Storage devices - About This Site

Storage devices
Unit page
10 Magnetic storage 43
11 Optical storage 32
12 Fash memory 57
Learning objectives
In this module, you will:
learn about different types of magnetic drive and disk.
give instructions and advice on how to protect data.
use technical vocabulary associated with optical storage devices and media.
learn and use more discourse connectors.
learn about the technical details of flash memory and its uses.
learn different ways of making new words: affixation, conversion and compounding.
describe flash-based devices.
unit10 Magnetic storage
1 Types of magnetic drive
A Look at the pictures and descriptions below and find the following.
1 the name of the hard drive on a PC platform
2 the type of hard drive that plugs into a socket at the back of a computer
3 the system that works in sequential format
4 the size and storage capacity of a floppy disk
A 3.5" The inside A portable Magnetic
floppy of a hard external tapes and
drive and drive hard dri drive
diskette Most PCR External A tape
A floppy disk have one hard drives drive
drive uses 3.5" disks, which internal hard are connected to the USB or reads and
can store 1.44MB of data: it Is drive, usually called C' drive, It HreWire port of the computer, writes data on tapes: Iris
usually assigned to the A: drive. Is used to store the operating They can be as small as a wallet sequential-access - ie to get
Floppy drives are becoming system, the programs and the but can have as much capacity to a particular pomt on the
increasingly rare user's files in a convenient way. as Internal drives; they are tape, it must go through all the
A hard drive can hold hundreds typically used for backup oras preceding points. Tapes can hold
of gigabytes of data secondary storage hundreds of gigabytes of data
and are used for data collection
backup and archiving
B Complete these sentences with words from the box.
— = — = = —
capacity storage archiving hold secondary
1 There are basically three types of magnetic device available to the computer
user — hard drives, diskettes and tapes.
2 The of a 3.5" floppy disk is only 1.44MB.
3 Hard drives can hundreds of times more data than floppy disks.
4 A portable hard drive is a good choica for storage.
5 Magnetic tapes are used for information that you no longer need to use regularly
2 Buying a portable hard drive
A Sue (see Unit 4) wants to buy a new drive. Listen to her conversation with
the sales assistant. Does she buy anything?
B Listen again and answer these
questions.
1 What is the storage capacity of the lomega eGo
portable hard drive?
2 How much information can be stored on the Edge
DiskGo model?
3 Which hard drive is good for mobile professionals?
: ; - | > Thé lomega eGe
How much does the lomega eGo drive cost! Pt ee
_ portable hard drive
5 How much does the Edge DiskGo cost!
Magnetic storage
A Read the text and then identify a sector and a track in Fig. 1.
B Read the text again and decide whether these sentences are true or false.
Correct the false ones.
1 A hard drive spins at the same speed as a floppy disk drive,
UT SS La MN
Magnetic storage
Magnetic storage devices store data by magnetizing
particles on a disk or tape.
À floppy disk is so called because it consists of a
flexible sheet of plastic, coated with iron oxide— a
magnetizable material, A floppy disk drive spins at 360
revolutions per minute (rpm), so it's relatively slow
However, a hard drive spins at over 7,200 rpm and
stores data on
a stack of metal
rotating disks
called platters.
This means you
can store much
more data
and retrieve
information
much faster.
New disks need to be formatted before you can
use them, unless they come preformatted from
the manufacturer. When the disk is formatted, the
operating system (05) organizes the disk surface into
circular tracks and divides each track into sectors. The
OS creates a directory which will record the specific
location of files, When you
save a file, the OS moves
the read/write head of the
drive towards empty sectors,
records the data and writes
an entry for the directory.
Later on, when you open
that file, the O5 looks for its
entry in the directory, moves
the read/write heads to the
correct sector, and reads the
file in the RAM area. However, formatting erases any
existing files on a disk, so da not format disks on which
data that you don't want to lose is stored.
The inside of a hard drive
If you format a hard drive that has files on it, the files will be deleted.
Hard drives cannot be partitioned to run separate operating systems on the same disk,
seek time and transfer rate mean the same thing.
Disk drives are not shock resistant, especially in operating mode.
