Unit 2 - LO1 Understand where Information is Held Globally and How it is Transmitted

Question 1

Types of information storage media

Answer 1

. Paper
. Optical media
. Magnetic media
. Solid state media

Question 2

Paper

Answer 2

+ Very little energy is consume when reading from paper
+ Easy to use by people with limited computer experience
- Deteriorates over time/ vulnerable to damage
- Limited mobility, its easier and quicker to send data from another storage device

Question 3

Optical media

Answer 3

+ Longer shelf life
+ Cheaper to produce and therefore useful for backups
- Have to have an optical media reader
- Easier to damage, scratch, snap

Question 4

Magnetic media

Answer 4

+ Processes data quickly/ fast access speeds
+ Easy to update/ delete files
- Rotating disk means the drive can easily be damaged
- Not portable (fixed hard drive)

Question 5

Solid state media

Answer 5

+ They do not require air coolers as they do not have any moving parts
+ They are more robust as circuitry is used, not moving parts
- There are only so many times data can be erased and rewritten as cells decay
- Cost per GB is higher than a hard disk drive

Question 6

Characteristics of storage devices

Answer 6

. Mutability
. Robustness
. Access to data
. Cost
. Storage capacity