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Thread ID: 141757 2016-02-19 03:57:00 Old CDs, floppies - what have you done with them? Nomad (952) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
1416214 2016-02-23 00:24:00 I bought my first writer for about $600 which seemed cheap as the first models were thousands. Then you had to take great pains to avoid buffer under-run problems or you would waste a disk. I remember setting up a CD reader and writer on 2 different IDE channels and doing disk-to disk copies on the fly being a major achievement, and you couldn't touch the PC while doing it or the process would fail.

These days I'd toss a disk without a 2nd thought and put DVD -writers in my builds just in case I might need it because they are only $40-$50.

Apparently old DVD or CD disks strung on a string is a fairly good bird deterrent - at least until they get used to it. They can also be used as beer coasters.
People probably come up with all sorts of novel uses for them.
dugimodo (138)
1416215 2016-02-23 08:41:00 Well my last DVD writer - with mt rainier support cost 10x less at about $60 about 8 or so years back. To think many of us probably spent hours ripping music CD's to mp3's, burning cCD's/DVD's, running trial software (winzip, ACD photo editor, FTP's, db power amp, html editors, mp3 converters, rippers, etc) creating piles of discs. Seems semi-old school tech today. kahawai chaser (3545)
1416216 2016-02-23 10:16:00 I eBayed a HP parallel port CDRW 2x speed. A friend bought a HP 4x from DSE. I had issues with coasters. Was surprised that I didn't have 1 non readable CD other than the CD that was too full and couldn't be closed. Including the cheap Melody Warehouse CDs. Nomad (952)
1416217 2016-02-23 17:27:00 ive been tossing together a computer out of a few old builds and some parts. happens to have an IDE connector. it might get 2 dvd burners and a rounded cable from trademe for $25.

optical drives are definitely obsolete, of my baker's half dozen builds, only 2 have optical drives of of them being a until revently windows XP powered intel atom, one of those SFF boxes with the external PSU. tossed windows 10 on it and she makes a fine print server and music player.


cd make fine Frisbee
Mirddes (10)
1416218 2016-02-27 08:18:00 When I look at the hundreds of floppies that I bought it makes me cry.
Especially as half of them never worked more than once.
Digby (677)
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