DIGITAL STORAGE CHAPTER 7
No matter how boring this is, you can't grasp digital storage without know its measurement unit, which is byte. Byte (symbol: B): Byte is generally the smallest unit in digital storage. You can think of 1 byte as one character in a document. For example, we actually need to use 4 bytes to store just the word "byte." In real life, we use larger units, including kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte.
These are two terms that are often mistakenly used for each another, though they are two very different things.
Storage, in a nutshell, is where the information (such as Word documents, photos, movie clips, programs, and so on) is stored. In a computer, the whole operating system itself, such as Windows 7 or Mac OS, is also stored on the internal storage device. Storage is nonvolatile, meaning that the information is still there when the host device (a computer, for example) is turned off and is readily accessible when the device is turned back on. It's like a book or a paper notebook that's always there, ready for you to read or write on.
Memory (aka system memory, random access memory, or RAM), on the other hand, is where information is being processed and manipulated. Data in the system memory is volatile, meaning that when the computer is turned off, it's gone; the memory becomes blank, as if nothing has been there before. It's somewhat like the short-term memory part of your brain, where images or ideas are being formed and processed when you read a book
The hard drive has been the most common storage device for decades, dominating since the early 1960s. Solid-state drives, however, are relatively new and have been getting more and more popular in the last three years. In most case, they can be used interchangeably, and both have pros and cons.
Also known as solid-state hard drive or SSHD. As the name suggests, a hybrid drive is one that uses both regular platter-based storage and solid-state-based storage in one box. Hybrid drives come with a built-in algorithm that automatically moves the frequently accessed files, such as the those of the operating system, to the solid-state part, and leaves the more static data, such as photos or movies, on the hard-drive part. This offers SSD-like performance without the high price tag and the limited storage space.
These are two terms that are often mistakenly used for each another, though they are two very different things.
Storage, in a nutshell, is where the information (such as Word documents, photos, movie clips, programs, and so on) is stored. In a computer, the whole operating system itself, such as Windows 7 or Mac OS, is also stored on the internal storage device. Storage is nonvolatile, meaning that the information is still there when the host device (a computer, for example) is turned off and is readily accessible when the device is turned back on. It's like a book or a paper notebook that's always there, ready for you to read or write on.
Memory (aka system memory, random access memory, or RAM), on the other hand, is where information is being processed and manipulated. Data in the system memory is volatile, meaning that when the computer is turned off, it's gone; the memory becomes blank, as if nothing has been there before. It's somewhat like the short-term memory part of your brain, where images or ideas are being formed and processed when you read a book
The hard drive has been the most common storage device for decades, dominating since the early 1960s. Solid-state drives, however, are relatively new and have been getting more and more popular in the last three years. In most case, they can be used interchangeably, and both have pros and cons.
Also known as solid-state hard drive or SSHD. As the name suggests, a hybrid drive is one that uses both regular platter-based storage and solid-state-based storage in one box. Hybrid drives come with a built-in algorithm that automatically moves the frequently accessed files, such as the those of the operating system, to the solid-state part, and leaves the more static data, such as photos or movies, on the hard-drive part. This offers SSD-like performance without the high price tag and the limited storage space.
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