Optical Storage Devices

Optical Storage

Optical Storages used to be incredibly popular up until the last couple of years where cloud storage and the rise of video and game streaming services have massively reduced their popularity.

Types of optical storage devices:

CD Drives (700MB)
DVD Drives (4.7GB)
BluRay Drives (50GB)

Optical storage devices offer cheap and portable high capacity secondary storage. Far more portable than an internal hard-drive, which makes them good for small / medium size backups and great for sending through the post.

How they work

Optical storage devices work by firing a laser at the surface of a spinning disk. The disc is covered in a pattern of pits in the CD surface. As the laser hits the pits it is reflected and the pattern of pits it detected by a laser detector.

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