Suitable storage devices and storage media for a given application

1.2.2 Secondary Storage

Secondary Storage — Note 3 of 4

What you need to know

Different applications require different types of storage. Choosing the right storage depends on factors like how much data needs storing, how fast it needs to be accessed, whether it needs to be portable, and budget constraints.

What to know

SSDs are good for laptops, phones, and tablets — lightweight, no moving parts, fast.
HDDs are good for desktop PCs and servers — high capacity, cheap per GB for large-scale storage.
Optical discs are good for distributing media (music, films, software) — very cheap per disc.
Flash drives (USB sticks) are good for transferring small files between computers — portable and convenient.

Exam technique

Tip:In context questions, JUSTIFY your choice by explaining WHY the characteristics of that storage type suit the given scenario. E.g. 'An SSD is suitable because it has no moving parts, making it durable for a portable device'.
Mistake:Just naming a storage type without explaining why it is suitable for the scenario. Always give reasons.

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