Hardware: Storage Devices

Definition

Memory, i.e.: RAM (Random Access memory) Optical Disks Hard Disks USB Storage Devices CD’s, DVD’s Cache memory Databases

Principle of Optical Disk

Storage DeviceMP 3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 )Player

Invented by German engineer team. Very popular Digital Audio player. It plays digital audio files.

Company Capacity Price (Online) Price (shop) Apple 1GB $79~120 $79 or

above Samsung 1GB $59~120 $79~130 Sandisk 1GB $60~110 $70~90 Sony 1GB $80~160 $70~120

Storage Device (cont)

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)A storage device that stores digitally encoded data on

rapidly rotating platters and magnetic surfaces.

Company Capacity Price (online) Price (shop) Lacie 400GB $160~189.99 $169.99 WD corp 400GB $118~199 $150.99 Hitachi 400GB $143~164 $169.99 Seagate 400GB $128~240 $189~200

Storage DeviceMP 3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 )Player

Invented by German engineer team. Very popular Digital Audio player. It plays digital audio files.

Company Capacity Price (Online) Price (shop) Apple 1GB $79~120 $79 or

above Samsung 1GB $59~120 $79~130 Sandisk 1GB $60~110 $70~90 Sony 1GB $80~160 $70~120

Storage DevicesHard Disk: (commonly known as a HDD( hard disk drive) or hard drive (HD)) is a nonvolatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces

Optical Disk: there are two types CDs and DVDs. Both are made of plastic and are coated with a photosensitive material

USB storage devices: (commonly known as a jump drive) is a plug and play portable storage device that uses flash memory and is lightweight enough to attach to a key chain.

Hard Drive

Home users: A 250 GB hard drive is recommended for

entertainment purpose such as playing games, listening music, and watching video. It is about $80

A 80 GB hard drive is recommended for education and working purpose such as surfing internet, doing homework. It costs about $40

Business users: A 80 GB hard drive is more than enough for

documentation and spread sheet users. A 160 GB hard drive with faster transfer rate is

recommended for data analysis users. It is about $50 -$60

USB jump drive

Home users: Entertainment purposes: 4 GB jump drive is

the best choice. It is about $50 depend on the brands

Education purposes: 512 MB or 1 GB jump drive should be enough for a student. It costs about $10 to $20.

Business users: Documentation use: 256 MB is more than

enough. A 256 MB jump drive is about $6. Data analysis use: 4 GB jump drive is the

best for data analysis users.

Optical Disk

DVD burner is recommended for all users. A 16x DVD burner is about $30.

What are the major parameters that will affect computer performance?

Storage Devices

Hard Disks

Wikipedia definition: A hard disk or hard drive is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces.

Hard Disk Capacity

Hard Disk (cont.)

Hard disks are steadily increasing in size and performance. Without a good sized hard disk, your computer performance would not be as good as you would like it.

Also if you have too many programs or other software, that will overload your hard disk, and slow down your computers performance.

Hard Disk (cont.)

For the majority of windows software to run properly, the computer requires anywhere from 1.25 GB to 2.25 GB.

If you are using your computer for something else that requires more computer storage, you should get more depending on how much you need.

Optimal Disks

It is a plasitic-coated disk that stores digital data, such as music or text.

Optimal Disks Compact Disk Up to 700 MB CD-R(recordable) CD-RW(rewritable)

Digital Versatile Disk

Up to 4.7 GB DVD-R(recordable) DVD-RW(rewritable)

Optimal Disks (cont.)

The only way you can really go wrong with these are loading up too much information on them, and trying to load it on a computer with not much storage or speed.

If you also save programs and they need to launch, that might slow your computer down temporarily.

USB Storage Devices

USB Storage Devices

Majority are from 512 MB to 8 GB in size.

Just like Optimal disks, if too much is stored on there, and loads up at the same time, your computer will slow temporarily.

Normally doesn’t slow down your computer after loading, unless you save whatever you loaded.