The (5 allows you to create one or more partitions
on your hard drive, in effect dividing It into several
logical parts. Partitions let you install more than one
operating system (e.g. Windows ang Linux) on your
computer. You may also decide to split your hard drive
because you want to stare the CS and programs on
one partition and your data files on another; this allows
vou to reinstall the OS when a problem occurs, without
affecting the data partition
The average time
required for the read/
write heads to move and |
find data is called seek
time (or access time)
anditis measured in
milliseconds (ms); most
hard drives have a seek
time of 7 to 14 ms. Don't
confuse this with transfer rate — the average speed
required to transmit data from the disk to the CPU
measured in megabytes per second,
How to protect your hard drive
a Don't hit or move the computer while the hard drive
Is spinning. Hard drives are very sensitive to vibration
and shocks, especially when they are operating: when
the read/write head touches the rotating disk, it can
scratch and damage the disk surface, This is known as
head crash.
® You shouldn't tum your computer off and on quickly
Wait at least ten seconds to ensure that the drive has
stopped spinning,
Toshibas 1.8" hard drive:
mini hard drives are used
in small gadgets, such as
PDAs and wristwatches
m Check your hard drive regularly for logical and physical |
errors. To check and repair a drive, you can use a disk
diagnosis utility like Windows ScanDisk.
я T0 minimize the risk of data loss or comuption, you
should install an up-to-date virus scanner. You should
also back up your hard drive regularly.
C Match these words (1-5) with the definitions (a-e).
1 formatted a a hle system that defines the structure for keeping track of the files
2 directory b the part of a drive that reads and records data on a disk
3 read/write head © to make acopy of data or software in case the original disk is damagad
4 head crash d initialized: when the tracks and sectors aon magnetic disks are set
5 backup e 3 serious disk malfunction; when the read/write head touches the
rotating disk
Е Language work: precautions
A Look at the HELP box and then match the instructions (1-6) with the
pictures (a—f).
1 Do not expose discs to heat or direct sunlight,
2 Check for viruses before opening files you receive
from the Web or via email
Make backup copies of your files,
3
4 Don't shake or move the computer violently while the hard drive is spinning
5 Keep your discs away from water and humidity
6
Hola discs by the edges, or by one edge and the centre hole
CELTA
Precautions
e We use the imperative to give
precautions and warnings
Check your hard drive regularly
for logical and physical errors
... formatting erases any existing
files on à disk, 50 do not format
disks on which data that you
don't want to lose is stored
e We use should + infinitive
without to to give advice or
to talk about what we think is
right.
vou should Install an up-to
date virus scanner
e We use shouldn't + infinitive
without fo to give advice Or
to talk about what we think is
wrong.
You shouldn't turn your
computer off and on quickly.
B JA In pairs, discuss what you should or shouldn't do to protect your data.
Use the suggestions below.
Example: discs on top of each other (stack)
You shouldn't stack discs on top of each other, / Don't stack discs on top of each other,
your anti-virus program regularly, since new viruses are created everyday (update)
discs in a protective case (store)
passwords and security devices to protect conhdential information (use)
on discs with permanent marker pens (write;
the disc into the disc drive carefully (insert)
Où UT ов
floppies or hard drives near magnets; they can damage the data stored on them (leave)
Note: disc (optical media); disk (magnetic storage media)
Word building
Look at the words in the boxes. Are they nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs?
Write n, v, adj or adv next to each word and then complete the sentences below.
For more about word building, see Unit 12.
magnet magnetic magnetically
magnetism — magnetize _ magnetized
1 is the science of magnetic phenomena and properties
2 Floppy disks and hard drives are storage devices
3 Data is recorded on a disk in the form of spots called bits.
fragment fragmentation
derragmenter— — fragmented —
4 After vou create, delete and modify a lot of files, the hard drive
becomes , with bits and pieces spread all over
in a fragmented disk, a file is
the disk stored in non-continuous sectors
5 slows down the speed at which data is accessed
because the disk drive has to work harder to find the parts of
a file stored in many different locations.
6 To reorganize your hard drive, vou can use a disk optimizer or
this will reorder your files into continuous
clusters :
In a defragmented disk, a file Is
stored In neighbouring sectors
Explaining hard drive precautions
ña A friend has sent you an email explaining that
she has just lost all of the information on her PC because of a head crash. Write a
reply explaining the following.
e Why the head crash happened
e What precautions she should take with her new PC to avoid similar problems in the future
e What steps she could take to back up her files
Optical storage
1 ¢Ds and DVDs
A In pairs, discuss these questions.
1 What do CD and DVD stand for?
=
2 What is the main advantage of using DVDs instead of CDs:
How do you say these expressions in your language?
Optical disc
laser beam
un = 5
backward-compatible
С % Paul (see Unit 4) wants to buy some blank discs. Listen to his conversation
with the sales assistant and check your answers to A.
