Input, Output and Storage devices

What is the difference between RAM and ROM?

RAM is volatile and stores data in use; ROM is non-volatile and stores firmware like the bootstrap loader.

What type of storage is RAM?

Primary storage.

Is RAM volatile or non-volatile?

Volatile.

What is ROM used for?

Storing the bootstrap program and firmware.

Is ROM volatile or non-volatile?

Non-volatile.

What storage device uses magnetic platters and read/write heads?

Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

Give two advantages of HDDs.

Large capacity and low cost per GB.

Give two disadvantages of HDDs.

Slower than SSDs and less durable due to moving parts.

What technology do SSDs use?

NAND flash memory (solid-state).

Give two advantages of SSDs.

Faster than HDDs and more durable (no moving parts).

Give one disadvantage of SSDs.

More expensive per GB than HDDs.

What are examples of optical storage?

CD, DVD, Blu-ray.

How does optical storage work?

A laser reads/writes data from the disc surface.

Give one advantage and one disadvantage of optical storage.

Cheap and portable, but easily damaged and low capacity.

What is magnetic tape used for?

Backup and archival storage.

What is a major drawback of magnetic tape?

Sequential access – slow to locate specific data.

Why is cloud storage considered tertiary?

It's used for backup, off-site access, and large-scale storage.

Give one benefit and one risk of cloud storage.

Accessible anywhere and scalable, but depends on internet and may have privacy concerns.

Which is faster: SSD or HDD?

SSD.

Which has a lower cost per GB: SSD or HDD?

HDD.

What kind of access does magnetic tape use?

Sequential access.

What kind of access does an SSD use?

Direct/random access.

What is primary storage?

Memory directly accessible by the CPU (e.g. RAM, ROM).

What is secondary storage?

Non-volatile memory used to store data long-term (e.g. HDD, SSD).

What is tertiary storage?

Used for long-term backup/archive (e.g. magnetic tape, cloud storage).

5 types of input device?

Keyboard, Microphone, Sensor, Barcode scanner, Mouse

5 types of output device?

Screen/Monitor/Display, Printer, Speaker, Headphones, Haptic (Vibration in controller)

Keyboard, Microphone, Sensor, Barcode scanner, Mouse are examples of …

Input devices

Screen/Monitor/Display, Printer, Speaker, Headphones, Haptic (Vibration in controller) are example of …

Output devices