Storage Devices Worksheet 495d60

Storage Devices – Worksheet Storage Device Hard Disk

Size

Description

Advantages

Around 10GB-1TB

Hard disc drives are non-volatile storage devices that save data by magnetizing material directionally, so that they represent either a 0 or 1 binary digit. The read the data by detecting the magnetization of the material. A floppy disc is a non-volatile data storage device composed of a thin, flexible magnetic storage medium encased in a square or rectangular plastic shell. Floppy discs are read and written by a floppy disc drive.

Hard discs can store massive amounts of data.

Hard discs are quite slow in accessing and processing data.

It was the most convenient portable data storage device before the introduction of CDs, DVDs and USB flash drives.

The zip drive is a

Zip discs have larger

The memory capacity of floppy discs is incredibly small compared to modern portable storage devices. Floppy discs are very easy to break. They are also relatively big compared to certain modern storage devices. Like the floppy

Floppy Disk

Around 80KiB – 240MiB

Zip Drive

Around

Disadvantages

Storage Devices – Worksheet 100MB – 750MB

Magnetic tape backup

Up to 800GB

CD-ROM

Around

removable disc storage system developed by Iomega. A zip disc resembles a floppy disc in shape and size. Magnetic tape storage has been used for over 50 years. Initially, the magnetic tape used for storage was wound up in massive reels. Nowadays, magnetic tapes are generally found in cassette tapes.

CD-ROMs are non-

data storage capacities than floppy discs.

disc, it is not as convenient as more modern data storage devices such as CDs, DVDs and flash drive systems. Magnetic tape has Magnetic tapes high data storage use sequential capacities, as well as access, so to get a lower cost per bit, to a certain point meaning that when or bit of data, one storing large must go through amounts of data, it all the proceeding is cheaper to buy data. Magnetic magnetic tapes. tapes are perhaps also not as easy to use as CDs and DVDs. Magnetic tapes are also can also cause slight problems when the tape gets unwound, as it can be an incredible hassle to try and put it back together. CD-ROMs have a CD-ROMs can be

Storage Devices – Worksheet 200MB – 900MB

CD-RW

Around 185MB – 700MB

volatile optical disc storage devices very similar to DVDs, being the same shape and size. Data is stored on the disc as a series of microscopic indentations, or pits. A laser is shone onto the disc to read the pattern pits, thus reading the data stored on the disc. Data stored on CDROMs can not be (easily) modified, so is normally only read. CD-RWs work in much the same way as CD-ROMs, only they are not prerecorded, so do not exactly have pits and lands like CD-ROMs. Data is store and edited by using an infra-red laser is

larger memory capacity then floppy discs, and transfer data faster.

easily damaged by scratching. The information on CDROMs can only be read, and not easily altered.

The CD-RW, on top of CD-RWs can only all the other be rewritten about advantages of the 1000 times, as the CD-ROM, can be crystallized layer easily rewritten. will eventually deteriorate (not just through overuse, but over time as well).

Storage Devices – Worksheet

DVD

Around 4GB – 17GB

Flash Memory Stick

Around 50MB 64GB

used to selectively heat and melt a crystallized recording layer, and then turn it back into its crystallized state. DVD is a nonvolatile, optical disc storage device. DVDs are the same size as CDs, but can store more than 6 times as much data. Flash memory sticks are flash memory data storage devices with a USB connector. They are usually small, lightweight, removable and rewritable.

The DVD has a large data storage capacity. The cost of the DVD is 4 to 10 times that of the CD, but it’s memory is much larger than that of the CD. Flash memory sticks are hard to be damaged by scratches and dust that caused problems with previous storage devices. Flash memory sticks can hold a relatively large amount of data, with even the cheapest holding storing dozens of floppy discs worth of

DVDs can be damaged easily through scratching.

Flash memory sticks can only be written and rewritten a number of times before failing. Mid-range drives will only a few thousand write/rewrite cycles. Due to their small size, flash memory sticks are often misplaced.

Storage Devices – Worksheet data. Flash memory sticks have very low power consumption.