The once ubiquitous floppy disk, which started its decline after Apple decided not to bother with a floppy disk drive on its new “Bondi Blue” iMac in 1998, now lives on mainly in skeuomorphic-form as the “Save” icon.
But the floppy disk doesn’t want to die, and Floppy Disk Fever, the first publication by Floppy Totaal explores the curious afterlives of the floppy disk in the twenty-first century, by interviewing those involved with the medium today.
The book reflects on notions of obsolescence, media preservation and nostalgia, and challenges these by showing the endurance and versatility of this familiar piece of technology. From floppy filmmakers to floppy painters and beyond; what drives people to continue working with the medium that is typically deemed obsolete? What challenges and affordances does it provide? And what does the future hold in store for the familiar black square? By looking at the current presence of past technology we can assess our present-day situation and speculate on the future developments of our media minded landscape. After all, the technology of the past is also part of our future!
The book is available in September 2022, and can be pre-ordered here.
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