Properties of Magnetic Storage
Computer Science: OCR A Level, topic 1.3.4
Properties of Magnetic Media
To compare magnetic storage with the other types of media, it is important to understand the advantages and disadvantages of storing data magnetically.
Low cost
- Magnetic media is very low cost per unit capacity.
- This makes it an economical choice for storing large amounts of data.
Low speed
- Magnetic media needs a high number of moving parts.
- The high number of moving parts make magnetic media slow to access.
Good reliability
- Magnetic media is reliable and tends to last for a long time.
- Magnetic media is not robust, and tends to break on impact or during vibrations.
High capacity
- Magnetic media can store a large quantity of data in a compact way.
- This makes them a popular choice for archives as well as home computers.
Test yourself on Properties of Magnetic Storage
Why might a company choose to use magnetic media to make backups of large files?
Why might a company choose to use a different type of storage device if they need to have fast access to their data in the future?