Secondary Storage Devices

It is important to know the difference between secondary storage and a computer's main
memory. Secondary storage is also called auxiliary storage and is used to store data and
programs when they are not being processed. Secondary storage is more permanent than
main memory, as data and programs are retained when the power is turned off. The needs
of secondary storage can vary greatly between users. A personal computer might only
require 20,000 bytes of secondary storage but large companies, such as banks, may
require secondary storage devices that can store billions of characters. Because of such a
variety of needs, a variety of storage devices are available. The two most common types
of secondary storage are magnetic tapes and magnetic disks.

Magnetic Tape Storage

Magnetic tape is a one-half inch or one-quarter inch ribbon of plastic material on which
data is recorded. The tape drive is an input/output device that reads, writes and erases
data on tapes. Magnetic tapes are erasable, reusable and durable. They are made to store
large quantities of data inexpensively and therefore are often used for backup. Magnetic
tape is not suitable for data files that are revised or updated often because it stores data
sequentially.

Magnetic Disk Storage

Magnetic disks are the most widely used storage medium for computers. A magnetic disk
offers high storage capacity, reliability, and the capacity to directly access stored data.
Magnetic disks hold more data in a small place and attain faster data access speeds. Types
of magnetic disks include diskettes, hard disks, and removable disk cartridges.

Diskettes

The diskette was introduced in the early 1970s by IBM as a new type of secondary
storage. Originally they were eight inches in diameter and were thin and flexible which
gave them the name floppy disks, or floppies. Diskettes are used as the principle medium
of secondary storage for personal computers. They are available in two different sizes: 3
1/2 inch and 5 1/4 inch.

DISKETTE STORAGE CAPACITY

o Before you can store data on your diskette, it must be formatted (G). The
amount of data you can store on a diskette depends on the recording
density and the number of tracks on the diskette. The recording density is
the number of bits (G) that can be recorded on one inch of track on the
 diskette, or bits per inch (bpi). The second factor that influences the
amount of data stored on a diskette is the number of tracks on which the
data can be stored or tracks per inch (tpi). Commonly used diskettes are
referred to as either double-density or high-density (single-density
diskettes are no longer used). Double-density diskettes (DD) can store
360K for a 5 1/4 inch diskette and 720K for a 3 1/2 inch diskette. High-
density diskettes (HD) can store 1.2 megabytes (G) on a 5 1/4 inch
diskette and 1.44 megabytes on a 3 1/2 inch diskette.

CARE OF DISKETTES
o You should keep diskettes away from heat, cold, magnetic fields
(including telephones) and contaminated environments such as dust,
smoke, or salt air. Also keep them away from food and do not touch the
disk surface.

flash drive.

reliable access to large volumes of data.

Contents
[hide]
 1 Technology
 2 Capacity and access speed
o 2.1 Capacity measurements
 3 History
 4 Hard disk drive characteristics
 5 Integrity
o 5.1 Landing zones
 6 Access and interfaces
o 6.1 Disk families used in personal computers
 7 Manufacturers
 8 See also
 9 Notes & references

 10 External links
[edit] Technology