← IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

Choosing a secondary storage device for a scenario

Match a scenario's needs (capacity, speed, portability, durability, cost) to magnetic, optical or solid-state storage, then justify the choice with reasons.

Part of: IGCSE Computer Science 0478 — 3.3 Data Storage — Module 19

Understanding Choosing a secondary storage device for a scenario in IGCSE Computer Science Paper 1

What it does: An SSD has no moving parts, is fast and uses little power, which suits a portable laptop used every day. Optical discs are very cheap to produce in bulk, light to post and suit read-only content, so they fit mass distribution. For big, cheap backups, magnetic storage gives the most capacity for the money. Speed matters less for archives. Solid-state storage has no moving parts, so it is durable, light and compact. HDDs can be damaged by knocks. Laptops benefit from speed, low power use and durability when carried around. SSDs cost more per GB than HDDs, so cheapest-per-GB is not the reason.

Common mistakes: A backup archive needs huge capacity at low cost. SD cards hold little and cost more per GB. It should be a magnetic hard disk drive (HDD). A camera used on the move must survive knocks, so the need is small and durable, not fragile. The rest of the program chooses an SD card because of this.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 314–324) and word search (Modules 304–324).

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Learning
Duo
A company needs to keep 20 TB of old records as a cheap backup archive. Which storage suits best?
Solid-state storage because it is always the cheapest per GB for huge capacitiesMagnetic storage (HDD or tape) because it gives a large capacity at a low cost per GB
Matches
Backup archive of 20 TB -> choose a small USB flash drive
↓
A USB flash drive has too little capacity and costs too much per GB for a large archive. Magnetic storage such as an HDD or tape should be chosen.
Applying
Meanings
Term
Choosing storage
Meaning
Match a scenario's needs (capacity, speed, portability, durability, cost) to magnetic, optical or solid-state storage, then justify the choice with reasons.
Practice
Backup archive -> magnetic HDD: high capacity, low cost per GB
Testing
Gaps
storage ← ""
Check Answer
Spots
2NEED ← "Big and cheap"
3CHOICE ← "Small SD card"

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Quick Questions

1. A company needs to keep 20 TB of old records as a cheap backup archive. Which storage suits best?
A. Magnetic storage (HDD or tape) because it gives a large capacity at a low cost per GB ✓
B. Solid-state storage because it is always the cheapest per GB for huge capacities
For big, cheap backups, magnetic storage gives the most capacity for the money. Speed matters less for archives.
2. A wildlife photographer needs a camera card that is small, light and can survive being dropped and shaken. Which is best?
A. A hard disk drive because its spinning platters are very durable
B. An SD card (solid-state) because it has no moving parts and is portable ✓
Solid-state storage has no moving parts, so it is durable, light and compact. HDDs can be damaged by knocks.
3. Which reason justifies choosing an SSD as the main drive of a laptop?
A. It is fast to start up and load programs, uses little power and has no moving parts ✓
B. It is the cheapest way to store many terabytes of data
Laptops benefit from speed, low power use and durability when carried around. SSDs cost more per GB than HDDs, so cheapest-per-GB is not the reason.
4. A company wants to sell a film to thousands of customers in a cheap, mass-produced format. Which storage fits?
A. Optical disc (DVD or Blu-ray) because it is very cheap to produce in bulk ✓
B. Internal SSD because each copy can be sold at a very low cost
Optical discs are cheap to copy in large numbers and are easy to post or sell. An internal SSD is not a distribution medium.
5. Which statement about choosing storage is correct?
A. Always pick the fastest type, because speed matters most in every scenario
B. Pick the type whose strengths match the scenario's needs, then give reasons ✓
The best choice depends on capacity, speed, portability, durability and cost. Always link your answer to the scenario.

Match the Pairs

Backup archive: 20 TB of rarely used files kept cheaply → Choose magnetic storage (HDD or tape) because it gives very large capacity at low cost per GB
Camera memory: small, light, shock-proof, no moving parts → Choose solid-state storage (SD card) because it is portable, durable and fast to write photos
A laptop main drive needs fast start-up, low power use and resistance to bumps, so choose this → Laptop drive = SSD (solid-state)
Distributing films or software cheaply to many customers who only need to read the data → Distribution = DVD or Blu-ray (optical)
Backup archive of 20 TB -> choose a small USB flash drive → A USB flash drive has too little capacity and costs too much per GB for a large archive. Magnetic storage such as an HDD or tape should be chosen.
Camera used on a rough hiking trip -> choose an HDD for photos → An HDD has moving parts that can be damaged by knocks and it is bulky. Solid-state storage such as an SD card is more durable and portable.

Key Term

Choosing storage
Match a scenario's needs (capacity, speed, portability, durability, cost) to magnetic, optical or solid-state storage, then justify the choice with reasons.

Fill in the Blanks

1. scenario ← "backup archive" need ← "large capacity at low cost" storage ← "magnetic"
Hint: Type the storage type that gives the most capacity for the lowest price per GB, such as a hard disk drive.
2. scenario ← "camera memory card" need ← "small, portable, shock resistant" storage ← "solid-state"
Hint: Type the storage type that uses flash memory and has no moving parts, which suits a small portable card.
3. scenario ← "laptop main drive" need ← "fast access, no moving parts" storage ← "solid-state"
Hint: Type the word describing the kind of parts an SSD does not have, which makes it durable and quiet.
4. scenario ← "distributing films or software" need ← "cheap to produce, easy to post" storage ← "optical"
Hint: Type the storage type that uses a laser to read pits and lands, such as a DVD or Blu-ray disc.
5. scenario ← "backup archive" storage ← "magnetic" reason ← "high capacity at low cost"
Hint: Type the factor, along with capacity, that you justify when choosing cheap bulk storage for a backup.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A SCENARIO ← "Backup archive"
B NEED ← "Big and cheap"
C CHOICE ← "Small SD card"
D REASON ← "Low cost per GB"
Line C — A backup archive needs huge capacity at low cost. SD cards hold little and cost more per GB. It should be a magnetic hard disk drive (HDD).
Question 2
A SCENARIO ← "Portable camera"
B NEED ← "Small and fragile"
C CHOICE ← "SD card"
D REASON ← "No moving parts"
Line B — A camera used on the move must survive knocks, so the need is small and durable, not fragile. The rest of the program chooses an SD card because of this.
Question 3
A SCENARIO ← "Laptop main drive"
B NEED ← "Fast and durable"
C CHOICE ← "SSD"
D REASON ← "Has spinning disks"
Line D — An SSD is solid-state and has no spinning disks or moving parts. That is why it is fast and durable. The reason should be about quick start-up and no moving parts.
Question 4
A SCENARIO ← "Distribute films"
B NEED ← "Cheap copies to post"
C CHOICE ← "Internal SSD"
D REASON ← "Cheap to produce"
Line C — An internal SSD is built into a computer and cannot be posted to customers. It is also costly per copy. Optical discs such as Blu-ray are cheap, light and portable for distributing films.
Question 5
A SCENARIO ← "Backup archive"
B NEED ← "Very large capacity"
C CHOICE ← "Magnetic HDD"
D REASON ← "Highest cost per GB"
Line D — Magnetic storage is chosen for archives because it has the LOWEST cost per GB. A high cost per GB would be a reason to avoid it, not choose it.

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