Each data storage technology has carved out a separate niche market for itself. The advent of new and improved technologies does not seem to shake the stronghold of traditional technology.
Though optical media using improved blue laser technology aims to make data storage simple and convenient, people still prefer to use traditional floppy disks. Large corporations including multinational corporations use tape drives for archiving and backup purposes. The first data storage devices to be popularised in the market were the floppy disks. At that time, they boasted of maximum storage space with flexible data entry aces. However, the introduction of zip disks and portable hard drives changed perception. People came to realise the disadvantages of the floppy in spite of its many benefits. One only comes to know about the drawbacks of a device if an improved gadget enters the scene. This new gadget improves upon the existent technology drawbacks.
Benefits of the Floppy
- Possible to copy files from one computer to another
- Floppy disks are inexpensive to buy
- Convenient to use requiring no technical knowledge and expertise
Disadvantages of Floppy Disks
- A floppy has limited storage capacity and even has restrictive access to type of data stored. Graphics and audio-visual material cannot be stored on floppies.
- Floppies have low speed capacities. It is not a good option to use floppies if the user is pressed for time.
- Floppies are not reliable data storage devices. They are easily prone to data loss and require proper care and maintenance. Thus, indirectly floppy disks are expensive as floppy maintenance is not cheap.
The portable hard drive tried to improve upon the drawbacks of the floppy. It guaranteed:
- Easy data access with high speed capacities
- Portability offering flexibility and convenience
- Greater storage capacity
- Ability to store different kinds of data
But the portable hard drive also suffered from a major drawback of being unreliable. The disks were prone to fatal data loss disasters. Thus, a user had to ensure that the portable hard drive was properly maintained and handled. This often included checking the location, packaging, and temperature exposure of the drive. It did become a major cause of dissatisfaction. The portable hard drive did serve a higher purpose of being able to store data at any place. It also guaranteed data security i.e. protecting data from hackers.
Then came a new set of technology characterised mainly by data security. This era was greatly influenced by the Data Protection Act of 1988 which stated that every user was personally responsible for the security of his or her data.
USB Flash Drive
Benefits
- Resistance: USB Flash drives are resistant to scratches and mechanical damage. They are protected against dust penetration due to their rigid metal casing.
- Comfort: USB flash drives are convenient to use on modern PCs because of their compatible nature. It can be used on all devices fitted with a USB port and necessary device drivers.
- Storage: USB flash drives are a compact means of storage storing more than a CD i.e. 700 MB or 4.7 GB of a DVD.
Limitations
- Damage: USB flash drives can be damaged or corrupted through physical abuse. The circuitry of a flash drive is corrupted by improper wiring of the USB port.
- Size: USB flash drives are small in size and can be easily lost or mislaid.
- Life span: The life span of the USB flash drive is measured in number of write and erase cycles. Usually, it has a long functional life span spanning several hundred thousand cycles i.e. more than 15 years.
- Write-protection: USB flash drives have a write-protect mechanism. This feature allows the USB flash drive to repair virus-contaminated PCs without infecting the flash device itself.
Tape Drives: Tapes improve upon the limitations of the USB flash drive offering:
- Varied application uses owing to simplicity and universality
- Improving upon data access speed
- Improving upon data storage capacity
But the main drawback seems to be its unreliability. Tape drives have to be operated manually. They are prone to data losses through logical and physical errors.
Optical Disks
- Mass storage capacity in gigabytes
- Mountable/unmountable storage units
- Low cost per bit of storage
- Long media life
- High data stability i.e. reliability
