Storage

Question 1

What is a storage device?

Answer 1

• Hardware that reads and writes data • Used to store, access and retrieve data

Question 2

What is storage media?

Answer 2

• Physical material that stores data • Usually non-volatile (keeps data without power)

Question 3

Name the 3 types of storage media

Answer 3

• Magnetic • Optical • Solid-state

Question 4

What is magnetic storage (how it works)?

Answer 4

• Uses magnetism to store data • Binary stored as magnetised regions (0s and 1s) • Uses spinning disks and read/write heads (moving parts)

Question 5

Advantages of magnetic storage

Answer 5

🟢 High storage capacity 🟢 Low cost per GB 🟢 Suitable for storing large files

Question 6

Disadvantages of magnetic storage

Answer 6

🔴 Moving parts → can break 🔴 Noisy 🔴 Slower than solid-state 🔴 Easily damaged if dropped

Question 7

Advantages of Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Answer 7

🟢 Very high capacity 🟢 Fast data transfer (for magnetic)

Question 8

Disadvantages of Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Answer 8

🔴 Easily damaged 🔴 Moving parts reduce reliability 🔴 Noisy

Question 9

Advantages of Portable Hard Drive

Answer 9

🟢 Portable 🟢 Large storage capacity 🟢 Good for backups

Question 10

Disadvantages of Portable Hard Drive

Answer 10

🔴 Easily damaged 🔴 Slower than SSD

Question 11

Advantages of Magnetic Tape

Answer 11

🟢 Very high capacity 🟢 Cheap 🟢 Ideal for backup

Question 12

Disadvantages of Magnetic Tape

Answer 12

🔴 Sequential access (slow) 🔴 Can be physically damaged

Question 13

What is optical storage (how it works)?

Answer 13

• Uses laser light to read/write data • Data stored as pits and lands • Laser reflection represents binary

Question 14

Advantages of optical storage

Answer 14

🟢 Cheap 🟢 Portable 🟢 No moving parts → silent

Question 15

Disadvantages of optical storage

Answer 15

🔴 Easily scratched 🔴 Low storage capacity 🔴 Slow read/write speeds

Question 16

Advantages of CD

Answer 16

🟢 Cheap 🟢 Compatible with many devices

Question 17

Disadvantages of CD

Answer 17

🔴 Very low capacity 🔴 Easily scratched

Question 18

Advantages of DVD

Answer 18

🟢 Higher capacity than CD 🟢 Affordable

Question 19

Disadvantages of DVD

Answer 19

🔴 Lower capacity than Blu-ray 🔴 Easily scratched

Question 20

Advantages of Blu-ray Disc

Answer 20

🟢 Very high storage capacity 🟢 High-quality video

Question 21

Disadvantages of Blu-ray Disc

Answer 21

🔴 Expensive 🔴 Requires special hardware

Question 22

What is solid-state storage (how it works)?

Answer 22

• Uses flash memory (electronic circuits) • Stores data in memory cells • No moving parts

Question 23

Advantages of solid-state storage

Answer 23

🟢 Very fast read/write speeds 🟢 Durable (no moving parts) 🟢 Silent 🟢 Low power consumption

Question 24

Disadvantages of solid-state storage

Answer 24

🔴 Expensive 🔴 Limited write cycles

Question 25

Advantages of SSD

Answer 25

🟢 Very fast access time 🟢 Reliable 🟢 Durable

Question 26

Disadvantages of SSD

Answer 26

🔴 More expensive than HDD 🔴 Limited write cycles

Question 27

Advantages of Portable SSD

Answer 27

🟢 Portable 🟢 Very fast transfer speeds 🟢 Durable 🟢 High capacity

Question 28

Disadvantages of Portable SSD

Answer 28

🔴 Expensive 🔴 Limited write cycles

Question 29

Advantages of USB Flash Drive

Answer 29

🟢 Very portable 🟢 Fast speeds 🟢 Durable

Question 30

Disadvantages of USB Flash Drive

Answer 30

🔴 Easy to lose 🔴 Lower capacity than HDD/SSD 🔴 Risk of data corruption

Question 31

Advantages of Flash Memory Cards (SD cards)

Answer 31

🟢 Very small 🟢 Durable 🟢 High capacity

Question 32

Disadvantages of Flash Memory Cards (SD cards)

Answer 32

🔴 Easy to lose 🔴 Limited write cycles 🔴 Expensive per GB