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1920s 1928 Magnetic TapeFritz Pfleumer, a German engineer, patented magnetic tape in 1928. Hebased his invention off Vlademar Poulsen's magnetic wire.

1930s 1932 Magnetic DrumG. Taushek, an Austrian innovator, invented the magnetic drum in 1932.He based his invention off a discovery credited to Fritz Pfleumer.

1940s 1946 Williams TubeProfessor Fredrick C. Williams and his colleagues developed the firstrandom access computer memory at the University of Manchesterlocated in the United Kingdom. He used a series of electrostatic cathoderay tubes for digital storage. A storage of 1024 bits of information wassuccessfully implemented in 1948.

Selectron TubeIn 1948, The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) developed theSelectron tube, an early form of computer memory, which resembled theWilliamsKilburn design.

1949 Delay Line MemoryThe delay line memory consists of imparting an information pattern into adelay path. A closed loop forms to allow for the recirculation ofinformation if the end of the delay path connects to the beginning throughamplifying and time circuits. A delay line memory functions similar toinputting a repeating telephone number from the directory until anindividual dials the number.

1950s Magnetic CoreA magnetic core memory, also known as a ferritecore memory, usessmall magnetic rings made of ceramic to store information from thepolarity to the magnetic field it contains.

1956 Hard diskA hard disk implements rotating platters, which stores and retrieves bitsof digital information from a flat magnetic surface.

1960s 1963 Music tapePhilips introduced the compact audio cassette in 1963. Philips originallyintended to use the audio cassette for dictation machines; however, itbecame a popular method for distributing prerecorded music. In 1979,

The History of Computer StorageInnovation from 1928 to Today

Humankind has always tried to find ways to store information. In today s modern age, people have become accustomedto technological terminology, such as CDROM, USB Key, and DVD. Floppy disks and cassette tapes have beenforgetting except for the most nostalgic. Subsequent generations have simply forgotten about the technology thathelped evolve the efficient computer storage systems we all use everyday. As time humanity continues to push theenvelope of innovation to create new possibilities.

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Sony's Walkman helped transformed the use of the audio cassette tape,which became widely used and popular.

1966 DRAM (PDF)In 1966, Robert H. Dennard invented DRAM cells. Dynamic RandomAccess Memory technology (DRAM), or memory cells that contained onetransistor. DRAM cells store bits of information as an electrical charge ina circuit. DRAM cells increased overall memory density.

1968 Twistor MemoryBell Labs developed Twistor memory by wrapping magnetic tape arounda wire that conducts electrical current. Bell Labs used Twistor tapebetween 1968 to the mid1970s before it was totally replaced by RAMchips.

1970s 1970 Bubble MemoryIn 1970, Andrew Bobeck invented the Bubble Memory, a thin magneticfilm used to store one bit of data in small magnetized areas that look likebubbles. The development of the Twistor memory enabled him to createBubble Memory.

1971 8" FloppyIBM started its development of an inexpensive system geared towardsloading microcode into the System/370 mainframes. As a result, the 8inch floppy emerged. A floppy disk, a portable storage device made ofmagnetic film encased in plastic, made it easier and faster to store data.

1976 5.25" FloppyAllan Shugart developed a the 5.25inch floppy disk in 1976. Shugartdeveloped a smaller floppy disk, because the 8inch floppy was too largefor standard desktop computers. The 5.25inch floppy disk had a storagecapacity of 110 kilobytes. The 5.25inch floppy disks were a cheaper andfaster alternative to its predecessor.

1980s 1980 CDDuring the 1960s, James T. Russel thought of using light to record andreplay music. As a result, he invented the optical digital televisionrecording and playback television in 1970; however, nobody took to hisinvention. In 1975, Philips representatives visited Russel at his lab. Theypaid Russel millions for him to develop the compact disc (CD). In 1980,Russel completed the project and presented it to Sony.

1981 3.5" FloppyThe 3.5inch floppy disk had significant advantages over itspredecessors. It had a rigid metal cover that made it harder to damagethe magnetic film inside.

