Types of Magnetic Storage Devices of a Computer - Where To Buy Them

If you want to buy a storage device for your computer, understanding them is the first step. In computers, storage devices store permanent or temporary data, which is handled by programs or applications running on these systems. In the recent years, storage devices have become as important as a computer because of the increased amount of information currently managed by millions of computer users. As you know, there are storage devices that can be brought from the market that can store lots and lots of memory but then also it is not sufficient due to the lack of capacity to transport data and to reserve most important confidential information. It is due to this reason that today different storage devices are being developed which use their own technology and system to operate. As discussing all the storage devices of computer is not possible in one article, today, I will only share some info on four types of magnetic storage devices which are namely magnetic tapes, magnetic drums, hard drives, and diskette and floppy disks. I know that floppy disks are far outdated but then also learning about them will be good for you if you want to know the basics of magnetic storage systems in computers, so read on:

Hard Drive Storage Device

Hard drives are the most popular storage subsystem in the computers. Hard drives are responsible for storing persistent info on a computer and due to its persistency it has been considered as the most important computer storage system sold in the market.

Magnetic Tape Storage Device

A magnetic tape storage device contains a plastic tape that is coated with magnetic material, which records characters in form of combinations of points on tracks parallel to longitudinal axis of tape. These tapes are sequential media. There is a problem with magnetic tapes because every time access to certain information becomes necessary to read all data that precedes it resulting in loss of time.

Magnetic Drum Storage Device

Magnetic drum storage device contains either a hollow cylinder or a solid cylinder, which rotate at a consistent velocity. These cylinders are covered with magnetic material that is capable of retaining information, which is recorded and read by a head whose arm moves in the direction of the axis of rotation of the drum. In magnetic drum, access to information is direct and not in a sequential pattern like magnetic tapes.

Floppy disk or Diskette Storage Device

A diskette or a floppy disk is a flexible plastic disk covered by magnetic material, which allows reading and recording of limited data stored on it. A floppy disk is thin and flexible enclosed in a rectangular or square thin shell of plastic. These disks are currently out of fashion. They are usually sized around 3½ to 5¼ inches and are still used in personal computers.

So above were the four types of magnetic storage devices of a computer system. In my next article, I will share some info on Six Types of Optical Storage Devices of a Computer, which will help you in understanding them before buying them.