A storage device

write

read

storage medium

volatile

non-volatile

The table below shows why secondary storage media became necessary.

Primary Secondary
Mostly Permanent (used
Temporary for backup and
future use)
Fast and Slow and less
expensive expensive
Small in Large in capacity
capacity

Storage Capacity

Access Speed

milliseconds.

Portability

drive.

Direct Access Storage Devices

Serial/Sequential Access Storage Devices

magnetic media

optical media

solid state media.

patterns of dots that can be read using light. A laser beam is the usual light
source.

Solid-state storage devices are based on electronic circuits with no moving

parts (no reels of tape, no spinning discs, no laser beams, etc.)
flash memory

EEPROM.