Hard drive disks with read/write heads. The key difference between optical storage media, such as CDs and DVDs, and magnetic storage media, such as hard drives and old-fashioned floppy disks, is in how computers read and write information to them. One uses light; the other, electromagnetism.

Common types of secondary storage

• magnetic storage devices, such as hard disk drives.
• optical storage devices, such as CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.
• solid state storage devices, such as solid state drives and USB memory sticks.

9. Backing Storage: Magnetic Types

• Magnetic based drives, for example:- Hard disk. Floppy Disk. Magnetic tape.
• Optical based drives, for example:- CD drive (ROM and RW) DVD drive (RPM and RW)
• Flash or solid state chip based drives, for example:- USB drive. SD cards.

A magnetic disk is a storage device that uses a magnetization process to read, write, rewrite and access data. Hard disks, zip disks, and floppy disks are common examples of magnetic disks.

Magnetic disks are coated with a magnetic material such as iron oxide. There are two types: hard disks made of rigid aluminum or glass, and removable diskettes made of flexible plastic. Magnetic disks are platters coated with iron oxide, like tape and drums.

Magnetic storage or magnetic recording is the storage of data on a magnetized medium. Magnetic storage media, primarily hard disks, are widely used to store computer data as well as audio and video signals.

All magnetic storage devices have the following characteristics in common: Read/write heads use controlled electrical pulses to affect the magnetic structure of the media. Each disk surface has one read/write head, whereas double-sided media use two read/write heads (one per side).

What Are the Characteristics of Storage Devices?

• Internal Hard Disk Drives. Most personal computers use hard disk drives to store data.
• Flash Memory. Flash memory is growing in popularity as a storage medium.
• Flash Cards.
• Disks.

Flash drives, also known as USB drives or jump drives, contain mini circuit boards with memory chips to save and retain your data and information. This type of storage media is called solid state memory, and differs from optical and magnetic drives.

portable flash memory storage

Flash memory devices One of the most recognizable type of flash memory device is the USB flash drive. Also known as a thumb drive or a memory stick, these small, portable storage devices have long been a popular choice for extra computer storage.

USB flash drives are small, portable storage devices that use a USB interface to connect to a computer. Like flash memory cards, they are removable and rewritable, and have become a common method of storing data.

Primary memory usually refers to Random Access Memory (RAM), while secondary storage refers to devices such as hard disk drives, solid state drives, removable “USB” drives, CDs, and DVDs.

Primary storage devices are internal to the system and are the fastest of the memory/storage device category. Random access memory (RAM), graphic card memory and cache memory are common examples of primary storage devices.

A primary storage device is a medium that holds memory for short periods of time while a computer is running. RAM (random access memory) and cache are both examples of a primary storage device.

2. Secondary Memory / Mass Storage: