In the world of computers, the issue of storage space has traditionally taken a back seat to processor speed, RAM, and display size. However, now that images, sounds, video, and other multimedia content have become just as important as text, space is becoming much more significant. For example, the electronic medical record is increasingly becoming a multimedia vehicle and may include radiographic images, ECG tracings, and other image-based findings. The floppy disk, with a little over 1 MB of storage capacity, is becoming of less and less value, even in the average private practice. Disks are inexpensive, but dozens or hundreds of them would be needed to store everything in the records.
Time is money, and it simply takes too long to sort through a stack of disks.
Although this absolute in disks has yet to be developed, there are a number of inexpensive high-capacity alternatives to floppy disks. The most popular alternative storage system by far is the Iomega Zip system. It makes backing up images and storing huge text databases child's play. The system is so popular that many manufacturers offer an internal Zip drive as a standard option for both desktop and laptop computers. However, unless you get into the habit of deleting old files, you'll eventually end up with a crate full of Zip disks, too.