this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2025
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Realistically the icon could br anything, even the green check emoji: ✅
But if we want to retain the thematic reference to a disk- icon-ify an m.2 2230 or similar and literally just swap em. lol
Image for reference:
The average period-accurate computer user handled doppy flisks and so knows what they look like.
The problem is that the average computer user of today probably doesn't even know what an M.2 drive is, much less what one looks like.
Sources for your claims?
A lot of consumers don't work on their computers. They either bring it to a computer repair store or buy a new one if they don't have a family member or friend who can fix it for them.
As for what exact percentage of people in the world work on their own computers, I'm not sure if that has been studied. PC gamers often build their own PC, but many may buy a pre-built instead.
Right and so where would they have messed with a floppy disk? lol
I didn't interpret their comment as suggesting that modern consumers would be familiar with a floppy disk, but instead was pointing out that regular consumers in the past often handled floppy disks, which made a good case for it being a common symbol at that time. However, since SSD's aren't used so commonly by average consumers, it may not make a good replacement as a symbol.
That would suggest that perhaps there is a more commonly recognized object that can be represented skeuomorphically. Off the top of my head, an SD card may be a good option.
Ohhh
I understand you now. Sorry, been a sluggish brain day.
Yeah, an SD card would be a good option and I think the tapered end and the notch in the shape would be fairly recognizable.
Wouldn't that look quite a lot like the "new document" icon?
For the former: I was fucking there. Computers didn't have hard drives. It was a choice of putting in a floppy disk or sitting looking at a blank screen.
For the latter: Just look at the average office. How many office drones, who need an entire IT department to tell them to plug their fucking computer in, do you think have ever seen the inside of a computer? And those are people who interact with computers all damn day.
lol ok boomer