What's the difference between a "disc" and a "disk"?
Apple's support article attempted to clarify the difference between 'disc' and 'disk' by defining 'disc' as optical media and 'disk' as magnetic media. However, the Hacker News community largely dismissed this distinction as arbitrary, historically inaccurate, and primarily a reflection of regional spelling preferences. The discussion quickly pivoted to a fascinating exploration of linguistic evolution, historical brand influence, and the inherent futility of imposing rigid rules on common technical terminology.
The Lowdown
Apple's archived support article "What's the difference between a 'disc' and a 'disk'?" aimed to provide a definitive answer to a common linguistic quandary in technology. The article sought to draw a clear line between the two spellings based on the underlying technology.
- Disc Definition: Apple stated that "disc" refers exclusively to optical media such as CDs and DVDs. These are characterized by being removable and having various write capabilities (read-only, write-once, or rewritable).
- Disk Definition: Conversely, "disk" was defined as magnetic media, including floppy disks and hard drives. These are typically rewritable, often sealed within a casing, and can be partitioned.
- Article Status: Published on October 26, 2023, the article explicitly states it has been archived and is no longer updated by Apple.
While Apple presented a clear-cut distinction, this attempt at categorization sparked a lively debate on Hacker News, with many questioning the historical accuracy and practical applicability of the definitions.
The Gossip
Regional Rationale vs. Rigid Rules
Many commentators assert that the primary distinction between 'disc' and 'disk' is a matter of regional spelling preference (UK vs. US) rather than the type of media (optical vs. magnetic) as posited by Apple. They provide historical examples of 'disc' being used for magnetic media in British computing contexts and argue that Apple's attempt to create a new, technology-based rule is largely arbitrary and ignores established usage.
Apple's Arbitrary Assertions
The Apple article's definitions are heavily scrutinized for their perceived arbitrariness and factual inaccuracies. Commenters highlight inconsistencies, such as floppy 'disks' also being removable, and question the logic of applying such strict rules to evolving terminology, especially in modern contexts like SSDs where the 'disk' concept is purely metaphorical. Many feel Apple's definitions are an oversimplification or outright misrepresentation of actual usage.
Etymological Explanations & Evolution
Beyond regionalism, the discussion delves into the etymology of the words, tracing 'disc' to 'discus' and 'disk' possibly to 'diskette' or historical brand usage. Commenters explore how specific companies like Philips (for 'Compact Disc') and IBM (for 'diskette' and 'hard disk') inadvertently shaped common usage. This highlights that linguistic evolution, especially in tech, is often more organic and influenced by market leaders than by prescriptive dictionary definitions.