Portable Data Storage

General Description

CDs and DVDs

CD-ROM: More commonly referred to as "CDs," CD-ROMs were originally designed for music playback but were modified to also act as a portable storage devise for other types of digital data. CDs can hold about 700MB of data.

DVD: Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs) are similar to CDs but they can hold much more data (up to 4.7 GB for a single-sided, single layer disk or 17GB for a double-sided, dual-layer disk). Both CDs and DVDs are great for backing up your digital files or even home movies and pictures.
Both of the above also come in mini and business card sizes. These are not as common, but have been used in several cameras.

Flash Drives

Flash Drive: Also known as jump drives or USB keys, because they connect to your computer through a USB port, flash drives are a popular way to transfer and store digital data. They're roughly the size of a cigarette lighter or a stick of gum, and they come in a variety of common storage sizes including 256 MB, 512MB, 1GB, and 2 GB.

Flash drives don't have any moving parts, because they store data on a small, printed circuit board, so they can be carried around more conveniently than other portable storage devises. It's common to have Flash drives on a lanyard, keychain, or even stored in your pocket. Recent commercialization of these drives have disguised them in bright colors, new shapes, and even as popular TV and Movie Characters. This has made them attractive to a larger audience.

The newest versions of these may include a partition that acts as a CD rom and are designed to carry portable versions of software in addition to data.

Memory Cards

Memory Card: Memory cards (or flash memory cards) are commonly used with digital cameras, handheld computers (PDAs), and music players. They are square or rectangular, range in size from a fingernail to the size of the largest postage stamp, and fit directly into your portable devise and then connect to a computer either directly or through a special card reader hub connected to the USB slot on your computer. Like flash drives, memory cards come in the same variety of common sizes.

Portable Hard Drives

Portable Hard Drive: Also known as a USB hard drives or external hard drives, portable hard drives currently hold the most data out of the all portable storage devices. They are exactly the same as the hard drive in your computer but are encased in a box and connected to your computer through a USB port. A portable hard drive can be used as back-up for your files, or used as another hard drive to store your files.

There are 3 main types

Mini : these are physically tiny, similar in size to flash drives or compact flash cards. Capacity is on the order of 2-12 GB and is rather slow. These are typically around the size of a zippo lighter or a roll of tape. They are self-contained and run off usb. These drives are also used for some CompactFlash? cards
Laptop : these are commonly used in laptops and are typically either 1.8" or 2.5" devices. Capacity tends to run from 20-160 GB at the time of this writing. Put into a portable case, they can make small, powerful storage. They can often be run of a usb port without an external AC adapter. The 1.8" devices can be the size of a stack of floppies, while the 2.5" tend to be a bit larger than a deck of cards. These still can generate a fair bit of heat, so look for a metal case.
Desktop : these are the the same drives used in desktop system, 3.5". Capacity runs the gambit, currently toping out at 750 GB. They can be made portable using an external case, and will require additional power. The so called terabyte drives are multiple drives teamed up to act as one. Real terabyte drives are on the way though.

They only come in larger sizes, typically 40 GB, 80GB, 120GB, 250GB, even as big as a terabyte.

Portable Media Player

Portable Media Player: iPods & friends, from 128 MB to 80 GB ...

Magnetic Tape

9-track 1/2" reels: The good old standard. Data capacities up to 6250 bpi. Typical reel length is 2400 feet, with resulting capacity of around 120MB (depending upon the blocking factor). Makes a formidable weapon when thrown frisbee-style at your enemies.

QIC (quarter-inch cartridge): More compact and sturdy than the 9-track reel, this format offers better portability as well as increased capacity. Typical capacity is 150-250MB (increased with later formats). Though more compact, it has a metal baseplate that still make it an effective weapon.

8-mm cartridge: Again more compact than the QIC, this format uses cartridges similar to 8-mm video equipment. Typical capacity is 2.3-5GB (also increased with later formats). Unfortunately, due to its mainly plastic lightweight construction, its use as a weapon is limited.

4-mm cartridge: Continuing down the size scale, this format uses cartridges similar to DAT (digital audio tape) equipment. Typical capacity is 4-12GB (yes; also increased with later formats). Useless as a weapon.

DLT (digital linear tape) cartridge: Reversing the downward trend, this format again uses a 1/2" tape except this time it is contained in a 4.1" square cartridge. The tape length is 1200 feet or more, with capacities from 94MB to 110GB or more. Weapon capacity is increased; due to the weight, it's offensive capability is comparable to that of the QIC.

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