1.3 Storage V2

1.3 Storage V2

1. Secondary Storage: A non-volatile storage medium which stores files and programs.

   • e.g. hard drive and solid state drives

2. Magnetic Devices: Magnetic disks are read and written to with a moving head inside the disk drive. They often contain moving parts and are often susceptible to damage. Magnetic devices can be either internal or portable.

3. Optical Devices: Optical media includes CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disks. Lasers are used to read and write data to a disk. Data is stored on tracks around the disk as a series of pits which represent binary code.

4. Solid State Devices: SSD has no moving parts. It retains an electronic charge using logic gates.

   • e.g. SD cards and USB memory sticks

5. Cloud Storage: Cloud storage refers to saving data in an off-site location maintained by another party. This relies in internet connectivity.

   • e.g. DropBox, Google and Microsoft.

6. Capacity: The amount of space that is able to be stored in files.

7. Speed: how quickly a computer can read and write data from a storage device.

8. Portability: How easy a device is to be transported. Some devices may be permanent hardware, others may be easier to transport.

9. Durability: Will the device withstand a certain amount of damage without corrupting files?

10. Reliability: The length of time that a device is expected to last for, how long it will retain functionality?

11. Cost: The cost of a device is compared in terms of cost per GB.