 3.2 BILLION bytes $1

With data transfer rates 1,000 times faster and much greater reliability.

Much of what we do on computers at home, WYSIWYG word processing, desktop publishing, photo and video editing, sound file editing ... could not be done with traditional removable media.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Of course it was broke. In 1978, a floppy disk cost as little as $5, approx $20 in today's money. A single-sided 5.25" floppy could hold 100Kbytes of data -- approximately 5,000 bytes per $1.

At Best Buy, you can get a 64Gbytes for the same $20 --- or 3.2 BILLION bytes $1

With data transfer rates 1,000 times faster and much greater reliability.

Much of what we do on computers at home, WYSIWYG word processing, desktop publishing, photo and video editing, sound file editing ... could not be done with traditional removable media.

I am assuming you can tell the class why it takes so long to fix outdated hard and software...

 

[P F Tinmore]

Would you believe they’re what the US Air Force has been using for its missile launch control system?

I don’t remember when I last saw one of these.

Five years ago, a CBS 60 Minutes report publicized a bit of technology trivia many in the defense community were aware of: the fact that eight-inch floppy disks were still used to store data critical to operating the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missile command, control, and communications network. The system, once called the Strategic Air Command Digital Network (SACDIN), relied on IBM Series/1 computers installed by the Air Force at Minuteman II missile sites in the 1960s and 1970s.

Well, the Air Force is finally getting rid of them, converting to “solid state storage.”

More @ Air Force finally retires 8-inch floppies from missile launch control system

I had a computer that used 8" floppies. It had a dual drive. One was for the OS the other was for the program. There was no hard drive. If you wanted to change from a word processor to a spread sheet you had to close the word processor, change the disk, and open the new program. Now you can open both at the same time.

 

[fncceo]

Of course it was broke. In 1978, a floppy disk cost as little as $5, approx $20 in today's money. A single-sided 5.25" floppy could hold 100Kbytes of data -- approximately 5,000 bytes per $1.

At Best Buy, you can get a 64Gbytes for the same $20 --- or 3.2 BILLION bytes $1

With data transfer rates 1,000 times faster and much greater reliability.

Much of what we do on computers at home, WYSIWYG word processing, desktop publishing, photo and video editing, sound file editing ... could not be done with traditional removable media.

I am assuming you can tell the class why it takes so long to fix outdated hard and software...

We don't fix outdated hardware and software, we replace it with up-to-date hardware and software.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We don't fix outdated hardware and software, we replace it with up-to-date hardware and software.

That doesn't seem to be the premise of the thread...

More @ Air Force finally retires 8-inch floppies from missile launch control system

 

[Muhammed]

I remember my first computer. It was a TRS-80. Go to 11:10 in this video to see what I really miss about vintage computers. The keyboard.

 

[MoonPie]

I remember using 5 1/4 but I'm old.

 

[MoonPie]

It's a penis description or an 8" floppy. I can see why they chose to put it on that. If you put launch codes on a hard drive, for example, then it can be stolen and restored even if erased. You have to break hard media. Floppies are easier to destroy. Today, it's probably easiest and most secure using encryption apps and messages.

From 1962-1982 the launch code was 00000000.

For 20 Years the Nuclear Launch Code at US Minuteman Silos Was 00000000

I believe the Soviet's code was the much more complex 123456.

 

[fncceo]

It's a penis description or an 8" floppy. I can see why they chose to put it on that. If you put launch codes on a hard drive, for example, then it can be stolen and restored even if erased. You have to break hard media. Floppies are easier to destroy. Today, it's probably easiest and most secure using encryption apps and messages.

From 1962-1982 the launch code was 00000000.

For 20 Years the Nuclear Launch Code at US Minuteman Silos Was 00000000

I believe the Soviet's code was the much more complex 123456.

 

[ReinyDays]

From 1962-1982 the launch code was 00000000.

For 20 Years the Nuclear Launch Code at US Minuteman Silos Was 00000000

I believe the Soviet's code was the much more complex 123456.

I better change the combination to my luggage ...

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When I was in the service, we had the -230 VDC power supply for the filaments ... inside vacuum tubes ... keeps them toasty hot, along with everything else within 20 feet ... we had the upgrades that let us run at 300 baud, 60 characters every second ... 10 times faster than a good typist, smokin' fast ... 1980's was a heady time for military technology ...