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Re:Windows 96 by 10000truths on Tuesday July 27, 2021 @10:10PM (#27979669)
The Windows 10 ISO is ~3.5 GB in size, and a standard 3.5 in. floppy could hold 1.44 MB. So you'd actually need almost 2500 floppies.
Re:Windows 96 by jasomill on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @06:05AM (#27982084)
For the sake of science:

Microsoft historically used the 21 512 byte sector, 80 track, double-sided DMF format for 3 1/2" Windows installation media, yielding 1,720,320 bytes per floppy.

Assuming this format, floppy requirements for the four Windows 10 21H1 variants currently on MSDN are

  x64 Consumer (Home/Pro): 3,398 floppies
  x64 Business (Enterprise/Education): 3,323 floppies 
  x86 Consumer: 2,416 floppies
  x86 Business: 2,361 floppies
Assuming the "1.44 MB" (18 512 byte sector, 80 track, double-sided) format, you'd need

  x64 Consumer: 3,965 floppies
  x64 Business: 3,876 floppies 
  x86 Consumer: 2,819 floppies
  x86 Business: 2,755 floppies
In this case, assuming the most popular (x64) platform, you'd actually need closer to 4,000 floppies.

Assuming ideal 500 kbit/sec performance and two seconds per disk swap, reading 4,000 "1.44 MB" floppies (or DMF floppies with equivalent data) would take just under 28 1/2 hours.

So you could easily install any Windows 10 21H1 version from floppies in the course of a single work week, with enough time left over, perhaps, to check Windows Update over a 56 kbps modem (though you'd probably need the weekend, at least, to actually download the updates).

Re:Windows 96 by HPsquared on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @08:17AM (#27982894)
The random seek time would be brutal though.
Re:Windows 96 by consp on Wednesday July 28, 2021 @05:29AM (#27981880)
The Windows install floppy disks almost always came on DMF formatted disks which hold 1.68mb of data. That saves you about 350 floppies.

Fyi: that is as far as I know the reason for most oldy cab installation files being that size.