It turned out that there was a place where "5 inch floppy disk" was continuously used for more than 30 years

ByShane doucette

"5 inch floppy disk(5 inch FD) "is one of the recording media containing a magnetic disk in a fluffy paper jacket, which was often used when Windows 95 became popular3.5 inch floppy diskIt is one generation ago than the standard before. Although it was released in 1981, it is now 5-inch FD which seems to be many people who do not know the presence itself rather than "old-fashioned", but it is a place that is currently used in 2014 even after more than 30 years It turned out that there was.

Seattle's University Bridge undergoing a reboot | The Today File | Seattle Times
http://blogs.seattletimes.com/today/2014/03/seattles-university-bridge-undergoing-a-reboot/

No more 5.25 "floppy disks: University Bridge openings will take longer as city updates computer, Seattle Bike Blog
http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2014/03/12/no-more-5-12-floppy-disks-university-bridge-openings-will-take-longer-as-city-updates-computer-wiring/

The place is the control room of a bridge called "University Bridge" in the suburbs of Seattle, USA.


Built in 1919, the University Bridge is an old building that is going to celebrate the 100th anniversary soon, part of the bridge jumpingMovable bridgeIs still an important facility supporting citizen's traffic.

BySDOT Photos

The location of the University Bridge is here.

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Although the bridge itself and the foundation made of concrete are still alive, maintenance of the system responsible for the control of the bridge will be done and the old computer made by Compa which had controlled the system so far will be replaced It was. That computer is like the following picture. A 5 inch FDD is mounted on the main body of a cathode-ray tube integral type, OS is a machine of the era of MS-DOS. At the time, the OS installed in the HDD built in the PC itself was entirely contained in the 5 inch FD which the worker has in hand.


Maintenance of this time is "It is maintenance that puts the hand ahead before any problems occur", but is it surprising that what happened nothing so far is the mind? In addition, the person in charge says "If you replace with a new system, this will have another 20 to 30 years."


There used to be a tram in the city of Seattle, but when it was abolished in the 1940's, electric cables no longer needed are being reused and supplying power to the University Bridge. Now in SeattleRevive the tramThere seems to be a movement to make it move, and the University Bridge is also included in the route plan. (Arrow in the figure)