Easy-to-use, USB 3.0 storage solution when you need to instantly add data storage to your computer. Snag one of the best USB Type-C SSDs for game storage on PC or console The best external SSDs give you unparalleled storage performance on the go, and the enticing possibility of actually running.
In computing, external storage comprises devices that store information outside a computer. Such devices may be permanently attached to the computer, may be removable or may use removable media.
Types of external storage[edit]
Magnetic storage[edit]
Optical storage[edit]
Optical storage devices have media that use laser light technology for data storage and retrieval.
Compact disc[edit]
Types of Compact Discs (CDs) include:
- CD-ROM: (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) It can only be read through the drive. And are usually manufactured by in bulk by a stamp type system.
- CD-R: (Compact Disc Recordable) was invented in the 1990s. Using CD-R, it is possible to write data once on a disc at home without the stamping equipment required for CD-ROMs. These are considered write once, read many disks.
- CD-RW: (Compact Disc Re-Writable) same as the CD-R but can be erased and reused. There is a limit on how many times a CD-RW can be written. Presently this limit is 1000 times. CD-RW drives are compatible with CD-ROM and CD-R.
DVD[edit]
DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc. Its speed is much faster than CD but not as fast as hard disk. The standard DVD-5 technology has a storage capacity of 4.7 GB per layer; most DVDs have a single layer but up to four layers are specified. Also DVD storage capacity changes with recording format. Air sketch pro.
Blu-ray[edit]
Blu-ray storage capacity is up to 50 gigabytes (or even 100 GB) of data.[1]The Blu-ray Disc (BD) is a digital optical disc format. It was originally created to take the place of the DVD format due to its expanded storage capacity. The name 'Blu-ray' is derived from the use of a blue laser that is used to read the disc. This would be in contrast to the red laser used to read DVD Discs.
M-DISC[edit]
M-Discs are available as DVD or Blu-ray discs.Flash memory devices[edit]
Best External Storage For Pc
Memory card[edit]
Memory cards are flash memory storage media used to store digital information in many electronics products. The types of memory cards include CompactFlash, PCMCIA, secure digital card, multimedia card, memory stick etc.
Memory stick[edit]
Sony introduced memory stick standard in 1998. Memory stick is an integrated circuit designed to serve as a storage and transfer medium for digital data. It can store data in various form as text, graphics, digital images etc. transfer of data is possible between devices having memory stick slots. Memory sticks are available in various storage sizes ranging from 4 MB to 64 MB. What does command a do. The dimensions of a memory stick are 50 mm long, 21.5 mm wide and 2.8 mm thick (in case of pro format). The transfer speed of memory stick is 160 Mbit/s.
USB drives[edit]
A USB flash drive, also variously known as a, thumb drive, pen drive, jump drive, disk key, disk on key, flash-drive, memory stick or USB memory,[a] is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated USB interface
References[edit]
- ^'Blu-ray Disc for Data'. Blu-ray Disc Association. Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). Retrieved 27 September 2015.
More commonly referred to as an external drive, external storage is storage that's not part of the internal parts of a computer. These drives often connect to the computer using USB, eSATA, or FireWire connection. The picture is an example of a Drobo and an example of a popular external storage solution.
Examples of external storage devices
The following list is of external storage devices used over the evolution of the computer. Clicking on any of these links open further information about that external storage device.
NoteSome of the devices mentioned below could use an internal reader. For example, a floppy disk drive could be an internal drive that reads an external storage floppy disk. Also, new computers that no longer support floppy drives could use an external USB floppy drive that would make the drive and diskette external.
Why is external storage used?
External Storage For Laptops
Below is a list of the advantages to using an external storage device with a computer.
- Easy way to add additional storage or options to your computer without having to open the computer.
- With an external hard drive, you can store a lot of data for backup or to move between computers.
- An external disc drive can allow a computer without a disc drive to read CDs, DVDs, or other discs.
- Devices like the Drobo can give your computer additional features such as RAID help keep your data protected.
How do you access external storage?
Once connected, external storage is treated the same as internal storage (e.g., your hard drive) on your computer. For example, if you're connecting a USB thumb drive to a computer, it appears as a new drive letter in Explorer. If the next available drive letter was F:, the F: drive should appear in Explorer. Once visible, you can double-click the drive letter to open and browse the files on the thumb drive.
NoteExternal storage drives that have not yet been formatted (e.g., new external hard drive) must be set up before it's accessible on the computer. For help with setting up a new hard drive, see: How do I set up a hard drive and partition in Windows?
Examples of external storage devices
The following list is of external storage devices used over the evolution of the computer. Clicking on any of these links open further information about that external storage device.
NoteSome of the devices mentioned below could use an internal reader. For example, a floppy disk drive could be an internal drive that reads an external storage floppy disk. Also, new computers that no longer support floppy drives could use an external USB floppy drive that would make the drive and diskette external.
Why is external storage used?
External Storage For Laptops
Below is a list of the advantages to using an external storage device with a computer.
- Easy way to add additional storage or options to your computer without having to open the computer.
- With an external hard drive, you can store a lot of data for backup or to move between computers.
- An external disc drive can allow a computer without a disc drive to read CDs, DVDs, or other discs.
- Devices like the Drobo can give your computer additional features such as RAID help keep your data protected.
How do you access external storage?
Once connected, external storage is treated the same as internal storage (e.g., your hard drive) on your computer. For example, if you're connecting a USB thumb drive to a computer, it appears as a new drive letter in Explorer. If the next available drive letter was F:, the F: drive should appear in Explorer. Once visible, you can double-click the drive letter to open and browse the files on the thumb drive.
NoteExternal storage drives that have not yet been formatted (e.g., new external hard drive) must be set up before it's accessible on the computer. For help with setting up a new hard drive, see: How do I set up a hard drive and partition in Windows?
Related pages
Gear 360 program. Enclosure, External, Hard drive terms
