Storage Devices

Question 1

What are Storage devices?

Answer 1

They are a type of peripheral device used for storing, backing up and sharing data, usually for individual use where a network is not available

Question 2

Types of Storage devices

Answer 2

• Hard disk drives
• SD cards
• Optical disks
• Magnetic tape
• USB memory sticks
• Solid state drives

Question 3

Hard disk drives

Answer 3

A magnetic storage device which are commonly used as the primary internal device but can be external

Question 4

Solid-State drives

Answer 4

These are flash memory devices commonly used as the primary storage in portable computing devices like tablets and laptops

Question 5

SD cards

Answer 5

Small flash memory cards that are commonly used for storage in digital cameras and some smartphones

Question 6

USB Memory stick

Answer 6

Small flash memory devices that connect through a USB port

Question 7

Optical Disks

Answer 7

Such as CDs, DVDs, and Blue-ray disks are used for software, music, and movies

Question 8

Magnetic Wipe

Answer 8

Used for large data backups

Question 9

Ad of Hard disk drive

Answer 9

• Offer a big storage capacity at a relatively low cost (1 terabyte)
• Reliable storage method, as they have a long life span and tend not to fail completely

Question 10

Dis of Hard disk drive

Answer 10

• A relatively slow read/write speed, compared to Solid State Drive.
• Not portable storage device, have a number of moving parts, which means knocks can easily damage the device.
• Heavy and bulkier

Question 11

Ad of Solid State drives

Answer 11

• Very fast read/write speeds, compared to HDDs -faster to turn on your computer, load programs, and save files.
• Consume less power than HDDs- very useful for devices that often run off of battery power, such as laptops.
• They have no moving parts, they are less likely to be damaged by knocks and bumps, which makes them useful as portable storage devices.

Question 12

Dis of Solid State drive

Answer 12

• More expensive than HDDs.
• Because of this heightened cost, this means that generally, SSDs will have a lower storage capacity than HDDs.
• Have a finite number of writes before they no longer work - less useful for devices that require regular writing to the disk (like many servers).

Question 13

Ad of USB memory sticks

Answer 13

• Very portable storage devices- small size, light-weight & easy connectivity to other devices
• No moving parts- durable and reliable as they’re unlikely to be damaged by knocks and bumps.
• The USB connector built into the device makes them highly compatible with devices,

Question 14

Dis of USB memory sticks

Answer 14

• Due to the device’s small physical size, USB can be very easy to lose.
• Compared to HDDs and SSDs, USB has a low storage capacity. (Up to 128GB)- to get larger it then becomes expensive

Question 15

Ad of SD Cards

Answer 15

• Extremely small and portable, even compared to USB flash drives- easy to transfer data between devices (as long as they have an SD card reader).
• Reliable storage device that is less likely to take damage from bumps.

Question 16

Dis of SD Cards

Answer 16

• Very small storage capacity, generally around 64GB- greater capacity is costly
• Various “enhancements” resulting in potential problems with compatibility with SD card readers E.g SDHC and SDXC

Question 17

Ad of Optical Disks

Answer 17

• Small and highly portable- why they’re used for distributing things like software and films.
• A lot of devices have built-in capability to read optical discs

Question 18

Dis of Optical Disks

Answer 18

• A small storage capacity (A Blu-Ray can store up to 50GB of data)
• Easy to damage- flimsy and also are easy to scratch which can damage the data it is storing.
• Only work for a finite number of writes. CDRW disks, for example, can be written to around 1000 times.

Question 19

Ad of Magnetic Wipe

Answer 19

• Very large storage capacity

- Very cheap on per-byte basis

Question 20

Dis of Magnetic Wipe

Answer 20

• Data is accessed serially which is very slow

- Requires specialist equipment for recording and reading data