Advertisment

Storage Devices

author-image
PCQ Bureau
New Update

The days of storage devices for computers  started in

the year 1936, when Konrad Zuse of Germany realized that programs composed of bit

combinations could be stored. The sage is long and diverse.

Advertisment

1947-48: Drums to store data



The first storage device for a computer was the Magnetic Drum Memory,

introduced around 1947-48.

1956-57: Drum to disks



IBM introduced the first hard disk–RAMAC 305 (Random Access Method of

Accounting and Control). It used 50 two-feet diameter disks to store 5 MB.

1971: The first floppy



IBM launched the first floppy disk, or the “memory disk”–an

eight-inch circular plastic disk coated with iron oxide.

Advertisment

1973: Winchester



IBM launched the next generation of hard disks. The IBM

3340–code-named “Winchester”–featured a lighter read-write head and a

ski-like design that allowed the head to ride on a thin film of air.

1978: 5.25” floppy



Apple and Tandy launched the 5.25” floppy disk and drive.

1983: Bernoulli box



Iomega introduced a new storage device–the Bernoulli box. It was the

first “high capacity removable storage device” and used eight-inch cartridges of

10 MB capacity.

Advertisment

1984: 3.5” floppies

arrive



The 400 kB 3.5” floppy is released by Sony. It offers higher capacity

and is easier to carry. It was also more stable than the 5.25” floppy because of its

harder jacket.



1985: CD-ROMs



CD-ROMs (Compact Disks—Random Access Memory), developed in 1983 by

Sony and Philips to store digital audio, were introduced by Sony for the first time to

store computer data. A new format was defined for this purpose. Representatives of several

major manufacturers met at the High Sierra Hotel and Casino in Lake Tahoe, USA, in 1985

and defined a new format, nicknamed the “High Sierra Format” for CD-ROMs. Later,

this format was modified to form the ISO 9660 standard.

1988: MOs



NeXT Computer is released by NeXT with the first magneto-optical drive

(256 MB, read and write).

Advertisment

1992: CD-Rs



Philips introduced the CD-Recorder (also known as the CD writer or

CD-R)–the CDD-521.

1994: Zip it up



The Zip disk is introduced by Iomega. The capacity is 100 MB and it’s

connected to the parallel port.

1997: CD-RWs



The CD-Rewritable (CD-RW) was introduced by a consortium of five companies

including Philips, Sony, and Imation.

1998: DVD-ROM



Philips released the DVD-ROM for computer data storage, with a capacity of

2.6 GB per side.

Advertisment