FDD definition

A FDD (Floppy Disk Drive, or Floppy Drive) is an outdated electronic and mechanical device that stores data magnetically on an encased flexible spinning disk. It is a medium of non-volatile and cheap data storage.

Compared to hard disks, floppy disks were popularised by the fact one could easily and cheaply obtain and rewrite swappable disks, porting files and programs between computers without a network connection. They however offered less storage capacity and speed, while also being prone to damage and corruption (e.g. by magnets) if they were not handled or stored well. Floppy disks were also more prone to wear. Eventually, they were replaced by other mediums such as USB flash/pen drives, which rapidly offered more performance, capacity, reliability, robustness and are often smaller. SD (Secure Digital) cards are smaller again and often can now be placed in many devices, especially smartphones and digital cameras.