Question I have two super disks 120MB and at one time I had a reader for them, I need to buy on as they will not read on my floppy reader.

Joy Parker

Junior Member
Jan 24, 2021
4
0
6
I cannot read these floppy disks in a regular 1.44 disk reader, I need one for super disks. Where can I buy them.
 

TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
3,967
720
126
Is it just me, thinking that this is an entitled 'karen' attitude towards 30-year-old hardware that likely hasn't been made for 15-20 years. My opinion? Snag whatever one that you see.

What was your expected price range?
It's not like he is a collector who doesn't want to pay the going price, he just wants to use it once to read out two disks, it's understandable that the prices look ridiculous to him for 30 year old tech that nobody uses anymore.
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
Not to mention if they even spend the money to buy a Super Disk reader because whatever files they want to access is worth it, those things had IDE connections, and they will need something older to even be able to connect it. I saw from the wiki page they apparently released an external USB model, so this poster would most likely need that version to connect to any modern PC.

I remember buying one of those things back when they were released, but I never could get it to work with my Soyo motherboard, so I traded it to a coworker for a Sound Blaster Gold Awe64 sound card. :p
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
It's not like he is a collector who doesn't want to pay the going price, he just wants to use it once to read out two disks, it's understandable that the prices look ridiculous to him for 30 year old tech that nobody uses anymore.
Well then, they don't understand the PC / tech market at all, then. Prices go UP, when parts aren't being made anymore. Laws of supply and demand, you know.

PS. No-one mentioned "collectors".

PPS. I could wish to buy a '65 Mustang too, for $1, because "obsolete". Doesn't mean that I'm going to get one for that price.
 

UsandThem

Elite Member
May 4, 2000
16,068
7,380
146
Well then, they don't understand the PC / tech market at all, then. Prices go UP, when parts aren't being made anymore. Laws of supply and demand, you know.

PS. No-one mentioned "collectors".

PPS. I could wish to buy a '65 Mustang too, for $1, because "obsolete". Doesn't mean that I'm going to get one for that price.
Collectors are a way different breed than someone who just wants to use something once for a specific task.

A car has multiple uses. A data storage brand that has been dead for 20 years is different. If I was in the same situation as the OP, I'd hate shelling out that kind of money for useless tech as well, but it all comes down to if the data on the disks is worth $100+ to them.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
Just saying, they shouldn't expect to find working drives "for free", that are 20-year-old tech. They would, IMHO, be lucky to find working, clean, drives at all.
 

Joy Parker

Junior Member
Jan 24, 2021
4
0
6
Well then, they don't understand the PC / tech market at all, then. Prices go UP, when parts aren't being made anymore. Laws of supply and demand, you know.

PS. No-one mentioned "collectors".

PPS. I could wish to buy a '65 Mustang too, for $1, because "obsolete". Doesn't mean that I'm going to get one for that price.
Okay, I have read your responses. First I am a woman not a man, I am techy smart and had a super disk reader some time ago as I put photos of my family on super disks and I am in the process of storing my pictures on a 4 TB external hard drive. I am not a collector. I'm a mom with 5 grown kids and I am trying to organize photos and videos for my kids. I have gone to Ebay and looked at what they have and i will look further. I can tell you that photos of my kids is more important than the price of a reader, some of you may not understand that. Thank you for some
your responses.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
Should have moved them to DVD (multiple copies) as well as portable HDD (prices on those have been stable for YEARS, funny that), 10-15 years ago.

Then moved (copied) them to Blu-Ray five years ago, and get a NAS with RAID-1 or RAID-5.

Data loss from format obsolescence is REAL folks. The peeps at the Library of Congress have to deal with that constantly.

Edit: That said, perhaps some data-recovery or media format-translation outfits would be able to help you out, so you wouldn't have to buy a potentially-dirty or dodgy drive and risk your photos.

I have a family friend that I do tech-support work for, and she brought me a HDD that was like a "time-capsule" of all of her pictures for the last 10 years. She wanted me to use it to back up some system. I was like, "WTF? Why don't you have these pictures backed up???". So I charged her for another portable HDD, and made a duplicate copy, along with backing up the system in question. Her first question, after getting the HDDs back, and me TRYING to explain the point and purpose behind backups, was, "Can I use this other HDD for other things now?". :(
 
Last edited:

TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
3,967
720
126
I have gone to Ebay and looked at what they have and i will look further.
If you are at all into social networking ask there as well, these kind of drives where pretty popular with designers, photographers, musicians and such.
Hey maybe you even have some retro collector in your region without even knowing who might help you out.
 

Joy Parker

Junior Member
Jan 24, 2021
4
0
6
Should have moved them to DVD (multiple copies) as well as portable HDD (prices on those have been stable for YEARS, funny that), 10-15 years ago.

Then moved (copied) them to Blu-Ray five years ago, and get a NAS with RAID-1 or RAID-5.

Data loss from format obsolescence is REAL folks. The peeps at the Library of Congress have to deal with that constantly.

Edit: That said, perhaps some data-recovery or media format-translation outfits would be able to help you out, so you wouldn't have to buy a potentially-dirty or dodgy drive and risk your photos.

I have a family friend that I do tech-support work for, and she brought me a HDD that was like a "time-capsule" of all of her pictures for the last 10 years. She wanted me to use it to back up some system. I was like, "WTF? Why don't you have these pictures backed up???". So I charged her for another portable HDD, and made a duplicate copy, along with backing up the system in question. Her first question, after getting the HDDs back, and me TRYING to explain the point and purpose behind backups, was, "Can I use this other HDD for other things now?". :(
Thanks for your advice. I am a very busy person with kids and grandkids and moving 10 times, so what I should have done 10 or 15 years ago I didn't have time to do. I now have time to spend doing this.
My son who is a my computer guru bought me a toaster, that's not what it's called but it looks like one as you can put external hard drives in it and it and I got a 4 TB drive to hold all my photos and that is where I am storing all my photos on by year and categories. I am also digitizing all my VHS tapes and tapes from camcorders of kids, families, different events on another 2 TB drive. That way my kids will have all that I have. I am sure there are better ways, but I am keeping all this stuff off my computer. As far as the super drive reader goes, I am going to continue to look in my basement to see if I can find my reader before buying another one.
 

VirtualLarry

No Lifer
Aug 25, 2001
56,226
9,990
126
and moving 10 times
Well, that does make things quite a bit more difficult. My condolences on having to move so many times.
My son who is a my computer guru bought me a toaster, that's not what it's called but it looks like one as you can put external hard drives in it and it and I got a 4 TB drive to hold all my photos
Sounds like a USB3.0 external HDD dock? Plug in a SATA HDD? Those are incredibly useful, I think that you will find it a help.

But don't forget to keep MULTIPLE copies of important things. Yes, this does cost more $$$ for more storage. But still WAY better than having to "Pay and Pray" for data-recovery after a loss.
 

TheELF

Diamond Member
Dec 22, 2012
3,967
720
126
Each and every gmail you make has 15Gb of storage build in that you can access with google drive. Upload at least the most important stuff to that.