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STORAGE

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STORAGE DEVICE
A storage device is any computing
hardware that is used for storing,
porting and extracting data files
and objects. It can hold and store
information both temporarily and
permanently, and can be internal
or external to a computer, server or
any similar computing device.

 Storage devices are one of the core

components of any computing
device. They store virtually all the
data and applications on a
computer, except hardware
firmware. They are available in
different form factors depending on
the type of underlying device. For
example, a standard computer has

 PRIMARY STORAGE DEVICES:

Generally smaller in size, are designed
to hold data temporarily and are
internal to the computer. They have
the fastest data access speed, and
include RAM and cache memory.
SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICES:
These usually have large storage
capacity, and they store data
permanently. They can be both internal

RAM

RAM (random access memory) is the place in

a computing device where the operating
system (OS), application programs and data in
current use are kept so they can be quickly
reached by the device'sprocessor. RAM is
much faster to read from and write to than
other kinds of storage in a computer, such as
a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD
) or optical drive. Data remains in RAM as long
as the computer is running. When the

ROM

Read-only memory(ROM) is a type

ofnon-volatile memoryused in
computersand other electronic
devices. Data stored in ROM can only
be modified slowly, with difficulty, or
not at all, so it is mainly used to store
firmware(softwarethat is closely tied
to specifichardwareand unlikely to
need frequent updates) or application

 Strictly,read-only memoryrefers to
memory that is hard-wired, such
asdiode matrixand the later
mask ROM(MROM) which cannot
be changed after manufacture.
Although discrete circuits can be
altered in principle,
integrated circuits(ICs) cannot, and
are useless if the data is bad or

MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES

Today,magnetic storageis one of the most
common types of storage used with
computers and is the technology that many
computer hard drives use.
Floppy diskette
Hard drive
Magnetic strip
SuperDisk
Tape cassette

Floppy disk

AFloppy Disk Drive, also

calledFDDorFDfor short, is a computer
disk drive that enables a user to save data
to removable diskettes. Although 8" disk
drives were first made available in1971,
the first real disk drives used were the 5
1/4" floppy disk drives, which were later
replaced with the 3 1/2" floppy disk drives.
Today, due to their extremely limited

Hard drive

Ahard disk drive(sometimes abbreviated asHard

drive,HD, orHDD) is anon-volatile memoryhardware
device that permanently stores and retrieves
information. There are many variations, but their sizes
are generally 3.5" and 2.5" for desktop and laptop
computers respectively. A hard drive consists of one or
moreplattersto which data is written using a magnetic
head, all inside of an air-sealed casing.Internalhard
disks reside in adrive bay,connect to themotherboard
using anATA,SCSI, orSATAcable, and are powered by a
connection to thePSU(power supply unit).
A hard drive can be used to store just about any type of

Hard drive

Magnetic
card

Amagnetic cardis a rectangular

object that contains either
amagnetic stripon the outside or
a magnetic object within the card
that contains data. A magnetic card
may contain information about an
individual such as available credit
on a credit card or pass codes for

ZIP DRIVE & ZIP

DISK

AZip driveandZip diskis a hardware

data storage device developed byIomega
that functions like a standard 1.44" floppy
drive and diskette. What makes the Iomega
Zip drive unique is its capability to hold up
to 100 MB of data or 250 MB of data on the
later models. Iomega Zip drives became
very popular in late1990sbut quickly
became less popular as users needed
larger storage capabilities. The drive was

Zip disk

OPTICAL STORAGE
DEVICES
Another common storage is
optical storage, which uses
lasers and lights as its method
of reading and writing data.

CD-ROM

CD-ROM
Short forCompact Disc-Read Only Memory, aCDROM(shown right) is anoptical discwhich contains audio or
software data whose memory isread only. ACD-ROM
Driveoroptical driveis the device used to read them. CDROM drives have speeds ranging from 1x all the way up to
72x, meaning it reads the CD roughly 72 times faster than
the 1x version. As you would imagine, these drives are
capable playing audio CDs and reading data CDs. Below is a
picture of the front and back of a standard CD-ROM drive.

CD-R

Alternatively referred to as acd

writer,CD-WO(Write
once),WORM(Write Once Read
Many) drive.CD-Ris short forCDRecordableand is a writable disc
and drive that is capable of having
information written to the disc once
and then having that disc read

DVD-R
Short for Digital Versatile Disc-Recordable, DVD-R is a
drive capable of recording once to a disc and reading
many times after it has been created. DVD-R is an
approved standard byDVD Forumand the drives are
capable of recording toDVD-R discs, also known asDVD-5
andDVD-10discs.

DVD-RW (DVD-R/W)
Short for Digital Versatile Disc-Read/Write, DVD-RW is an
approved standard byDVD Forum. Similar to CD-RW, it's
a technology that enables a user to read and write to a
DVD-RW or DVD-R disc multiple times. DVD-RW drives are
capable of recording toDVD-R and DVD-RW discsand are
also known asDVD-5andDVD-10discs.

DVD+RW
Short for Digital Versatile Disc-Read/Write,
DVD+R is aDVD+RW Alliancestandard much
like CD-RW and DVD-R. With DVD+RW you
can read anare capable of recording
DVD+R and DVD+RW discs, also known as
DVD-5andDVD-10discsd write to a
DVD+RW or DVD+R disc several times.
DVD+RW drives.

BD

Short forBlu-ray Disc,BDorBDROM, is anoptical discformat

developed by thirteen consumer
electronics and PC companies. These
companies includeDell,Hitachi,
Hewlett Packard,LG,Mitsubishi,
Panasonic,Sony, andTDK. Blu-ray was
first introduced at theCESon January
4,2006and can store up to 25 GB

FLASH MEMORY
Flash memoryhas started
to replace magnetic media
as it becomes cheaper as
it is the more efficient and
reliable solution

FLASH DRIVE
Alternatively referred to as aUSB flash drive,data stick,pen
drive,memory unit,key chain driveandthumb drive,
ajump driveis aportablestorage device. It is often the size of
a human thumb (hence the name), and it connects to a
computer via aUSBport. Flash drives are an easy way to
transferandstoreinformation, and they are available in sizes
ranging from 16GBto 1TB.
Unlike a standardhard drive, the flash drive has no movable
parts, containing only an integrated circuit memory chip that is
used to store data. Flash drives usually have plastic or
aluminum casings surrounding the memory chip and a USB
connector for use with most modern computers.

Memory card
Alternatively referred to as aflash memory card,
aMemory cardis a type of storage media that is often
used to store photos, videos, or other data in electronic
devices. Devices that commonly use a memory card include
digital cameras, digital camcorders, handheld computers,
MP3players,PDAs,cell phones,game consoles, andprinters.
The picture to the right is of a MicroSD flash memory card,
which is just one of the types of memory cards available.
There are a handful of different types of memory cards on
the market, each varying in size, compatibility, and storage
capacity. Links to more information on the most commonly
used types of memory cards are listed below.

SSD

Short forSolid-State DriveorSolidState Disk,SSDis a drive that uses

non-volatile memoryas a means of
storing and accessing data, much like
computerRAM. Unlike ahard drive, an
SSD has no moving parts, which gives
it advantages such as accessing stored
information faster, no noise, often
more reliable, and consuming less

MEMORY STICK
The proprietarySonyMemory
Stickwas first introduced by Sony in
October1998and is a flash memory
card used with Sonydigital cameras
and other Sony products. Sony
released several models of the Memory
Stick including the Memory Stick PRO,
Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO
Duo, Memory Stick Micro (M2), and