Outdated save icons mean nothing

by Nic Haralambous on 17/03/2008

Have you Windows users noted what the “save” icon is in almost every programme available? It’s a floppy disk.

A FLOPPY DISK?!?!?

I baby sat my four year old cousin, Alex, on Saturday morning. I was sitting watching TV and he was mucking about in the TV cabinet when he brought me something to look at. It was a strange, old, ancient relic that he could not figure out. He didn’t understand what this thing could possibly do. He turned upside down, rightside up, backward, forward, inwards until he finally asked me,

“Nic, what it is?” So I answered him with a simple, “It’s a tape, VHS. It has movies on it,” subtle yet calm response. “But DVD Nic, that has movie, what’s this?” came his response.

Basically my motivation for writing this is simple. How can Windows still be making use of the floppy disk as the icon for saving and stability when my little four year old cousin has never even seen, let alone used, a VHS tape before? It’s time to move on.

People under the age of 16 or even 18 simply know that that rectangular-ish thingy in the top left next to that file-looking-folder thing is meant to represent save. So they click it and it’s saved.

When was last time you recall using a floppy, stiffy or VHS tape for anything?

nharalambous@gmail.com

There are 7 comments in this article:

  1. 17/03/2008Callith says:

    Oy. And there I thought I was the only one who noticed it.

    It irritates me as well.

  2. 17/03/2008Justin Hartman says:

    Um well I use VHS every day. Luke likes to watch his Barney’s which most are on VHS….

    I agree though that Floppy disks are a thing of the past – it’s time to move on.

  3. 17/03/2008SaulK says:

    Who the hell uses Windows these days???
    Apple fanboys unite!

  4. 17/03/2008Nic says:

    @SaulK HAHAHAHAHAHA, touche my man, touche, I’m a mac fanboy as you know!! But some people (wherever they are) use the unfortunate Windows!

  5. 19/03/2008Mazola says:

    Flip dude..i’ve always thought about it but never to a greater extent..oh my goodness[badness]Windowns really should move on man..!Im getting myself a mag [well, with my salary, Lol..thats gona take a while..]
    Mazola

  6. 20/03/2008Nebomax says:

    Ok… so what do we replace it with? A CD? Hardrive?
    You have raised an interesting subject my young Padawan… mmm.
    Time for a REVOLUTION!!
    ;)

  7. 21/03/2008Nic says:

    Nebomax – hell, I’m always up for a revolt, who we taking on? The government, capitalism, religion, you name it!! Oh, wait, no, you meant the icon. Got ahead of myself!

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