1.2 Storage Media Flashcards
Magnetic storage
What is Magnetic hard disk drive?
Most common form of secondary storage within a PC
Uses a “Read and write head” and uses the magnetic field of the disk platter to read or edit data
Hard disks are external, and can be connected through a USB port
Magnetic storage
Floppy disk
Are obsolete
Replaced by solid state devices such as a USB stick
USB sticks:
Faster
Much higher capacity
Magnetic storage
Magnetic tapes
High storage capacity
Generally used by companies as it uses (serial access)
Companies use magnetic tapes to back up or archive large amounts of data
What are the main characteristics of magnetic storage?
Large capacity and cheaper per GB than solid state
Not durable, and not portable, moving it when powered on can cause it to receive damage
Quick access speed but slower than a solid state
Optical storage
Uses a laser to project beams of light onto a spinning disc, allowing it to read data from:
A CD
DVD
Blu-ray
Optical storage are the slowest out of the four secondary storages
Optical storage characteristics
Low capacity
Not Durable, very fragile can break easily or scratch easily
Slowest access speed out of the four types of secondary storage
Discs are thin and are very portable
Solid state storage
Solid state drives are replacing magnetic hard disk drives as they are:
Quieter
Faster
Use less power
Can also be external
SSD’s now reside within consoles, PC’s due to ^
Solid state storage
USB
USB flash drives can transport any file with ease due to its small size
Are solid state storages still or moving?
They are still as their aren’t any:
“Moving parts in a solid state storage”
Main characteristics off a solid state storage
High capacity, but more expensive per GB than magnetic
Durable, excluding cheap USB sticks as they can easily snap
Small size of a USB stick and memory cards make it portable
Solid state storage have the fastest access speed as their are “no moving parts”
Paper storage
Printed or hand written documents, notes, forms, schedules and maps
Paper is inexpensive, however they take up a lot of speakers compared to a small device such as a USB stick
Paper can be used to create a timetable and modify it
Paper in a form of an essay must be re-printed to add changes
What are the characteristics of paper storage?
Poor durability, can easily be teared apart or damaged
Low capacity:
Can only hold a certain amount of information
Takes up physical space
Portability
Can be taken anywhere
Easily be folded and placed into a pocket
Papers access speed
If the paper hasn’t been organised into certain sections of information it may prove to be difficult when searching for a specific item on paper
