Primary storage refers to the main memory of a computer, such as RAM, which is fast but temporary and volatile, meaning it loses data when power is off. Secondary storage, like hard drives and SSDs, is non-volatile and provides long-term data storage, retaining information even without power. Offline storage refers to any storage that is not directly accessible by the computer's operating system, such as external hard drives, USB drives, or magnetic tapes, which can be disconnected and used for backup or transfer purposes. In summary, primary storage is fast and temporary, secondary storage is slower but permanent, and offline storage is external and not directly connected to the system.
USB (Universal Serial Bus) refers to a standard for connecting devices and transferring data, while USB drives, often called flash drives, are a type of secondary storage. Secondary storage refers to non-volatile storage that retains data even when not powered, unlike primary storage like RAM. USB drives serve as portable secondary storage solutions, allowing users to store and transfer files easily.
San's or Storage Area Networks are the devices used when making optical drives, or storage drives, such as usb flash drives. You can purchase these from companies like New Egg.
Portable & External Hard Drives.
USB Flash Drives are called thumb drives
USB, mini hard drive or storage device
Secondary Storage
USB flash drives
Solid state Flash drives USB Hard disks drives
In the My Computer window, a user can find the icon for an attached USB flash drive under the heading "Devices and drives." This section displays all connected storage devices, including hard drives, USB flash drives, and optical drives. The USB flash drive is typically represented by its brand name or a generic icon indicating removable storage.
Thumb drives, otherwise known as "USB Flash Drives" or "Jump Drives" are storage devices. You can store your data files plus you could store and run programs from the thumb drive.
Allowing you to Plug in Separate Devices such as a USB mouse, an MP3 Player/iPod, a PSP, or Flash Drives which hold Storage. and Data Transfer