What are secondary storage devices?

There are several different types of secondary storage devices.  These are permanent storage devices, as opposed to RAM which loses the data when the computer is shut off.  A floppy disk is a thin interchangeable disk that is normally a 3 ½” plastic platter.  They are much more sensitive to damage than other types of secondary storage devices.  Hard disks are generally permanently installed inside the system box.  It includes a continuously spinning device made up of multiple rigid metal platters.  CD-ROMs and DVD’s are optical laser storage media.  A DVD can hold much more data than a CD-Rom.  A Zip drive (JAZZ drive) is a specialized storage device that uses optical technology combined with magnetic technology to write to disks slightly larger than a floppy drive but that can hold significantly more data.