Storage Devices

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.