One of the important characteristics of computers is to store a large amount of data. Since primary memory has a limited capacity of storage and is temporary, secondary storage media are used. It can store a large amount of data permanently. It is also called storage or mass storage.
A storage medium is the physical material on which data and programs are kept. A storage device is the mechanism used to record and retrieve data to and from a storage medium. Magnetic tape is an example of a storage medium and magnetic tape recorder is an example of a storage device.
The two main technologies used to store data on the secondary storage media are:
- Magnetic Storage
- Optical Storage
(Hard Disk Drive) |
Compact Disk (CD) |
Floopy Disk |