Secondary Storage
A type of storage that stores data and programs when the power on a computer is switched off.
There are 3 main types of secondary storage:
In the exams you will be asked to access secondary storage on 5 different conditions. Each type of secondary storage is good in different categories, as shown in the table below:
| Storage | Capacity | Speed | Portability | Durability | Reliability | Magnetic | High | Fairly fast. Not as fast as flash. | Poor - contains moving components | Less durable than flash due to moving parts. | Reliable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optical | Fairly high for size | Slowest | Most portable | Least durable | Unreliable - can be easily damaged |
| Flash | High, but lower than magnetic hard disk | Fastest | Portable- contains no moving parts | Most durable | Reliable |