CD-ROM, DVD & Floppy Drives

A computer's hard disk drive serves as a permanent, fixed storage space for your files, programs and information. However, when you need to move files from one location to another, you will need to record information on a 1.44 MB Floppy Disk or on a CD-ROM using either a CD-ROM drive or a DVD-ROM drive.

Like hard disk drives, these other types of storage devices can either be internal or external, though they are usually found attached as internal drives on most desktop computers.

Recommendation: 1 DVD-RW Drive and 1 50X speed CD-ROM Drive or faster; this will allow you to record from the CD-ROM Drive to the DVD-RX Drive.

Most computers have a 1.44 Floppy Drive, though they aren't necessary.

CD-ROM Drives

A standard CD-ROM is a "read-only" disk, meaning you cannot copy files to it or change any of the information on it. A CD-ROM can store up to around 700 MB and it can read both regular music CDs and computer data CD-ROMs.

CD-ROMs have various read speeds, such as 32X, 50X, 72X, etc., with higher numbers representing faster speeds.

A CD-RW (Re-Writeable) drive enables you to record your own CD's. The speed that a CD-RW can copy files is from 2X to 48X. For example, at 2X speed it will take around one hour to record 700 MB, but at 48X record speed it will take only around three minutes.

DVD-ROM Drives

In addition to reading the same kind of CDs as a standard CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM drive can read and play DVD movies on your computer. They can store up to 6.4 GB of software, which is 8 times the size of the standard CD-ROM.

A DVD read-write (DVD-RW) drive functions in the same way as a CD-RW drive, but it simply has a much greater capacity.

Floppy Disk Drives

Before CD-ROM drives become standard, a computer was required to have a floppy disk drive for loading software and programs. They are no longer a necessity, but most computers still have them because they are so cheap and they allow you easily backup and transport small data files.

A floppy disk drive is much slower than a CD-ROM or DVD drive. It will store only around 1.44 MB (MegaBytes) of information.

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