4 Different Types of Storage Devices You Probably Didn’t Know About

4 Different Types of Storage Devices You
Probably Didn’t Know About

How many types of storage devices are
there? Most people would likely answer with either hard drives or flash drives,
but did you know that there are 4 types of storage devices? That’s right, aside
from flash drives and hard drives, there’s floppy disks, CDs and DVDs—if you
didn’t already know this then you need to keep reading!

1) Cloud Storage

In this day and age, cloud storage is one
of the most popular types of storage devices. By using a service like Dropbox
or Google Drive, you can easily upload your files and access them from any
computer without needing to download anything. It’s a great way to store things
such as work documents or photos. The only downside? If you don’t have internet
access, you can’t access your files. Also, if the service closes down or is
hacked, then all of your files could be gone forever! Plus, there are no backup
options for these types of storage services. So if something happens with the
company itself, then all those files will disappear along with it. Optical
Discs: DVDs and CDs are still popular ways to store data today. They’re not
always easy to transfer into other formats (if that’s what you need), but
they’re reliable when it comes to being able to read data off them in case
something bad happens with a hard drive. One disadvantage though is that
they’re less durable than some other forms of media- even if they’ve been
stored properly! A little scratch on the CD can ruin everything! For the same reason,
optical discs should be kept out of direct sunlight, high heat sources, and
extreme cold temperatures. External Hard Drives: External hard drives can be
plugged into an available USB port on your computer and give you more storage
space! But external hard drives also have their own set of disadvantages. For
example, depending on which kind of external hard drive you purchase, you may
not have full control over where its contents are saved. There might also be
limitations in terms of how many connections it has per second – so it won’t
perform well with heavy use! Another disadvantage is that because of their
size, external hard drives are easier to steal. And finally, remember that
these devices take up physical space. Micro SD Cards: Micro SD cards can come
in handy when you want to use an electronic device and don’t have enough free
storage space left on your phone or tablet! Just insert the card into the
appropriate slot and bam! Extra memory right at your fingertips! But just
because micro SD cards make life easier doesn’t mean they’re perfect… There
are actually quite a few downsides to this form of storage. For instance, the
information on micro SD cards isn’t protected by hardware encryption; so anyone
who steals your card would have immediate access to all of the information
stored on it. That’s why if you lose your card, you should change your
passwords immediately! Also, depending on what type of digital camera you’re
using, accessing videos and photos taken with that camera through a micro SD
card can be difficult. If possible, transferring footage directly from the
camera to a computer will help avoid potential problems later down the line.

2) USB Flash Drives

USB flash drives are one of the most
popular types of storage devices. They’re small, lightweight and can be easily
carried in your pocket. USB flash drives are also very inexpensive, making them
a great choice for anyone who wants to store large amounts of data on a device
that doesn’t take up too much space or cost too much money.

One downside to USB flash drives is that
they don’t work if you have an older computer that doesn’t have an updated
BIOS. For example, if you plug a USB flash drive into your laptop and it fails
to load, it might be because your laptop’s BIOS hasn’t been updated yet and can
only read USB 1.1 devices. Another option for those with older computers is an
external hard drive. These work similarly to USB flash drives but are plugged
into the wall instead of your computer’s power port. External hard drives are
bulkier than USB flash drives, but they’re more durable and offer more storage
capacity at a lower price per gigabyte than other options. If you need even
more storage space and/or want something faster than both external hard drives
and USB flash drives, then consider purchasing an SSD (solid state drive). SSDs
offer fast speeds and huge capacities at competitive prices. However, these
advantages come with some tradeoffs: while they’re easy to carry around like
external hard drives and USB flash drives, SSDs will wear out over time due to
how frequently information is written to the surface. On top of that, these
type of storage devices tend to be more expensive than other options such as an
external hard drive or a USB flash drive. The last type of storage device I’ll
mention is magnetic tape media. Magnetic tape media has some distinct
advantages over traditional magnetic disks; its linear tapes can hold more
information than disks do per square inch and offer significantly longer
lifespans. In addition, there are no moving parts, so there’s less chance of
mechanical failure. Magnetic tape media does have downsides though; it’s not
portable and takes considerably more time to access than disk-based storage
devices do.

