# the end of floppy disks



## coll27 (May 30, 2010)

Hi everyone,
I'm new to this. I have a problem. I found a tajima neo for sale in my area but, it is a 2006 model, and it only reads floppy disks. Floppy disks going to be very hard to find in a couple of years, because they aren't going to make them any more. Are there ways around this or should I avoid buying this machine?
thanks,
Colleen


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## coll27 (May 30, 2010)

I dont know if I posted this right. I have gotten no replies. Most of the new machines have USB ports. the old models have floppy disks. I heard floppy disks are no longer being made. Does anyone know about this?


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## JAF (Oct 12, 2008)

My single head Tajima is 13 years old and only takes floppy discs. Don't stress about the floppy end of transferring info to the machine. You can reuse the discs. Keep your embroidery files on your HD and put them on the floppy when you need them. I also back up my designs to an external HD, just to be safe. My Barudan & Tajima both take floppies and I'm not worried at all.


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## bungy (Aug 24, 2006)

3.5" floppies are being phased out, just the steady march forward of technology.
But, if you like/want this machine, then buy it.
Then buy a couple of hundred floppies to use with it.

I only use floppies to load the deisgn into machine, so I am constantly reformatting them to put the designs on.

Original designs are kept on my computer and I only place the design on a floppy disc when it is needed.

I have two machines, 1 x single head and 1 x 4 head, both around 10 years old and going strong. I buy my floppies in boxes of 100.

Having said that, if this phasing out is a concern for you then buy a machine that has a USB port and use a USB stick to transfer designs to the machine.

When the day comes I can't buy floppies for my machines, I will buy a USB adaptor for them.


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## coll27 (May 30, 2010)

Thanks alot. I really wanted this machine because it is afordable for me.
I would have had to get a loan for the newer model with the USB port, and I didn't want to do that.
thank you,
colleen


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## PositiveDave (Dec 1, 2008)

MILLIONS of floppy discs are sold per year, no idea why but...BBC News - The mystery of the mega-selling floppy disk


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## FatKat Printz (Dec 26, 2008)

if you are really concerned about it colman and company sells an neat tool to convert you machine to a USB

USB Linker - Tajima: Colman and Company - Discount Commercial Embroidery Supplies - Machine Embroidery Supplies Catalog

the price tag isn't the greatest but its an option


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## coll27 (May 30, 2010)

thanks I'll check it out.


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## robby (Oct 29, 2007)

If your consideration in buying the machine is price, then it's worth buying. In case floopy disks are unavailable anymore, you can always use the USB adaptor. My friends use the adaptor on his old Tajima machine and doesn't find any trouble.

Just make sure you keep all the original files in your computer. Those disks break easily..


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## jsf (Aug 4, 2009)

This is not an issue actually. You can buy a simulated USB-floppy drive to replace your machines floppy drive.

Check the links:
USB Tajima Floppy Replacement - inquiry on Shenzhen Richpeace International Co., Ltd.(2441109)
USB Simulating Floppy Drive - China Floppy Drive in Floppy Drive
http://nomorefloppies.com/


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## Olvert Ortega (Oct 26, 2009)

It is amaizing how these things cost!... Its wrong!... just because is not common doesn't mean that has to be that expensive.. but anyways!... Its a good oportunity for people that knows electronics to design something this simple and make money... but make it quick!... An USB external or internal Reader is like 15 US in ebay..( but only for new systems with new connectors, but the same just with the old way to connect it... 300 USD... KMON!


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## toastnyc (Aug 3, 2010)

If Elaine could get a case of sponges, a case or three of floppys should be easy to stock up on.


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## LUV DEM TIGERS (Jul 25, 2008)

Heck, you can probably buy 100 floppies for less than $10. That should last you at least 50 years or more. Do you plan on embroidering longer than that?


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

LUV DEM TIGERS said:


> Heck, you can probably buy 100 floppies for less than $10. That should last you at least 50 years or more. Do you plan on embroidering longer than that?


The problem with floppies that old is, insofar as my personal experience many years ago is concerned, is that floppys not stored in one of those "floppy safes" may get corrupted even before use. Storing them in one of those safes is not guarantee either.

But I think you should stock a few floppys, hope they will still be available for a while, then later buy a floppy disk replacement or convert to USB when needed. 

Not familiar with embroidery machines but are there no alternatives? What I am thinking now is what other near obsolete parts makes up that machine and what if one of those parts broke down? Wouldn't it be as difficult as finding a memory card for an old PIII motherboard? Or like finding a mouse or keyboard that can fit an old PIII?


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## SunEmbroidery (Oct 18, 2007)

I would probably go ahead and purchase the Neo with the floppy drive if its in good running order. I would make sure the drive is still functioning. They can go bad if the floppy is left in the drive while running the machine.


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## foot print (Jun 2, 2010)

People still keep the original Mac 128k alive and running..why can we keep the floppy drive alive and floppy disk alive and running...with a little time and patients anything can be retro fitted.


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## BroJames (Jul 8, 2008)

foot print said:


> People still keep the original Mac 128k alive and running..why can we keep the floppy drive alive and floppy disk alive and running...with a little time and patients anything can be retro fitted.


Why1. Mac users are more passionate with their macs than PC users love IBM-compatibles. And Apple is a single company where they can someone control the "trend" or decide when to phase out certain technologies.

Why2. I am not sure about the technology behind PC floppies, or maybe it is the disk format, but may back-up files stored in almost every known brand of floppies were soon or later corrupted. Maybe I did not store them properly but I am not the only one. I wouldn't touch another floppy even with a proverbial 10-ft pole.


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## vgary (Mar 31, 2010)

I have a 2002 SWF that uses only floppies. I have several on hand but tend to use only one, over and over. They hold LOTS of digitized files because they are small files and you can delete the old ones and add new ones. I don't think I have used a new floppy in a couple of years. I back all my files on my hard drive up to an external source so I don't have to store anything on the floppy. You do not have to buy 100's of floppies.


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## Lees Custom (Mar 1, 2013)

1) Replace the drive with a USB drive. I have done this on all 3 of my Brother machines from the 90s. Way better than floppy disks.

2) Look on the internet. Japan still runs their train systems off floppy drives and they are constantly for sale on Ebay, Amazon etc. Really are not that hard to come by, but at the end of the day it is still a floppy disk. 

Option 1 is the optimal choice.


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