Types Of Media Storage Devices
There are several types of media storage devices used for the storage of data. Some of them are classified as removable devices while some other are classified as non removable devices. The memory for types of media storage devices are equally classified into two: primary and secondary memory. The primary memory is volatile and is erasable while the secondary memory is non volatile and cannot be wiped out. When we are referring to the types of media storage devices, we are basically talking about secondary memory. The hard disk drive is the most common types of media storage devices but there are other ones, including USB data card, flash memory, DVD ROM, CD ROM, and floppy disk.
Floppy disk
They are made up of flexible magnetic storage medium that is encased in a rectangular plastic shell. They are usually written by floppy disk drives. They don’t have large memory like some other types of media storage devices and are mostly used to store word documents and spreadsheets. They are equally very useful to back up small data files.
Hard discs
These are used for storing large amounts of data from the computer. They can be used o store working data, software, operating system, and other types of media. Hard disks are not ideal for data that require portability because they are always fixed or attached to the computer. However, there are other types of hard disks that can be connected externally to the computer and moved with ease. These are known as external hard discs. Of all types of media storage devices, hard discs are the most suitable to store large amounts of data, with some hard disks memories of up to 500 gigabytes. All types of computers have internal hard disk drives which are used for the storage of large data and for the transfer of data over several networks.
The external or portable hard disk is very useful because it enables the easy portability of data unlike the fixed hard disk drive. However, its only drawback is its cost as it’s more expensive than other external types of media storage devices.
Magnetic tapes
Magnetic tape is one of the oldest types of media storage devices, which have been used to store data for more than 50 years. They are less expensive but has a slower rate of writing data compared to other types of media storage devices. They are most commonly used for backup in several batch processing applications like stock control, payroll processing, and reading of bank cheques.
CD and DVD ROMs
CDs are primarily used for storing data that are too large for floppy disc such as graphics and music. DVDs are mainly used for storing larger amounts of data and for transferring data from computer to computer. They are very useful for ensuring optimum security of data during data transfer.
Flash memory drive
They are one of the smallest of all types of media storage devices. Their memory can range from 60MB to 60GB and can hold large amount of data at a faster speed. They are primarily used to transfer data files from one computer to the other.
