Storage Devices

What is difference between memory and storage?

Memory is what your computer uses to store data temporarily, while storage is where you save files permanently. When you save a file, it's copied from the memory onto the storage drive. This is why your computer seems to run slower when it's low on memory; it has to pull data from the storage drive in order to use it. Memory is a PC component that stores data while the computer runs. When your computer needs to access this data, it does so quickly and easily from its memory. Storage is where data is permanently kept on your computer. When you install a program, for example, your computer copies the program's files from the installation disc or downloads the installation file to your storage. Your computer also uses storage to save your documents, photos, music, and videos. Your storage capacity determines how many files you can save on your computer. Your computer needs both memory and storage to run properly. If you plan to run a lot of programs and need more space for temporary files, you'll need more memory.

How to improve your computer's memory and storage?

If you're running low on storage space, delete old files you no longer need or move your photos, music, and videos to an external hard drive. You can also compress large files or delete unused programs from your computer. If yu want to improve your computer's memory, then you can close some of the programs you aren't using including all those tabs open in your browser. Another option is to buy more memory for your computer, which may require professional assistance to install.

What is volatile and non-volatile memory?

Volatile Memory stores regular computer programs and data that the CPU requires, and it is wiped once the machine is turned off. Volatile memory is RAM and cache memory. Non-volatile memory, on the other hand, is permanent and continues in the machine even after it is turned off. RAM memory modules are installed into slots on the computer motherboard. Read-only memory (ROM) is nonvolatile: Data stored in ROM maintains integrity after loss of power. Volatile memory is faster than non-volatile memory. Volatile memory generally has less storage capacity. In volatile memory, the program’s data are stored which are currently in process by the CPU.

What is primary and secondary storage?

In other words we can say that there are two types of storage devices used in computers; a 'primary storage' device and a 'secondary storage' device.

A primary storage is a storage location that holds memory for short periods of times while the computer is on. Examples is RAM. A secondary storage is a storage medium that holds information until it is deleted or overwritten regardless if the computer has power or not. Example is DCD, Memory card.

What are storage devices and storage media?

Storage devices retain items such as data, instructions, and information for retrieval and future use. Storage is keeping information or data needed for long period of time using a storage media. A storage device allows users to save data and information to storage media. In other words, it is a physical device that allows communication between the storage device and the storage media. Storage media are items that hold the data. Sometimes, storage media is removable as is the case with CDs and DVDs.?

Storage devices are physical hardware components or devices that are responsible for storing, reading, and writing data. These devices can be internal or external to a computer or electronic device. E.g.: HDD, SSD. Storage media refers to the actual physical materials or media on which data is stored. E.g.: optical discs, magnetic tapes, punch cards etc. That refers to the medium used to store the data. Example: Magnetic field is used as a medium to store data on the magnetic tape. Light is used as a medium to store data on optical disk.

Let us see few storage devices based on their medium of storage:

Optical storage devices are CD, DVD, Blu-Ray disks while magnetic storage devices are floppy disk, Hard disk and solid state devices are flash memory and memory stick.

Floppy disks:?

It is a magnetic storage device. Means, the medium of storage is magnet and storage device name is floppy disk. The first floppy disks, invented and made by IBM, had a disk diameter of 8 inches. It can only store up 1.44 Mb of data. All disks must be formatted before data can be written on the disk. Formatting divides the disk up into sections or sectors onto which data files are stored. Floppy disks became commonplace during the 1980s and 1990s in their use with personal computers to distribute software, transfer data, and create backups. Before hard disks became affordable to the general population, floppy disks were often used to store a computer's operating system (OS). Most home computers from that time have an elementary OS and BASIC stored in read-only memory (ROM), with the option of loading a more advanced OS from a floppy disk. In the mid-1990s, mechanically incompatible higher-density floppy disks were introduced, like the Iomega Zip disk. Adoption was limited by the competition between proprietary formats and the need to buy expensive drives for computers where the disks would be used. Advantages of floppy disks are they are small & light, easy to carry, cheap and useful for transferring small files. Disadvantages are they are easy to be damage, small storage capacity and not compatible with many new computers because they don’t have floppy disk drives. The music and theatre industries still use equipment requiring standard floppy disks (e.g. synthesizers, samplers, drum machines, sequencers, and lighting consoles).

Magnetic Tapes:?

Magnetic tape is polyethylene tape coated with a magnetic particulate or film medium. Signals are recorded on tape in linear, helical, or transverse tracks. The tape is stored on reels or cassettes. Magnetic disks are flexible (diskettes) or rigid. One example of magnetic tape is the audio cassettes or vdo cassettes we used in 90s. Videotape, audiotape, and computer data tape are examples of magnetic tape. Magnetic audio tape is used to capture speech and music, and magnetic videotape provides a low-cost medium for recording analog voice and video signals directly and simultaneously. Magnetic technology has other uses in the direct recording of analog information, including alphanumerics. Advantages of magnetic tape storage. Magnetic tape storage is considered one of the most reliable, inexpensive and high capacity forms of storage on the market. The plastic components it's built with, and the way that the data is recorded, help to make it durable and secure for a long period of time. Tape storage has come a long way since 1928, and it's no wonder that it's still in use. Magnetic tape is portable, the air gap makes it resistant to cyber attacks if stored properly, and it boasts a low total cost of ownership. Magnetic tape is the low-cost average for storage because it can save a huge number of binary digits, bytes, or frames on each inch of the tape. One of the biggest disadvantages is that it's slow. Because data is written to tapes sequentially, it can take a long time to back up large amounts of data. And if you need to restore your data from a tape backup, it can also take a long time to retrieve the information you need.

