Computer Basics/Hardware/Storage devices

Storage devices

Storage devices are used to store data and programs.

Storage devices	Function
Hard disk drive Enclosed metal platters in a sealed unit, light on system unit shows disk is being accessed. Connected to the motherboard. Also known as a disk drive or hard drive.	Hard disk drive Also known as permanent or secondary storage. Main and usually largest permanent data storage device in a computer. Non volatile (not reliant on power). READ-WRITE HEAD moves back & forth over the disk, looking for the file to be opened, then file is copied into RAM. After processing, the read/write head copies file back to disk.
Optical disk drive DVD‘s – read/write. Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. Digital memory for personal computers.	Compact disk drive Optical storage. Uses a laser to write information digitally in layers by causing a chemical change in the material. CD‘s can hold about 650MB of data, sound, photos and videos, while DVD‘s can hold about 4 GB of data and Blue-ray DVD‘s can hold up to 50 GB.