D la) Listen again and decide whether these sentences are true or false.
Correct the false ones.
1 A DVD is an optical digital сибе that can
be used for video, audio and data storage
2 Theamensions of a CD ang a DVD are
Me same: 1.4 mm thick año 13 cmin
diameter
3 The data ona DVD is read with a laser
Dear
A basic DVD can hold 3.7 gigabytes
Mn
You need a hard drive to read LV)
DVD-Video dises can hold fulblenatr
movies
7 A DVD Writer is not compatible with old
CD-ROMs
A VED drive With cs
Note: disc (optical media); disk (magnetic storage media)
2 Optical discs and drives
A Read the text on page 53 and find the following.
1 the advantages and disadvantages of oplical Qiscs over magnetic disks
the storage capacity of a double-sided, dual layer LW
the difference between a DVD burner and a DVD recorder
2
3
4 the feature of a portable DVD player which allows the user to play different formats
5 Iwo possible successars to DVDs
6
where the Blu-ray format gets its name from
Optical discs and drives =
Optical discs can store data at much higher densities
than magnetic disks. They are therefore ideal for
multimedia applications where images, animation and
sound occupy a lot of disc space. Furthermore, optical
discs are not affected by magnetic fields, meaning that
they are secure and stable, and can be transported
through airport metal detectors without damaging
| the data. However, optical drives are slower than hard
| drives,
CDs and DVDs
At first sight, a DVD Is similar to a CD. Both discs are
120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick. They also both
use a laser beam to read data. However, they are very
different in internal structure and data capacity. In a
DVD, the tracks are very close together, thus allowing
mare tracks. The pits in which data is stored are also
smaller, so there are more pits per track. As a result, a
CD can hold 650-700MB, whereas a basic DVD can hold
47GB. In addition, a DVD can be double-sided and
dual layer, with a capacity of 17GB.
16 Micron =] la
Close-up ofa CD
Pit (hole)
Land
{flat area)
| 074 Micron —»| le— = |
ll Close-up of a DVD
CDs come in three different formats:
m CD-ROMs (read-only memory) are read-only units,
meaning you cannot change the data stored on
them (for example, a dictionary or a game).
a CD-R (recordable) discs are write-once devices
which let you duplicate music CDs and other data
CDs.
u CD-RW (rewritable) discs enable you to write onto
them many times, just like a hard disk.
DVDs also come In several formats:
a DVD-ROM are used in DVD computer drives, They
allow for data archiving as well as interactive content
(for example, an encyclopedia or a movie).
DVD-R or DVD+R can only be recorded on once.
DVD-RW or DVD+RW discs can be erased and re-
used many times. They are used to back up data files
and to record audio and video.
The DVD drive used in computers is also called a DVD
burner because it records information by burning vía
a laser to a blank DVD disc. However, a DVD recorder
typically refers to a standalone unit which resembles a
video cassette recorder. New DVD recorders can play
all CO and DVD formats. There are also portable DVD
players — handheld devices which let you watch movies
or TV, play games and listen to music, wherever you are.
They come with a built-in DVD drive and widescreen
(rectangular 16:9 format) LCD display. They usually
support multi-format playback — that is, they can play
many file formats, including DVD-video, DivX, CD audio
discs, MP3 music and JPEG images.
HD-DVD and Blu-ray discs
These two competing formats are expected to replace
current DVD as the standard for watching movies at
home. On one side are Toshiba, Microsoft and the DVD
Forum, who support the High Definition-DVD (HD-
DVD). Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, JVC and many movie
studios are behind the Blu-ray format
A Blu-ray disc has a capacity of 25GB (single layer), 50GB
(dual layer) and 100GB (four layer). Unlike DVDs, which
use a red laser to read and write data, Blu-ray uses a blue-
violet laser, hence its name. Blu-ray discs can record and
play back high-definition television and digital audio, as
well as computer data.
В Read the text again and make notes about the features of CDs, DVDs and Blu-
ray discs.
| Capacity and formats _ [Possibleuses |]
cD |
DVD —
Blu-ray
Language work: connectors 2
A Look at these extracts from the text and put the words in italics into the correct
column of the table.
1 They are therefore ideal for multimedia applications ..
Furthermore, optical discs are not affected by magnetic fields.
However, they are very different in internal structure and data capacity.
As a result, a CD can hold 650-700MB, whereas a basic DVD can hold 4.7GE
bh + WwW Mh
In addition, a DVD can be double-sided and dual layer ...
