Storage Media

Hard disks
Hard disks are the most used data storage media to store data. Every computer has a hard disk to store the data. There are several different types of hard disks. Not every hard disk works on the same speed. Also the technique can be different and therefore also the connectors can be different.
As I said before there are several speeds and several types. Below there is a list op types and speeds.

Types of hard disks
There are several types of hard disks available on the market. There are IDE, SATA, SCSI, USB and FIREWIRE hard disks. I will describe each type below.

IDE hard disk
The IDE hard disk is until know the most used hard disk in computers but in the future the SATA hard disks will be used more and more. A IDE hard disk is also called ATA or PATA hard disk. This means Parallel ATA and can transmit data on a normal speed and is a bit slower then the SATA hard disks.
You can recognize a IDE hard disk at the connector. It has a 40 pins connector and it has quite a big power connector.

SATA hard disk
A SATA hard disk works the same as an IDE hard drive but this type has a higher speed than the IDE hard disk. SATA means Serial ATA. Also the connectors are a bit different then the IDE hard disk.
You can recognize a SATA hard disk at the connector and it has a smaller power connector then the IDE hard disk. This hard disk is more and more used and probably it will replace the IDE hard disks.



SCSI hard disk
SCSI hard disks are much faster then the IDE or SATA hard disks. SCSI hard disks are mostly used for professional systems which need fast data access. These types of hard disks are often not used in home situations because they are more expensive then a IDE or SATA hard disk and in a home situation you don’t need that high speed. Mostly these hard disks are used in servers.You can recognize a SCSI hard disk at the connector and it has the same power connector then the IDE hard disk.



USB hard disk
This type of data storage medium is not installed in the computer but it can be attached to it using the USB interface. This is an external hard disk, also called a portable data storage device. This type of hard disk can be useful if you have

a laptop with a small hard disk inside, you can use a USB hard disk to store your data on. These hard disks are a bit slower then the IDE or SATA hard disks. The speed also depends on the type of USB interface you attach it to. There are USB 1.1 interfaces and USB 2.0. Be sure you attach it to a USB 2.0 interface to let the hard disk work faster.

FireWire hard disk
A FireWire hard disk works the same as a USB hard disk and is also an external hard disk. The only difference is that a USB hard disk is attached to the computer using the USB interface and a FireWire hard disk uses the FireWire interface. A FireWire hard disk is also a bit faster than a USB hard disk. But your computer has to have a FireWire interface and not every computer has such interface where a USB interface is almost on every computer.

DVD's



DVD’s are data storage media where you can store your data on using a DVD writer. If you want to move much data around this could be a perfect solution. On a single DVD you can store up to 4,7 GB of data. On a CD you can store up to 700 MB so a DVD has much more capacity then a CD. On the market there are several different DVD writers available. There are DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD +R and DVD-R, DVD-DL, DVD-RW.
For example:
You have a DVD+R writer in your computer and you have an empty DVD+R disc. You burn the data to the disc. This is possible because your DVD writer supports DVD+R.
After the disc is burned you go to your friend to copy the disc but your friend has only a DVD-R writer so this is not possible because this DVD writer doesn’t support DVD+R.
Fortunately, most newer DVD writers support both.
The DVD-DL means Dual Layer and it has a capacity of 8.5 GB. So on such a disc you can store even more data then on a normal DVD. Using a DVD writer or a dual layer dvd drive you can also burn CD’s.
Near a DVD drives and CD drives there are also drives which is called a CD DVD combo drive. Such drive is a drive which can write and read CD's and can only read DVD's and can not write DVD's.

Below there is a list of what functions most DVD writers support at the moment.

Example of what a single DVD writer supports.

Function	Drive Speed
Read (CD)	48 x (7,200 KB/s)
Read (DVD)	16 x (21,600 KB/s)
Write (CD-R)	48 x (7,200 KB/s)
Write (CD-RW)	32 x (4,800 KB/s)
Write (DVD-R)	18 x (24,300 KB/s)
Write (DVD-RW)	6 x (8,100 KB/s)
Write (DVD+R)	18 x (24,300 KB/s)
Write (DVD+RW)	8 x (10,800 KB/s)
Write (DVD-R) Double layer	8 x (10,800 KB/s)
Write (DVD+R) Double layer	8 x (10,800 KB/s)
Write (DVD-RAM)	12 x (16,200 KB/s)

CD's

A CD is also a data storage medium where you can store your data on using a CD writer or DVD writer. On a normal CD you can store up to 700 MB. The capacity of a CD is not that much but it is ideal for moving data like documents and a photos on it. So if you want to move smaller files you can burn your data to a CD. Also for CD writers there are several functions and speeds available on the market like a CD-R (recordable) or a CD-RW (rewritable).
On a floppy you can store just a small amount of data on. It has a capacity of 1.44 MB. To move around small documents like a Word document or Excel document this type of data storage medium can be used without a problem. Several years ago the floppy was the medium to store your data on but now it is mostly used for boot disks or DOS programs.

Tapes



This type of data storage medium is not much used in a home situation but is used in larger companies for data storage and backup their data. These data storage tapes must be put into a tape unit to store data on. You can call tape units also a data storage drives.
Also tapes have different capacities but common tapes have a much larger capacity then CD’s or DVD’s. There are tapes with a capacity like 10 GB up to 300 GB and more. So that’s why many companies use tapes to store or backup their data.

USB Sticks
This type of data storage medium is often used to move data around. Most of the time it is being used to copy files, photo’s, music etc from one computer to another. The USB sticks have a capacity from a few MB like 8 or 16 MB up to 1 GB or 2GB. You simply put the USB stick into a free USB port and the computer recognizes this as a ‘Device with removable storage’. You can simply drag the files to it.

Memory Sticks
This type of data storage medium is used in devices like digital camera’s and PDA’s. They will be used to store pictures or other data from a PDA for example. These memory sticks can also be read in a computer by putting them in a card reader which can be connected to the computer or by connecting your digital camera or PDA directly to the computer.

SD Cards (Secure Digital)
This type of storage medium is also used in devices like digital camera’s, Smartphone’s and PDA’s. They will be used to store pictures or other data from a PDA for example. These SD cards can also be read in a computer by putting them in a card reader which can be connected to the computer or by connecting your digital camera, Smartphone’s or PDA directly to the computer.

MMC Cards (Multi Media Card)
This type of storage medium is used in devices like digital camera’s, mobile phones, Smartphone’s and PDA’s. They will be used to store pictures or other data from a PDA for example. These MMC cards can also be read in a computer by putting them in a card reader which can be connected to the computer or by connecting your digital camera, Smartphone’s or PDA directly to the computer.This type of card is a small card.

XD Picture Cards
This type of storage medium is used in devices like digital camera’s from Olympus. They will be used to store pictures and movies made with the camera. These XD Picture cards can also be read in a computer by putting them in a card reader which can be connected to the computer or by connecting your digital camera, Smartphone’s or PDA directly to the computer.This type of card is a small card which fits in a Olympus camera.