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Chapter 3 |
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On the Web! Activities |
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How is disk storage useful to teachers and students?
Optical storage technologies, CD's, DVD's, and newer "Blu-ray" devices offer the classroom teacher a variety of storage options. Classroom computers can be equipped with devices that play back or even record on optical media. These recorders or "burners" allow you to save data on inexpensive optical disks that let you store great quantities of data, hundreds of times more data than can be stored on a floppy disk. That kind of storage capacity can be useful in the classroom when you or your students use graphics, sound files, and video files in addition to text. Storing such multimedia files requires kinds of capacities that optical disks offer. However, with so many different types of optical storage devices available, it can be a difficult decision to determine which one you should purchase.
To begin this process, it is important to first determine how much capacity is needed and whether writing as well as playback capability is necessary. Once these initial parameters are determined, it is then necessary to research the devices in terms of cost, compatibility with computers, internal vs. external configuration, and vendor reliability.
Activity:
Imagine you have just been asked to identify the components you would like to have on the new personal computer to be purchased for your classroom. Specifically, the tech support teams would like to know how you want to configure the machine in terms of the optical storage devices you would most like to have. Check out the following sites or others that you find to help learn more. Decide upon your top two choices of optical technologies that you feel would be most useful to include in your hypothetical classroom computer. Be prepared to explain your choices.
Want to know more? Check out these sites:
http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=540
http://compreviews.about.com/od/cddvd/a/DeskCDDVDSpecs.htm
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cd.htm
http://www.howstuffworks.com/dvd.htm
http://www.grossmont.k12.ca.us
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_disc
http://www.newegg.com/ProductSort/Category.asp?Category=10
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