| Removable storage media has been in existence | | | | that the head on a zip drive used to read and write |
| almost as long as the computer itself. Many of you | | | | data to the disk can be much smaller than that found |
| may be able to remember back to when magnetic | | | | on a floppy drive. In fact the many improvements |
| tape was used for storage, just like that which was | | | | made on a zip disk mean that it can hold hundreds of |
| used by audio cassettes. If we go back even further | | | | megabytes of data on one disk. |
| we remember back to the days when even paper | | | | Removable solid state devices such as that used in |
| punch cards were used to store data. We have | | | | digital cameras and PDAs makes use of flash |
| come a long way since then and now storage | | | | memory which consists of no moving parts |
| devices are capable of retaining gigabytes of data on | | | | whatsoever. Flash memory stores data with the use |
| a remarkably small device. | | | | of grids of transistors where information is held in the |
| There are lots of reasons as to why removable | | | | form of 1's and zeros. Flash memory uses in build |
| storage devices are extremely useful. They can be | | | | circuit wiring and works significantly faster than |
| used to store software, make back up copies of vital | | | | traditional electrically erasable memory. |
| information, an easy way of transporting data | | | | Flash memory devices such as SmartMedia or |
| between machines, providing information for | | | | CompactFlash cards are the most common form of |
| someone else and of course backing up important | | | | storage media used today. CompactFlash consists of |
| information. The storage devices that can be | | | | a small circuit board of flash memory chips and one |
| purchases these days offer a dizzying array of | | | | dedicated controller chip which is all encased in a |
| options from the old stle diskettes which can hold up | | | | rugged case. The increased thickness of this card |
| to 1.44MB of data to portable hard drives which can | | | | obviously allows for greater storage capacity. |
| hold hundreds of gigabytes of information. | | | | It seems that removable storage has the potential to |
| Portable storage media falls into 3 categories: | | | | evolve in many different directions. Magnetic media |
| magnetic storage, optical storage and solid-state | | | | should continue to exist in both cartridge form as well |
| storage. The most memorable form of magnetic | | | | as hard drives that exist in the gigabyte range in |
| storage was tgat used in the 1.44MB floppy | | | | terms of storage. There may also be a trend |
| diskettes. The magnetic device is coated with a | | | | towards the use of optical storage devices whose |
| ferromagnetic iron oxide. Electromagnets in the disk | | | | drives are about the size of a matchbox and make |
| drive read and write data using electromagnets. | | | | use of tiny discs which can hold around 500MB of |
| Magnetic storage technology has improved greatly | | | | information. Solid state devices like CompactFlash |
| over the years. A large leap forward was made with | | | | cards will continue to increase in capacity whilst |
| the introduction of Zip drives as a much higher | | | | remaining the same size where as USB sticks may |
| capacity alternative to the floppy disk. The coating | | | | get smaller and smaller. |
| on a zip disk is of much higher quality. This means | | | | |