One disadvantage to this type of storage
device is that a new set of equipment must be purchased when storing
information on magnetic tape media – unlike an external hard drive which works
directly with the old computer or laptop you already own. Lastly, let me
mention optical discs. Optical discs are about five times slower than modern
day storage devices, but they do have their advantages. There’s no issue with
compatibility since any DVD player can read CDs and DVDs alike. In addition,
optical discs can provide long-term stability since the data isn’t being
constantly rewritten like it would be on a USB flash drive. But if durability
isn’t an issue for you, then an optical disc may not suit your needs best –
unless you plan to use this type of device exclusively for audio CDs!

3) Solid State Drives (SSDs)

Solid State Drives (SSDs) are the most
modern type of storage devices, and they offer a lot. SSDs have no moving
parts, which means they are typically faster than HDDs. They also consume less
power, and they are more resistant to physical damage from drops or other
accidents. The downside is that SSDs usually cost more per gigabyte than HDDs
do. That’s because it takes fewer components to make an SSD than it does to
make an HDD. But the good news is that they’re cheaper on average over time
because they don’t need any periodic maintenance like HDDs do.

I hope you learned something new today!
Thanks for reading! What was your favorite fact about these 4 types of storage
devices? Leave me a comment below and let me know what stood out to you!

SSDs are easy enough to find in stores,
but they’re still relatively rare. If you want one or don’t have any available,
try looking online—but make sure you buy from an authorized retailer. There are
lots of fakes on sites like eBay because SSDs aren’t as popular yet. The best
way to get genuine products is by shopping with reputable retailers that stand
behind their products if there’s ever a problem with them.

4) Solid State Hybrid Drives (SSHDs)

SSHDs are a type of hybrid drive that
combine both traditional hard disk drives and solid state drives. These types
of drives have an increased storage capacity and access time, but they also
have lower power consumption rates. This is because SSHDs use flash memory to
store data, which doesn’t require the spinning disks found in traditional hard
drives. The drawback is that SSHDs are more expensive than regular HDDs. The
good news is that most computers these days come with a built-in SSHD. Solid
State Drives (SSDs): SSDs have no moving parts, making them significantly
faster and more durable than traditional HDD devices. They’re also less prone
to getting lost or damaged due to shock or being knocked over. However, SSDs
are still more expensive than standard HDDs. In addition, not all operating
systems support this type of storage device. Network Attached Storage (NAS)
devices: NAS devices provide centralized network file sharing for home users
and small businesses that have limited need for large file storage capacity.
Like any network storage device, NAS devices can be configured as a RAID system
to help maximize performance and improve redundancy. They can also be used as
virtual servers for hosting websites and other applications on one physical
machine. There are two ways to configure a NAS system; you can either set it up
as shared storage with permissions based on what group each user belongs to or
configure it as backup space where only certain folders will be backed up at
scheduled intervals. RAID stands for redundant array of independent disks and
helps increase performance by storing information on multiple hard disks
instead of just one like traditional setups. If one disk fails, information
stored on the other disks can still be accessed while that disk is repaired or
replaced. A RAID 5 configuration stores data on 3 disks whereas a RAID 1
configuration stores data across 2 disks. With RAID 5, if 1 of the 3 hard
drives fail then all files are protected, but there’s less total storage space
available since some is used for parity information. On the other hand, with a
RAID 1 configuration all files are duplicated on two disks so if one disk fails
then all files remain intact, but there’s double the amount of total storage
space available since none is reserved for parity information.

There’s also another type of NAS setup
called JBOD (just a bunch of discs), which provides individual volumes without
any kind-of redundancy so that you don’t lose anything when 1 disk fails out of
4 total.