Secondary Storage + Secondary Storage Characteristics | 2.2 | OCR GCSE Computer Science | J277
11 flashcards
- Why is secondary storage used for the long-term storage of files and data?
- Because it is non-volatile, which means data is saved even when the computer is shut off.
- Compare the sizes of primary and secondary storage.
- Secondary storage has a much higher data capacity - can be up to several terabytes more for some devices like a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
- What are the 3 types of secondary storage?
- - Magnetic - Optical - Solid State
- CSNewbs acronym for characteristics of secondary storage (PCCARD):
- Portability Capacity Cost Access speed Reliability Durability
- Portability
- How easy it is to carry a device from one location to another and by what means. e.g. a small device is easy to carry and can be put in a bag or a pocket.
- Capacity
- The max amount of data that can be stored. Traditionally measured in gigabytes (GB), but more modern devices now use terabytes (TB)
- Cost (per GB) Secondary Storage + Secondary Storage Characteristics | 2.2 | OCR GCSE
- Price of a storage device per gigabyte. e.g. A magnetic HDD costs less than 1p per GB.
- Access speed
- How quickly data from a device can be written to or read from.
- (Access speed) Which types of devices are the fastest to access data?
- Devices without moving parts.
- Reliability
- How consistently a device performs without failing or corrupting data. e.g. a reliable storage device will last several years.
- Durability
- A device's ability to withstand physical damage and movement without breaking.