Essential Guide to Computer Data Storage: From Floppy to DVD, The

Introduction

Progress in magnetic recording technology in the last 40 years has been amazingly fast, with the density of recording for hard disk drives doubling every two years in the last decade. Newer technology typically translates into more data written on a smaller area (higher recording density), faster data transfer rates (higher performance), better reliability (lower cost of ownership), smaller size (mobility), lower cost, and so on.

Nowadays, magnetic storage devices range from old and proven floppy disk drives to the newest removable storage systems, like IBM 1 GB Microdrive or Iomega's 40 MB Clik! drive. These devices target different applications, have different designs, performance characteristics, and price tags. However, data ...