The floppy disk icon is older than the internet as we know it

TDT | Manama

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In the 1980s and 1990s, floppy disks were one of the most common ways to save and transfer computer files. The familiar "save" icon still used in many apps today is based on the 3.5-inch floppy disk, even though most people no longer use — or have even seen — one.

A 3.5-inch floppy disk could typically store just 1.44 MB of data. That was enough for documents, small programs and images at the time, but tiny compared with today's smartphones and cloud storage.

The funny part? The floppy disk icon survived even after the floppy disk disappeared. It became a universal symbol for "Save," turning a piece of 1980s hardware into one of the most recognisable icons in modern software.

Some technology disappears, but its symbols live on.