MIST 7500 Final Exam - Blog Post 5

Hello again from CyberSpace!

How many Kilobytes did it take to post this page? Where is it stored? How long will it be available? How many more are just like it (I can think of 30+ similar posts) in the world? There is a lot to consider when thinking about the vast increase of technology usage in the world.

This blog post is dedicated to the data we create while living in a digital society. Data storage isn't anything new when you take a broader look at what data is and how it can be stored. Humans have stored data for thousands of years, including word of mouth and written records. Only recently have we begun to look at mechanical forms of data storage.


Check out the video below on digital data storage:

I thought it does a good job highlighting data storage mediums along with capacities. It can be hard to appreciate just how large a Terabyte is until you have a point of reference.

I'm sure we're all familiar with the more traditional disk-based data storage mediums, from hard-disks to floppy disks to CDs and DVDs. These all operate basically the same way - data is recorded on the disk, which is then spun across a reading device (an arm for hard-drives, a laser for CDs), which un-encodes the data for the computer. While there are several difference between the three mediums, they all work in a similar fashion.

The biggest changes in data storage options within the previous decade are Blu-Ray discs and Solid State memory. Blu-ray discs, a medium released in 2001 by by Sony, are the next generation of CDs and DVDs which offer upwards of 25 gigabytes of data storage. Typically used for High Definition movies, BD has firmly planted itself as the next-generation medium for high capacity storage.

The other option, Solid State memory, which moves away from the standard spin-and-read process of storing data. SSD uses microchips instead of moving parts, which increase the retrieval speed of the memory. These are very common, but in smaller sizes due to the cost of production, and most commonly found in Flash drives. Given the expense, however, they are slow to take over for the traditional hard-disks.

So, until we can write our memory on a grain of sand, we will keep spinning and micro-chipping our way into the past.

Look for the next and final installment in this exam assignment: Web Services