Other Devices
Invention springs eternal[58] in the computer industry. So more and different devices are brought out all the time, especially for special uses. The history of computing suggests[59] that some new technology will take over the market in the near future. Guessing which one will win the race is what makes fortunes in the stock[60] market!
Flash Memory |
S Devices like digital cameras, digital camcorders[62], and cell phones may use CompactFlash, SmartMedia, or another flash memory card. Laptop computers use PCMCIA cards, another type of flash memory, as solid-state hard disks. |
USB drive |
T All are small, about the size of your thumb or car key, and plug into a USB port on the computer. No drivers are needed for Windows XP, 2000, or Me. Plug it in and the computer reports a new hard drive! Such small flash drives can have storage capacities, from 8 to 1 GB or more! Much better than a floppy disk! Some flash drives include password protection and the ability to run software right off the USB drive. |
Removable hard drives |
S The image at the right is of an external Zip drive with a disk sticking out. |
Mass storage |
Businesses with very large sets of data that need easy access use sets of cartridges with robot arms to pull out the right one on command. |
Smart cards |
A Another use involves a new sensor technology which lets a smart card read your fingerprint right on the card. The digital image of the fingerprint is then transmitted to a database to compare it with the one on file for that card. You can prove you are really you!! |
Optical cards |
A chip on the card holds information like health records and auto repair records. They can hold more data than the smart cards since they don't need to do any processing. |
everal
different brands of removable storage cards, also called memory
cards, are now available. These are solid-state[61]
devices (no moving parts) that read and write data electrically,
instead of magnetically.
his
new type of flash memory storage device does not yet have a
generally accepted name. Each company calls it something
different, including flash drive, flash pen, thumb
drive[63],
key drive, and mini-USB drive.
everal
types of special drives that compress data are available. A
regular external hard drive can be used for backup, too.
chip on the card itself tracks changes, like deducting
purchases[64]
from the amount entered originally on the card. Smart cards are
already used in Europe and at colleges instead of using a
handful[65]
of coins at vending[66]
machines and at Laundromats[67].