Indicating addition
ms ms шв
Making contrasts
| Explaining the results or
effects of something
B Look at the HELP box and check your answers. How do you say these
connectors in your language?
C Choose the correct word in brackets to
complete these sentences.
1 (Although/Consequently) CDs and DVDs are similar in size
and shape, their data structure is very different
2 DVDs hold more data than CDs. The pits burnt into the
disc are smaller than on a CD, and the tracks are closer
together. (On the other hand / As a result), DVDs can have
up to four recording layers,
3 A Blu-ray disc drive costs a lot of money (but/so) you
should use it carefully.
4 Blu-ray is expected to replace DVD over the coming years
(because/besides) it offers much greater storage capacity.
5 Both Blu-ray (and / in addition) HD-DVD devices are
backward-compatible with current CDs and DVDs,
meaning you can play your old discs on the new players
6 Sony has invested millions of dollars in the development
of Blu-ray technology. The success of Blu-ray is (whereas!
therefore) vital for the company’s future
HELP box
Connectors 2
In addition to the uses of
connectors covered in Unit 8,
we also use connectors for the
following purposes:
e Indicating addition
furthermore in addition
besides moreover
and
e Making contrasts
however whereas
although but
on the other hand
e Explaining the results or
effects of something
therefore as a result
so thus
consequently because
e —— Y —, ——
Unig 19
4 с hoosing storage devices
e In pairs, look at the products in the computer catalogue and choose the most
suitable device for the purposes (1-6). Give reasons for your choices. Try to use
some connectors from the HELP box on page 54.
1 to keep the operating system and the programs on a home computer
2 owatch a movie on a plang or in the back seat of a cai
3 to hold your favourite photos and musk
4 to make backup copies and to transport files between computers ina big company
5 to hold historical records in the National Library
6 toread, write and re-write high-defnition video and | Y
|
С Seagate hard drive i
Superfast 8ms hard drive. Capacity ranges from 80GB to 1TB.
lomega portable hard drive
160GB, 2.5" external hard drive. An affordable way to back up
all your data, from business documents to emails.
LaCie DVD drive
16x DVD writer with free Nero DVD burning software. Can play and record both
DVD+R and DVD-R discs, plus their rewritable counterparts, as well as all types of CD.
Panasonic portable DVD player
8" portable LCD DVD Player with Car Kit. Compatible with DVD-Video,
CD, JPEG image CD and MP3-formatted audio CD.
sony Blu-ray disc drive
Sony's Vaio AR laptop is the first portable Blu-ray studio, which includes
a Blu-ray disc drive and a TV tuner, alongside a 17" widescreen
display and a 2GHz Intel Core Duo processor.
Toshiba USB flash drive
High-speed 16GB pen drive with a built-in MP3 player.
Plugs directly into any USB connection.
Useful language
For this use, the … is the most appropriate
The … has … so l‘d choose it for …
In a big company, it would be a good idea to …
Well, that depends on …
l'agree /| disagree.
5 Format wars
Read these posts from a forum about the topic of ‘Blu-ray versus HD-DVD’ and
then add your response, giving your opinion on the topic.
HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats display movies in full high-definition resolution, but
they are incompatible; HD-DVD cannot play the Blu-ray discs, and vice versa.
People say that Blu-ray discs can hold more data and video, but that they are
more expensive and complex. Who will be the winner in this format battle?
Consumers ezine, March 10th at 5:40 pm
Samsung and Toshiba are selling hybrid players that can play both formats.
sony and NEC are also releasing dual-format players. This may be the end of the
format war. Will both sides produce a unified standard?
News.net, March 15th at 12:30 am
| hate format wars. This situation reminds me of the Beta versus VHS war in
the early days of the video market, and more recently DVD-R versus DVD+R.
| don't want to invest money in equipment that quickly becomes obsolete or
incompatible. Why cant someone create a universal player that plays all formats,
from CDs to high-definition video discs?
Posted by Adam, March 15th at 4:15 pm
TT Ry p>
Aia
Unit 12 Flash memory
| 1 Flash-based gadgets
| Flash memory is used in many handheld devices. Match the descriptions (1-6)
with the pictures (a—f).
1 This handheld console lets you play games stored on RCM game cards, which have a small
amount of flash memory to save user data, for example high scores.
