Disk vs Disc (was: WD External Disc Drive)

[Bob Johnson]

On 10/26/09, Polytropon <freebsd at edvax.de> wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:07:45 +0000, Arthur Chance <freebsd at qeng-ho.org>
> wrote:
>> The distinction you make is one
>> I've not come across before, and I've worked with computers for nearly
>> 40 years.
>

Same here. I've always been told they were completely interchangeable.

I do recall that when floppy drives appeared for personal computers in
the late '70s and early '80s, there was some argument about the
correct spelling. The claim was that "disc" was correct, and that some
ignorant hobbyist at a new computer company had misspelled it as
"disk" and it stuck. But IBM used the "disk" spelling long before
that, so I don't think that was really what happened.

Looking in the OED, I find that "disk" was the original spelling, and
in the late 1800s "disc" became popular, then around 1950 "disk"
started regaining popularity, largely in the computer industry.


- Bob

-- 
-- Bob Johnson
   fbsdlists at gmail.com