Storage Basics
The most common way to persistently store data on computer systems is using a hard disk drive (HDD). Hard disk drives are physical devices that store data using a set of disk platters that spin around, storing data magnetically on the platters with a moveable read/write head that writes and retrieves magnetic images on the platters.
These days another popular type of persistent storage is called a solid-state drive (SSD). These drives use integrated circuits to store data electronically. There are no moving parts contained in SSDs, making them faster and more resilient than HDDs. While currently SSDs are more expensive than HDDs, technology is quickly changing that, and it may not be long before HDDs are a thing of the past.
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