This flash memory card Is used as digital film’ to store Images on à digital camera
This wireless LAN card allows laptop and PDA users to access the Internet from any Wi-Fi access
point
4 This USB flash pen drive is the latest mobile drive for your computer
5 It looks like an ordinary watch, but this USB drive from Edge Tech can store up to 1GB of flash
memory. It will let you save and transfer your photos, songs and data hles easily
| 6 This flash-based player provides everything you need to play music and store data on the go. li
also comes with a built-in FM radio and voice recorder
E $ !
2 Memory in a flash!
AE
A Look at the title of the text on page 58. Why is it a suitable title for an article
| about flash memory? Read the first paragraph of the text to find out.
B Read the whole text and answer these questions.
What is flash memory?
What are the differences between RAM memory and flash memory!
What can devices which use multi-level cell technology do?
What is the advantage of using U3 technology in flash drives?
1
2
3
4 What are the differences between flash drives and external hard drives?
5
6 How much data can a flash memory card hold?
7
What is the name of the flash card created by Sony for its digital cameras?
Memory in a flash!
25
35
Flash memory is a type of non-volatile memory that
can be electronically erased and reprogrammed. Its
name was invented by Toshiba to express how much
faster ir could be erased - in a flash, which means
‘very quickly!
Unlike RAM, which is volatile, flash memory retains
the information stored in the chip when the power
ls tumed off. This makes it ideal for use in digital
cameras, laptops, network switches, video game
cards, mobile phones and portable multimedia
players. In addition, it offers fast read access times
(although not as fast as RAM), with transfer rates of
12MB per second. Unlike ROM chips, flash memory
chips are rewritable, so you can update programs via
software,
Inside the chip, data is stored in several floating gate
transistors, called cells. Each cell traditionally stores
one bit of data (1 = erased and 0 = programmed).
New devices have a multi-level cell structure so
they can store more that one bit per cell. The chips
are constructed with either NOR or NAND gates.
NOR chips function like a computers main memory,
while NAND works like a hard drive. For example, in
à Camera, NOR flash contains the cameras internal
software, while NAND flash is used to store the
images.
Hash memory is used in several ways:
m Many PCs have their BIOS (basic Input/output
system) stored on a flash memory chip so it can
be updated if necessary.
E Modems use flash memory because it allows
the manufacturer to support new protocols,
m USB flash drives are used to save and move
MP3s and other data hles between computers.
They are more easily transported than external
hard drives because they use solid-state
technology, meaning that they don't have
fragile moving parts that can break if dropped.
However, [ISB flash drives have less storage
capacity than hard drives,
m New U3 smart drives allow users to store
both applications and data. They have two
drive partitions and can carry applications that
run on the host computer without requiring
installation.
m Flash memory cards are used to store Images
on cameras, to back up data on PDAs, to
transfer games in video consoles, to record
voice and music on MP3 players or to stare
movies on MP4 players. They are as small as a
stamp, and capacity can range from ВМВ to
several gigabytes, The only limitation is that
flash cards are often not interchangeable
between devices. Some formats include;
CompactHash, Secure Digital, MultiMedia Card,
miniSD card, and xD-Picture Сага, Sony has its
own product called the Memory Stick, used in
its digital still cameras, video camcorders and
the PlayStation Portable. The photos stored in a
digital camera can be offioaded to a computer
via cable or wirelessly, Another option is to have
a flash card reader permanently connected
to your PC; you simply eject the card from the
caméra and put it into the reader instead of
having to plug the camera in.
55
65
The future of hard
drives may be
hybrid hard drives.
Hybrid hard drives
2 combine a magnetic
hard disk and flash
memory into one
device. This allows
computers to boot, or
15 start, more quickly, and
also reduces power
consumption,
SanDisk's card readers read
ana write to just about every
fash memary card
C Find words or phrases in the text with the following meanings.
= A AL LA
permanent; able to hold data without power (lines 1-5)
able to be rewritten many times (lines 10-15)
different sections of a disk drive or storage area (lines 40-45)
to make a copy of a file so that the original is not lost (lines 45-50)
transterred to another device (lines 60-65)
a peripheral device that reads and writes flash memory cards (lines 60-65)
a product that integrates two different technologies (lines 65-70)
Language work: word building
A Look at the HELP box and then, using affixation, conversion and compounding,
try to make as many words as you can from blog, mail and print. Use a dictionary
and the Internet to help you.
‚blog mail print |
| blogger (a person who writes | to mail (the verb form) printout (the pages
a blog) produced by the printer)
B Choose the correct word in brackets to complete this description of a digital
voice recorder. Use a dictionary to help you.
