Magnetic tape came first, followed by floppy disks, then compact discs and now flash drives. Like the rest of the electronics industry, computer storage media has changed so fast over the past generation, it may seem impossible to keep up. This blank media buying guide includes some basic information to help you understand what's up and what's going down, to help you pick what will best meet your needs.
"Disk" v. "disc" is a small matter, but if you really want to do it right:
"Burner" is the disc equivalent of a tape recorder. If a component can only read CDs or DVDs, it's generally called a drive; if it can read and record, it's most often called a burner, since it records with a laser beam.
Compact discs (CDs) are 12cm in diameter and hold about 700MB of data. This equates to about 75 minutes of audio. There is also a min-disc, which is 8cm, and specialty items like business card-sized discs. Current CD formats include:
Digital versatile discs (DVDs) are also 12cm diameter, but use a 650nm laser, making smaller data impressions and storing more data, 4.7GB per layer or up to 16 GB on a double-sided double-layer disc (that's a lot of DVD audio or video!).>
USB flash drives were first marketed as the "thumb drive" or "jump drive" (manufacturers' product names); USB flash memory sticks have caught on among users needing durable, portable data storage. "Flash drive" has become the most common moniker. Essentially, a USB flash drive is a chip in a housing with a USB connector. Some flash drives also have write-protect switches and LEDs showing when the drive is in use. Biometric and other security systems are also being introduced. Unlike other blank computer storage media, the housing can take almost any form, like toys or food, for example, or they can be integrated into other devices like watches, pens, etc. Compact flash memory capacities increase almost all the time; 64GB flash drives are already on the market (although they are really, really expensive).
This housing makes a USB flash drive almost impervious to scratches and dust (serious problems for discs), and they are estimated at 100,000 rewrite cycles or more. A flash drive has even survived total immersion in water (a washing machine!) and performed to spec after drying out before use.
Buy more than you need. This is not a recommendation for conspicuous consumption; it's a simple fact of cyber-life. Regardless of what you think you need, a year or two down the road you'll need more.
Don't buy a new computer if you don't have to: Upgrades are available very reasonably priced (especially at Overstock.com). You can choose internal or external hardware: Internals are built-in to the extra space almost every computer has. This requires little knowledge of electronics beyond the ability to read and follow instructions, but since this qualifies as major surgery to your desktop computer or laptop computer, home users generally leave it to their favorite computer store. Externals are easy -- you just take it home, plug in the USB cord, install the driver and turn it on. Either way, you'll have a new CD burner or DVD burner.
Blank CDs and blank DVDs are vastly less delicate than floppy disks, but that doesn't mean you can abuse them. A few simple rules will lengthen your disc's service life to its maximum:
What does "USB" stand for?
USB stands for "universal serial bus" -- the small, somewhat square connectors that are on almost all computers these days. Once upon a time (and not that long ago), each peripheral -- monitor, printer, mouse, keyboard, so on -- had its own unique plug, and the computer had a jack for each one. This was a fairly good idea, but what about the user that had two printers? What about new peripherals introduced after that computer was designed? USB was created as a solution to all compatibility issues. USB hasn't achieved that goal yet, but the plug-n-play era is in full swing and things can only improve from here.
Why is my hard drive the C: drive?
Early computers didn't have them; programs were loaded onto disks, and users had to put the floppy disk into the floppy drive to boot up every time the computer was turned on. Soon, computers had two drives, one for programs (the A: drive), the other for storage (the B: drive). When the first hard drives were installed, they became the C: drive, a convention which continues to the present (in PCs, anyway). Blank CDs and blank DVDs went into the D: drive, USB flash drives are often designated E: drive, so your new external hard drive may get to be the F: drive. Who knows what we'll be putting in our G: drives! Many current generation computers are no longer floppy disk compatible, so you may not even have an A: or B: drive.
What about camera memory cards?
Memory cards for digital cameras are designed around the same principals as USB flash drives. In theory, they are compatible with desktop computers and laptops; you just need a port to insert them so the computer can read them. Many printers, especially photo printers, are now designed with built-in memory card ports. Manufacturers are also making external multi-port card readers that might soon make memory cards as common as floppy drives used to be. Some computers even feature internal media card readers.
Get more stuff!
There are a lot of computer accessories around. You can add a carrying case, extra batteries, cameras and speakers, headsets and microphones, USB hubs, FireWire hubs and more. You spent a lot of good money on that machine (a lot more if you didn't buy it at Overstock.com); you should have all the fun with it you can possibly have!
Security is the name of the game.
Portability of data isn't the only reason for using blank computer storage media. Security should be on every computer owner's mind. Worms and viruses are an epidemic; hard drives crash occasionally and identity thieves (among others) are out there trying to hack you. You should have a four-point back-up plan:
You'll never need a Get Out of Jail card if you never land on Go To Jail!
Modern computers have given almost anyone the power to create individualized CDs, DVDs, even books. This is great for your personal, family or community history, but it has led some not-so-polite individuals to illegally record the creations of hard working artists, most of whom are not mega-rich superstars. Overstock.com condemns copyright piracy in all forms. In the US, copyright piracy is a federal offense with severe penalties. It is investigated by the FBI, whose agents are very good at what they do.
For more information about copyright laws and the cost -- to copyright owners and to pirates when they get caught -- visit the Software & Information Industry Assoc. or the United States Copyright Office .