Storage Devices

Question 1

Factors to think about when choosing a storage device to store data.

Answer 1

Capacity - The amount of data that can be stored.
Speed - How quickly the user can access the data stored.
Portability - Whether the data can be moved from one place to another.
Durability - How long the storage device is expected to last.
Reliability - Whether the data can be accessed in the format it was stored in.

Question 2

What are the two types of storage devices?

Answer 2

Primary and secondary storage devices. Primary storage is storage such as RAM and secondary storage is storage such as a hard drive.

Question 3

Information on internal storage devices

Answer 3

Internal storage devices are devices which are in a computer device. At the most basic level, they hold the operating system and help access input and output devices.

Examples of internal storage devices:
RAM
SSD
ROM

Question 4

Information on external storage devices

Answer 4

External storage devices are storage devices which are seperate from computer.
Examples of external storage devices:
Portable hard disks
Magnetic tapes
Flash drive
DVD's or CD's

Question 5

The main advantages of external storage devices.

Answer 5

The main advantages of external storage devices are that they are portable, data is easily transferred from one location to another and safe backup of stored data.

Question 6

The main disadvantages of external storage devices.

Answer 6

The main advantages of external storage devices:
Slower data transfer compared to internal storage devices.
Take up space around the computer
Physically wear out of ports over time.

Question 7

Information on hard disks

Answer 7

Hard disks are the main storage devices for a computer device. All of your data files and application software is stored on it.

They are known as magnetic storage devices, relatively cheap, can hold a terabyte or more, very durable and reliable.