Storage Peripheral Devices

Memory Sticks This is portable storage device. You can buy Memory sticks in various sizes depending on how much you want to spend. Typical capacity is about 2 Gigabytes but more expensive types can store 8 Gigabytes or more. A memory stick connects to the computer through the USB port, so they all have a square connector on the end. When you connect the stick to the computer, you will see a 'Found New Hardware' message appear and your stick becomes one of the drives on the computer. You can then drag files off and on the stick. You must remember to 'unmount' the stick from the computer or your data may be corrupted. A small icon will appear in the task bar with a green arrow and the message "Safely Remove Hardware". Click on that and follow the instructions. Memory sticks work using Flash technology and there are no moving parts.

Disk Drive A disk drive is a device which contains motors and electronics for storing (writing) and retrieving (reading) data on a disk. There are two main types, floppy-disk drives and hard-disk drives.

External Hard Drive An external hard drive is a portable storage device that can be attached to a computer through a USB or FireWire connection, or wirelessly. External hard drives typically have high storage capacities and are often used to back up computers or serve as a network drive. Information can be transferred to and from the computer and the hard drive.

Media Devices Definition of:portable media player. portable media player. An umbrella term for a variety of handheld devices that play back audio, video or both. The device may also serve as a portable photo album for still images such as GIFs and JPEGs.