Storage Devices and Media

Storage Media is anything you can use to store files for a long time (as opposed to RAM)

Storage Media can be changed easily by the user (as opposed to ROM)

Storage Media is Non-Volatile and holds data Not being used

There are two ways of accessing data on Storage Media

1) Serial/ Sequential Access
The computer starts at the beginning of the storage media, moves in order until
it finds the correct data, and then reads that data in order.
Advantages: You can use magnetic tape, which is reliable.
Disadvantages: it is slow
2) Direct/ Random Access
The computer has a map (file system) of every piece of a file. It knows the
location, and finds each piece as needed.
Advantages: It is Fast
Disadvantages: It is not reliable, easily corrupted

Optical Drives
All optical drives use Direct/ Random Access. Optical Drives work by shinning a laser
onto a disk. If there is a "pit" or a smudge (burn mark) the light is reflected back to the laser
(this means a 1). If there is no smudge or "pit," the light is NOT reflected back to the laser (this
means a 0). A "pit" is a bowl in the disk which acts like a mirror.
CD-ROM/ DVD-ROM - A high powered laser burns pits into a metal surface. This never
fades, and can be read easily by all optical drives.
CD-R/DVD-R - A low-powered laser makes burn marks onto a plastic surface. This
fades (or sometimes does not burn well), and can only be read by low powered lasers