What is it

[prog]

I found this object while unpacking. I know what it is, even though I haven't had reason to use it in, oh, 16 years or so.



Do you know what it is?

(The thing on top is a plunger which presses straight down, and springs back up when released.)

Identified first by kyroraz in comments!

Comments

[kyroraz.livejournal.com]

Disk Write Protect Hole Puncher.

[keimel.livejournal.com]

nibble notch, to be more buzzwordy.

[toonhead-npl.livejournal.com]

Feh -- in MY day we used a soldering iron, and were mighty lucky to do it!

[cortezopossum.livejournal.com]

Back in the day I was told those things were 'evil' because if you bought a single-sided 5¼" floppy the flip side wasn't 'certified' and thus if you tried to use the back you risk losing your data due to questionable media.

I may have bought that line at first but enough people used the flip side and didn't have problems so I started notching mine too. I used to use an Xacto knife for mine.

[jtroutman.livejournal.com]

ah, the memories. I never had one of those actual devices, I just used a pocket knife.

you remind me that I still have a disturbing large collection of 5.25" floppy disks sitting in a box at home that I have been meaning to go through and disk image and see what is on them. Gems like DOS 2.01 and Zork for the TRS-80 Model III, to be sure.

never mind the even larger collection of 3.5" disks (in the hundreds).

I wonder if anyone has ever made a 5.25" USB floppy drive...