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What are the Different Types of Digital Storage?

Felicia Dye
Felicia Dye

There are many advantages to digital storage. One is that it allows a large amount of information to be held in a small space. Another is that it can make transferring information from one device to another very easy. There are many types of digital storage that offer people these benefits. They include compact discs (CDs), flash drives, and memory cards.

If a person compares a CD to many older forms of information storage, he is likely to realize that a great deal of convenience is offered in its slim design. A CD is a disk that can hold varying amounts of information depending on its capacity. That disk can then be used in several types of devices when a person wants to access that information. A digital video disc (DVD) offers many of the same characteristics. This type of digital storage disc makes saving and retrieving image and video files simple and convenient.

A stack of DVDs.
A stack of DVDs.

Flash drives are small devices that are generally connected by way of a universal serial bus (USB). A USB is a type of connection that can be found on numerous items such as computers, televisions, and car radios. When a flash drive is plugged in, information can be transferred to it for digital storage. It can later be accessed on another machine and in many cases transferred to that machine.

An external hard drive.
An external hard drive.

An external hard drive is similar in many ways to a flash drive. It is usually connectible by way of a USB. Like the flash drive, it can store various types of files such as video and text. There are, however, two notable differences. An external hard drive is almost always bigger than a flash drive. Also, an external hard drive generally has a greater digital storage capacity.

A USB drive.
A USB drive.

A SIM card is a subscriber identity module. This is a small chip that operates when inserted into portable devices such as telephones or 3G Internet connections. This chip allows for the digital storage of various types of information such as text messages and contact information.

Memory cards are small chips that normally fit into devices such as cameras, video games, and telephones. Even some telephones that operate with SIM cards also have slots for memory cards. This is because memory cards allow for the digital storage of a wide range of file types. Those memory cards can later be transferred to other devices or placed into memory card readers which can be connected to other devices.

Discussion Comments

anon133026

I'm trying to figure out how much storage I need on an external hard drive. I am a graphic designer, and also keep many photographs and videos on my computer.

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    • A stack of DVDs.
      A stack of DVDs.
    • An external hard drive.
      An external hard drive.
    • A USB drive.
      By: zayedbaloch
      A USB drive.
    • A closeup view of a SIM card, one type of digital storage.
      By: ibphoto
      A closeup view of a SIM card, one type of digital storage.
    • Memory cards are used for digital media storage in digital cameras.
      By: xiaosan
      Memory cards are used for digital media storage in digital cameras.
    • External memory card readers may be used to read memory cards.
      By: Marek Cech
      External memory card readers may be used to read memory cards.
    • A hard drive reader allows a hard drive to function like a portable mass media device.
      By: witthaya
      A hard drive reader allows a hard drive to function like a portable mass media device.
    • Older computers might use floppy disks to store data.
      By: Konstantin Emelyanov
      Older computers might use floppy disks to store data.
    • CDs and DVDs can be used in several types of devices.
      By: imagedb.com
      CDs and DVDs can be used in several types of devices.