Imagesource: https://www.3m.com/

There are names that are simply synonyms and direct pointers to your own memory and the past.

Question: What comes to mind when I mention 3M❓

Obviously. Floppy disks 💾 (Unless you belong to the generation, that … ah, let's scrap that.)

For me, the unforgettable scent when opening a pack of 5.25'' or 3.5'' floppy disks remains etched in my memory. Ah... the good old days. There were probably even people who could identify the brand just by the smell of the product. 👃

In the 80s and 90s, 3M was certainly not the only manufacturer of those small, magnetic disks storing digital joy, but it was one of the biggest. It was hard to walk through the Market-for-Tech-Gadgets-and-Electronics-of-Your-Choice™ without encountering their large, red logo.

The history of 3M is quite wild, and the company actually came from a completely different field. The floppy disk market has been dead since the mid-90s, and these disks are no longer produced. (Such a pity.) 3M as a corporation still exists, but has shifted its focus to a completely different core business. Nonetheless, the story of the Scotch Tape inventor is certainly interesting.

Ernie Smith, also known as @ShortFormErnie writing for Tedium, has gathered all the facts and details. And for those who want to spend a few quiet minutes, the history of the floppy disk at 3M is definitely worth the read.