Reference Guide

Storage device
Storage devices allow you to store data for later use. Storage devices can be internal or external. Most storage devices store data
until you manually delete the data. Examples of storage devices are hard‑disk drives (HDD), solid‑state drives (SSD), optical-disc
drives, flash drives, and so on.
Internal storage devices
Internal storage devices are installed on your computer and generally cannot be removed while the computer is turned on. The most
common internal storage devices are hard-disk drives—HDDs and solid-state drives—SSDs. HDDs and SSDs use SATA interface to
transfer information. SSDs are also physically similar to HDDs, which makes them compatible with existing computers. HDDs contain
disk platters. SSDs use flash memory which makes SSDs faster, quieter, energy-efficient, and shock resistant.
Removable storage devices
Storage devices that can be removed from your computer without turning off your computer are called removable storage devices.
Commonly used removable storage devices include:
● Optical discs
● Memory cards
● Flash drives
● External hard drives
Optical drives and discs
Your computer may support a DVD RW or a DVD RW and Blu-ray combo drive. Optical discs can be read-only, write-once, or
re-writeable. Some of the common types of drives are:
● Blu-ray writer—Reads and writes to Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, and CDs.
● Blu-ray reader + DVD RW combo—Reads Blu-ray Discs. Reads and writes to DVDs and CDs.
● DVD RW—Reads and writes to DVDs and CDs.
Memory cards
Memory cards, also referred to as media or flash cards, use flash memory to store data. They are re-writable, fast, and retain data
even when power supply is cut off. They are commonly used in devices such as digital cameras, mobile phones, media players, gaming
consoles, and so on. Your computer may have a media-card reader to read and write to these cards.
Some common types of memory cards are:
Table 1. Examples of common types of memory cards
Secure Digital (SD)/Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC)
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