Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Yesterday, we learned how data is represented in a computer.  Today we will take a look at how it's *stored*.  We obviously have all of our data converted into bits...1s & 0s. Presence or absence.  The book calls this the PandA system.  Presence and absence looks different in different forms of media.

One of the most recognized hardware terms is the "hard drive".  Traditionally, that has referred to a spinning disk which stores data magnetically.

Let's see how a hard drive works!



Currently, data storage is moving toward solid state drives, which are less affected by movement.  Solid state drives are just great big repositories of flash memory.

"What about a CD or DVD?" you might ask.  Well, those are fun to look into also, especially dvd's that we can burn at home...those have dye inside!