Give Two Types Of Storage Devices Used In A Computer Giving An Example Of Each.

Types of Storage Devices Used By a Computer Giving an Example of Each

Introduction;

There are various categories under which storage devices can be classified;

1. The duration they store information;
2. Mobility and;
3. How they function.

HARD DISK DRIVE

a) CLASSIFICATION OF STORAGE DEVICES BASED ON THE DURATION OF TIME THEY STORE INFORMATION.

Storage devices in this category can either be;

1. Secondary storage devices
2. Primary storage devices

1. secondary storage devices

These are devices that store data and information in long term/ permanently. When data is required for processing, it is retrieved from the device to the computer.
examples are;

1. hard disk
2. floppy disk
3. zip disk
4. flash disk
5. memory card
6. tapes
7. CD/DVD
8. super disk
9. Punch card
10. Mask and programmable Read Only Memory (Mask-ROM/PROM)

2. primary storage devices

These are storage devices that store data temporary especially when the computer is being used. They lose the data when the computer is switched off. These devices are important in processing because the CPU can easily access them as compared to secondary storage devices thus making processing tasks quicker, efficient and easy. Some of the the examples include;

1. The Cache Memory
2. Buffers
3. Random Access Memory
4. Registers
5. EPROM and EEPROM types of Read only Memory
6. Logical memory of the hard drive

b) classification of storage devices based on mobility.

Storage devices can also be categorized according to mobility. I.e.

1. Fixed storage devices and;
2. Portable storage devices

1. fixed storage devices

These are storage devices permanently fixed in one machine. This means that they are not unnecessarily unplugged from one machine and used in another because they are machine dependent. They include;

1. ​Hard disk drive
2. Read Only Memory
3. Random Access Memory
4. Registers
5. Cache memory
6. Buffer
7. HDD's Logical memory

2. portable storage devices

These are storage devices that can be carried from one place to another, one machine to another for use. These means that they are machine independent. They include;​

1. portable hard disk drive
2. floppy disk
3. zip disk
4. flash disk (flash drive)
5. memory card (memory stick/ sd card)
6. tapes
7. CD/DVD
8. super disk
9. Punch card
10. Mask and programmable Read Only Memory (Mask-ROM/PROM)

c) classification of storage device on how they function.

Storage devices functions in different ways depending on the technology used to manufacture each one of them. They include;

1. ​Solid state storage device
2. Magnetic storage device
3. optical storage devices

1. solid state storage devices

Solid state drives also called SSD use semiconductor chips to store and retrieve data and information, these chips made from a very advanced technology called nanotechnology have transistors in them that keep information in patterns. In a semiconductor memory chip, each bit of binary data is stored in a tiny circuit called a memory cell consisting of one to several transistors.
Examples of SSDs

1. RAM
2. ROM
3. Cache
4. Registers
5. Buffers
6. flash disks
7. memory cards (memory stick)
8. smart card

2. optical storage devices

These are storage devices that utilize light technology such as laser to read, store and write data. They are very common especially for home entertainment. they include;

1. Compact Disk (CD)
2. Digital Versatile Disk (DVD) also called Digital Video Disk
3. RDX - removable disk storage are rugged data cartridges ranging from 160GB to 1TB capacity removable disk cartridges

3. magnetic storage devices

These are storage devices that utilize magnetic technology to store and read data in a computer, they use a thin plastic base material coated with iron oxide. This oxide is a ferromagnetic material, meaning that if you expose it to a magnetic field it is permanently magnetized by the field; they include;

1. Floppy Disk
2. Hard Disk Drive
3. Zip Disk
4. Magnetic Tapes
5. Cassettes
6. LS 120 Super Disk

More questions on;

1. storage devices
2. computer system

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