![Sony to end sales of 3.5" floppy disks in Japan, marking a major end to the technology worldwide.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/hash/48/de/48de107cf07aec95daea2a07bae5e6fb.jpg "Sony to end sales of 3.5" floppy disks in Japan, marking a major end to the technology worldwide.")
Sony announced on April 23rd that they will be discontinuing sales of the classic 3.5 inch floppy disk in Japan in 2011. The news marks a major end to a nearly three decade history of the disk type that the company helped to pioneer.
According to Sony, they introduced the 3.5 inch floppy disk size to the world in 1981, and began sales within Japan in 1983. Sony had shipped approximately 47 million disks within the country at its peak around the year 2000, but that number had fallen to around 8.5 million by 2009, Sankei News reported.
In 2008 Sony accounted for around 40% of the world’s market share in 3.5 inch floppy disks, Nikkei wrote; within Japan, Sony has held about 70% of the market share in recent years, the Asahi added.
Sony will stop sales within Japan in March of 2011, and with the exception of a few niche markets such as in India, the company’s worldwide sales finished in March of this year, the Mainichi stated. Sony ceased its outsourced production of the 3.5 inch floppy in 2009. It is also noted that most other major manufacturers of the disk type have already withdrawn from the market entirely.
Lack of demand was stated as the major reason for the decision, with many pointing to the rapid expansion of other media saving methods, such as CDs, DVDs, and USB drives, as well as a significant decrease in floppy disk-supporting hardware.
Beyond the floppy, the 3.5 inch size is still used for Sony’s magneto optical disks.
Read more news from Japan by the Japan Headlines Examiner
Comments
I was still using these for ghosting till i got a UBCD a few months ago.
A lot of lighting control boards use them. Up till a few years ago they all did. The older ones that still work need them to back up the design for the show. Most of the boards that use them still work.
I still need them desperately to run my Sony Mavica Camera. I have never found a camera that has beat it, so I keep buy the same camera on E-bay. I guess I will have to stock up or upgrade to a new Nikon.
j dont now simpley j laked the floppy disk for no reason. nostalgy j think
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