Storage

Storage

1. Optical Storage

   • Optical Storage uses pits and lands to store data (Pit = 0 - Land = 1)
   • They use lasers to read and write or burn data onto it.
   • A CD is a common example of optical storage.
     • CD ROM - Read Only
     • CD-R - Recordable
     • CD-RW - Rewritable
   • Properties of Opitcal Storage: Low Capcity - Low Cost - External - Very Portable - Reliable (Degrades overtime) - Slow Read/Write Speeds

2. Magnetic Storage

   • They use mechanical parts to read and write and are affected by magnetic fields.
   • Properties of Magnetic Storage: High Capacity - Low Cost - Internal or External - Not very Portable - Not very Reliable - Slow Read/Write Speeds
   • A HDD (Hard Drive) is a common example of a magnetic Storage
   • Magnetic storage uses magnetic fields to store data. (North to South = 1 - South to North = 0)

3. Solid State Storage

   • They have no moving parts and are not affected by magnetic fields.
   • They are often Called Flash Memory
     • An SSD (Solid State Drive) is a common example of a solid state storage.
   • Properties of Solid State Storage: Low Capacity - High Cost - Internal or External - Portable - Very Reliable - Fast Read/Write Speeds

4. Cloud Storage

   • Allows you to store files and data off site. This is great for backups
   • Hosted by a provider like Microsoft or Google. They provide you with a certain amount of storage at a certain price.
   • The stored files can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection
   • However, there is a security risk, it also requires an internet connection and some providers state in the terms and conditions that they own the files in the cloud storage.