In my experience as an all-around “IT guy,” I learned that people are slow to upgrade. I mean really slow. For some, the Compaq Presario they bought in 1995 is still just fine and dandy. I mean it boots, what more could you ask for? Those support calls always gave me shivers, but if it gets you from A to B, more power to ya.

However some things are just meant to die, and in such cases I offer the friendly albeit forceful push. One of those things that I wish I never have to see again is the floppy disk. Effective in its day, the sun has long set on these things as a good platform for storing and transporting data.

If you still use these relics save files or backup data, here’s a few good reasons to upgrade to a USB flash drive…

Limited storage space
You probably already know this one. A floppy can only hold a maximum of 1.44MB, which is roughly equivalent to a modestly sized Word document. In contrast, you can purchase a USB flash drive that can hold 16 GB for about $30. That’s over 11,000 times the space on a floppy.

Bulky
While 3½ inches was a small form factor when they debuted it in 1982, this is massive by today’s standards. Today’s smallest USB flash drives are measured in millimeters, obliterating this thing in terms of portability.

Error-prone
A flexible magnetic disk inside the plastic shell is what actually holds the data. It’s also where “floppy disk” gets its name. Any decently strong magnet has the potential of wiping data off the disk. Same goes for any scratches or bends in disk itself due to rough use. USB flash drives store data electronically, and some can survive being burned, frozen, and submerged in boiling water.

Scarcity
You’re the only person still using these things. Sorry, the truth hurts. Finding replacement drives is still fairly easy, but it will only get tougher down the road.