- One of the storage devices that nearly every computer has is a hard disk drive (HDD). It usually has the largest quantity of data storage capacity when compared to the other storage devices. The purpose of hard drives, or disks, is to permanently retain the data that's recorded on it, even in the event of a power outage. This is called non-volatile storage. Typically, it contains operating system software, software applications and files and folders. The HDD is the slowest data storage device in terms of speed.
- Perhaps the most important of the common storage devices is the main memory or RAM. It's a temporary form of storage otherwise known as "volatile storage," which means that the data held in this device is lost when the power is turned off. The amount of memory a system has directly affects the speed and overall performance of your computer. Data read from other storage devices, such as the hard drive or CD-ROM is much slower than information read and written to RAM.
- In recent years, USB flash drives have made a splash as one of the most common storage devices. It compact size, which in most cases is about the dimensions of a stick of gum, enhances its use as a type of pocket-sized hard drive. Besides making it easy to transport important files and folders, flash drives effectively serve your need for archiving or backing up important data. The device connects to the computer through the USB socket.
- DVD drives and CD drives are forms of optical drives. These devices are found in products, such as CD players and DVD players and recorders. Typically, data is read and written to the disks by laser beam or an electromagnetic wave process. Initially, the drive mechanism could only perform the read function from discs. However, more and more of the optical drives have the capacity to read and write data.
- External hard drives are generally used to transfer large amounts of data, especially when a network is not available. In addition, many users use their internal hard drives strictly for operating systems and other primary programs, including as anti-spyware and firewalls. The external hard drives are used for files, folders and other software applications. External hard drives plug into the computer via a USB port; a power supply is required.
- Before CDs and DVDs there were tape drives. This technology consists of using magnetic tape to store large amounts of data that could be read as well as erased. This method of data storage is simple and very efficient. It is also more economical compared to hard drives; however, the sequential manner of storage is not conducive to finding information quickly because the user has to scroll through the tape to find the desired information.
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