HDDs (Hard Disk Drives):

A hard drive uses magnetic disks or platters to store data. The disks spin rapidly while an arm with read or write heads moves across them, reading and writing data as needed. This process is accomplished by utilizing magnetism to write and read data on the disk's surface. A hard drive is the hardware component that stores all of your digital content. Your documents, pictures, music, videos, programs, application preferences, and operating system represent digital content stored on a hard drive. The hard drive contains a spinning platter with a thin magnetic coating. A "head" moves over the platter, writing 0's and 1's as tiny areas of magnetic North or South on the platter. To read the data back, the head goes to the same spot, notices the North and South spots flying by, and so deduces the stored 0's and 1's. HDDs are usually installed inside desktop computers, mobile devices, consumer electronics and enterprise storage arrays in data centers. They can store operating systems, software programs and other files using magnetic disks. A typical 7200 RPM HDD will deliver a read/write speed of 80-160MB/s. RPM is often used to describe the rotational speed of hard disk drives (HDDs). It indicates how fast the disks inside the drive can spin, affecting the drive's data transfer rate and access time. Higher RPM values generally result in faster data retrieval and storage. Today's most common RPM rates, in both laptop and desktop PCs, are between 5400 and 7200 RPM. Given two identically designed hard drives with the same areal densities, a 7200 RPM drive will deliver data about 33% faster than the 5400 RPM drive.

Compact Disks (CDs):?

CD and DVDs are type of optical storage devices. CDs are of two types. One is CD ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory). When you buy a CD from a store, you can read it, but you can’t save any thing on it.? Another is CD-RW (Compact Disk Read Write Memory) in whic you can save your data over and over again, like a floppy disk. Advantages of CDs are that They are small and portable, very cheap to produce, most computers can read CDs. If there is no CD drive to read CDs, we can attach external CD drive to computer or laptop to read CDs. Few disadvantages are that they are fairly fragile, easy to snap or scratch which can damage the data on it. Also they have smaller storage capacity than a hard drive and also they are slow. The main difference between CD and DVD lies in the storage format. The CD is an audio storage format while DVD is a universal storage format. Besides that, additional differences are storage capacity, playback ability, and double-side recording available just on DVDs. CDs and DVDs look similar, but their layer structures differ. The recording layer of a CD is located just beneath the labeling side. On a DVD, the recording layer is in the center of the disc. DVD can also be of two types, DVD- ROM or DRD-RW.

Flash Memory or Memory cards:?

Flash-based media is based on a silicon substrate. They are also known as solid-state devices, they're widely used in both consumer electronics and enterprise data storage systems. They are available from 1Gb up to 1Tb+. They are typically small, lightweight, removable and rewritable. They consist of a small printed circuit board which is encased in plastic or metal casing. They usually have a removable cap which covers and protects the part of the stick which is inserted into a USB port. Advantages of these memory cards are that they hold more data than CD, they are more reliable than floppy disk, because they have no moving part. Also they are more compact and portable than floppy disks or CDs/DVDs. They are widely used in mobile devices. The maximum storage capacity for the microSD format is 1 TB, although the most recent SDHC ultra capacity cards can support up to 128 TB. The SD standards represent a timeline of the evolution of SD cards, with newer cards allowing higher capacities and speeds. MicroSD cards share the same four SD standards as SD cards. The four SD standards for microSD cards are microSD having capacity 2GB and under, microSDHC with capacity up to 32GB, microSDXC (up to 2TB), microSDUC (up to 128TB)

USB flash drives:?

USB flash drives, also known as thumb drives, use flash memory to store data. These drives are mainly used for storing and transferring data between different computers and electronic devices and have an integrated USB interface. Common uses of USB flash drives are for storage, supplementary back-ups, and transferring of computer files. Compared with floppy disks or CDs, they are smaller, faster, have significantly more capacity, and are more durable due to a lack of moving parts. Additionally, they are less vulnerable to electromagnetic interference than floppy disks, and are unharmed by surface scratches (unlike CDs). A flash drive consists of a small printed circuit board carrying the circuit elements and a USB connector, insulated electrically and protected inside a plastic, metal, or rubberized case, which can be carried in a pocket or on a key chain, for example. Some are equipped with an I/O indication LED that lights up or blinks upon access. Disadvantages of memory sticks are that they can be lost easily, the metal part which is inserted into the USB port can be snapped off if they are handled roughly, MThey are more expensive than floppy disks, CDs and DVDs.?

Solid State Drives (SSDs):?

SSDs are storage devices that replace traditional mechanical hard disk drives (HDDs) with flash memory as the primary storage medium. SSDs are popular for laptops, desktop computers and servers because they provide faster data access, increased reliability and lower power usage. SSDs has no moving parts, hence they are not subject to the same mechanical failures that can occur in HDDs. SSDs are also quieter and consume less power. And because SSDs weigh less than hard drives, they are a good fit for laptop and mobile computing devices. SSDs offer shorter boot times for your computer, more immediate data transfer and higher bandwidth. Faster speeds mean SSDs can handle data at the ultra-high speeds necessary in today's business world, especially when running programs that access large amounts of data such as an operating system. However, the disadvantages of SSDs compared to HDDs include higher cost per gigabyte, generally more limited storage capacity, and potential data loss if the drive fails. SSDs also have limited write cycles. Means that very frequent, heavy use can degrade their performance over time.