1984 CD RomThe CDROM, also known as the Compact Disk ReadOnly Memory,used the same physical format as the audio compact disks to store digitaldata. The CDROM encodes tiny pits of digital data into the lower surfaceof the plastic disc, which allowed for larger amounts of data to be stored.

1987 DATIn 1987, Sony introduced the Digital Audio Tape (DAT), a signalrecording and playback machine. It resembled the audio cassette tapeon the surface with a 4 millimeter magnetic tape enclosed into aprotective shell.

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1989 DDSIn 1989, Sony and Hewlett Packard introduced the Digital Data Storage(DDS) format to store and back up computer data on magnetic tape. TheDigital Data Storage (DDS) format evolved from Digital Audio Tape(DAT) technology.

1990s 1990 MOD (PDF)The MagnetoOptical disc emerged onto the information technology fieldin 1990. This optical disc format used a combination of optical andmagnetic technologies to store and retrieve digital data. A specialmagnetooptical drive is necessary to retrieve the data stored on these3.5 to 5.25inch discs.

1992 MiniDiscThe MiniDisk stored any kind of digital data; however, it waspredominately used for audio. Sony introduced MiniDisk technology in1991. In 1992, Philip's introduced the Diigtal Compact Cassette System(DCC). MiniDisk was intended to replace the audio cassette tape beforeit eventually phased out in 1996.

1993 DLT (PDF)The Digital Equipment Corporation invented the Digital Linear Tape(DLT), an alternative to the magnetic tape technology used for computerstorage.

1994 Compact FlashCompactFlash (CF), also known as “flash drives,” used flash memory inan enclosed disc to save digital data. CF devices are used in digitalcameras and computers to store digital information.

ZipThe Zip drive became commonly used in 1994 to store digital files. It wasa removable disk storage system introduced by Iomega.

1995 DVDDVD became the next generation of digital disc storage. DVD, a biggerand faster alternative to the compact disc, serves to store multimediadata.

SmartMediaToshiba launched the SmartMedia, a flash memory card, in the summerof 1995 to compete with MiniCard and SanDisk.

Phasewriter DualThe Phasewriter Dual (PD) was the first device that used phasechangetechnology to store digital data. Panasonic introduced the PhasewriterDual device in 1995. It was replaced by the CDROM and DVD.

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CDRWThe Compact Disc Rewritable disc, a rewritable version of the CDROM,allows users to record digital data over previous data.

1997 Multimedia CardThe Multimedia Card (MMC) uses a flash memory card standard tohouse digital data. It was introduced by Siemen's and SanDisk in 1997.

1999 MicrodriveA USB Flash Drive uses a NANDtype flash memory to store digital data.A USB Flash Drive plugs into the USP interface on standard computers.

2000s SD CardThe Secure Digital (SD) flash memory format incorporates DRMencryption features that allow for faster file transfers. Standard SD cardsmeasure 32 millimeters by 32 millimeters by 2.1 millimeters. A typical SDcard stores digital media for a portable device.

2003 Blu Ray (PDF)BluRay is the next generation of optical disc format used to store highdefinition video (HD) and high density storage. BluRay received itsname for the blue laser that allows it to store more data than a standardDVD. Its competitor is HDDVD.

xDPicture CardOlympus and Fujifilm introduced the xDPicture Card in 2002, which areexclusively used for Olympus and Fujifilm digital cameras.

2004 WMVHDThe Windows Media High Definition Video (WMVHD) references highdefinition videos encoded with Microsoft Media Video nine codecs.WMVD is compatible for computer systems running Windows Vista,Microsoft Windows XP. In addition, WMVD is compatible with Xbox360and Sony's PlayStation 3.

HDDVDHighDensity Digital Versatile Disc (HDDVD), a digital optical mediaformat, uses the same disc size as BluRay. It is promoted by Toshiba,NEC, and Sanyo.

Holographic (PDF)The future of computer memory resides in holographic technology.Holographic memory can store digital data at high density inside crystalsand photopolymers. The advantage of holographic memory lies in itsability to store a volume of recording media, instead of just on the surfaceof discs. In addition, it enables a 3D aspect that allows a phenomenonknown as Bragg volume to occur.

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