Olympus WS-320M
digital voice recorder
Slim, attractive, and highly
functional, the Olympus W5-320M
digital voice recorder packs 168
of internal flash memory into its
1 (lighted /lightweight lighten)
housing, letting you record up to 277
hours of high-quality audio in WMA
format. It's ideal for 2 (record recordable /recording)
notes or long lectures, interviewing people, or
capturing song ideas before they disappear. As an
added bonus, the WS-320M can store up to 266
WMA or MP3 songs for high-quality stereo 3 (player/
playback/playoff).
The W5-320M features five separate file 4 (folds/
folding/folders), capable of holding 199 files each,
50 you can organize nearly 1,000 files by subject,
theme or other category. Users also have the choice
of four recording modes: HQ for high-quality audio,
LP and SP for extended recording times, and ST HÚ
for stereo recording. And thanks to the voice
5 (activation/activate/active) option, users don't
need to press a single button to start recording
- the W5-320M will record as soon as the built-in
microphone picks up sound.
Perhaps the most convenient feature, however, is
the built-in USB 6 (connector/connect/connected),
which eliminates the need for a USB cable. Once this
is connected, you can 7 (downloadable/download/
upload) music files, images or documents from your
PC, in effect turning the recorder into a small hard
drive. You can even transfer voice recordings to
your computer for
multimedia use.
8 (store/storage/storeroom) or
HELP box
Word building
We can create new words from existing words in three
main ways
Affixation (adding à prefix or suffix)
Adding a prefix:
volatile —s non-volatile
date — update
Adding a suffix;
erase —m erasable
install —e installation
Conversion {turning a noun into a verb, ora verb into a
noun, etc.)
network (noun) —e= fo network (verb)
We networked all the PCs in the office
We created a network of all the PCs in the office
Compounding (putting two or more words together)
hand + held —s handheld
( bought a new handheld last week
Compounds can be written as two separate words
(flash card), as two words joined with a hyphen (solid-
state), or as one word (handheld), Unfortunately,
there are no rules, and some compounds even change
spelling over time. For example, web site began as two
words, then became hyphenated (web-site) and Is
now written as one word — website, Always check your
dictionary or Google it you are not sure,
In pronunciation, compounds normally have the main
stress on the first part, and the secondary stress on the
second part, for example ‘video ‚game
Describing flash drives
A Listen to a salesperson at his stand at a consumer electronics show
describing two flash products to a potential customer. Which product (a or b) is
the visitor most interested in?
a Ihe Dragon flash drive
b The Dragon MP4 player
B Listen again and tick (v') which features the salesperson mentions for
each device.
Features Dragon flash drive Dragon MP4 player
Back up computer data ||
Tr INsport mies between PCs [| [|
Audio and video plavback [|
[I
EM radio tuner Г]
YO E Te ndel []
Games ||
LYE]
С Listen again and answer these questions.
1 What is the storage capacity of the Dragon Hash drive?
2 How do you connect it to the computers
3 According to the salesperson, wnat are the advantages of a Usb Nash drive over a DVD or an
external hard drive!
4 Some portable media DidyErs dr€ also known as MP4 players Why f
5 What Is the screen size of the Lira Jon MP4 player!
Л
6 How lona does the battery last:
Ar MPA aver USA drives are EYE à Tesiarned LA
{0 NTE fi [Ci à il НП SLA 112s he
LIZA ' reecom I 18 flash Ive TY
в =
o pairs, choose a flash-based device that you
own and describe it. Use the Useful language box and
the features and questions from the listening text to
help you.
E You have received a text from a friend at a
computer show. Write a short reply.
Hi. At the computer
show in town. Need
a new media player.
What's the difference
between MP3 & MP4
players? What features
should I look for?
Thanks!
Vocabulary revision
Solve the clues and complete the puzzle. Look at Units 10-12 to help you.
Across
4 Thousandth of a second. abbreviated to ms. 1
used to measure the access time of hard
drives.
6 Floating gate transistors are called
6
in flash memory technology.
7 Prefix meaning very large or one thousand
million.
11 Acronym for light amplification by stimulated
emission of radiation
12 Capable of being deleted
Down
1 Concentric ring an the surface of a disc
when the disc is formatted,
2 memory retains its data when
the power is switched oft
CD-RW means Compact Disc
Abbreviation of digital versatile disc.
To write information on a disk or storage area
D & a Ww
Iype of external bus or connector that plugs into the computer
10 The physical mechanism that accepts, reads and writes data on a disk.
Fr Now visit www.cambridge.org/elt/ict for an online task.