Categories of Storage Primary Storage (Volatile) Secondary Storage (Non-Volatile) Tertiary & Offline Storage Cloud Storage Key Characteristics Feature HDD SSD RAM Cloud Volatility Non-volatile Non-volatile Volatile Non-volatile Speed Slow (100 MB/s) Fast (500 MB/s–7 GB/s) Very fast (10–100 GB/s) Depends on internet Cost per GB Low Medium–High High Subscription-based Durability Mechanical wear No moving parts Not for storage Depends on provider Use Case Mass storage OS, apps, games Active processing Backup, sync, access anywhere Storage Hierarchy (Fastest to Slowest) Storage Capacity Units
Portable Storage for the Digital Age A USB flash drive (also known as a thumb drive, pen drive, or memory stick) is a small, portable storage device that uses flash memory and connects to computers via a USB port. It revolutionized data portability by replacing floppy disks and CDs with a compact, durable, and high-capacity solution. Invention of the USB Flash Drive Historical Background Architecture and Features USB flash drives are built for portability and ease of use: Types of USB Flash Drives Type Description Standard USB-A Traditional connector, widely compatible with desktops and laptops. USB-C Flash Drive Modern connector, reversible, faster speeds, works with new laptops/phones. Dual USB Drive Features both USB-A and USB-C/micro-USB for cross-device compatibility. Secure Flash Drive Includes...
seseltan