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Your computer uses the read/write heads in a disk drive to store
and retrieve data on a disk. To write to a disk, the computer
spins it in the drive to position the disk so that the area where
the data is to be written is under the read/write head. A diskette
has an exposed area where the read/write head can access it.
Because data is stored magnetically, you can retrieve it, record
over it, and erase it-just as you play, record, and erase music on
a cassette tape.
Types of Diskette Drives
The following list describes the four types of diskette drives you
can use in your computer and which diskettes to use with them:
❏
1.2MB drive–Use 5¼-inch, double-sided, high-density,
96 TPI (tracks per inch), 1.2MB diskettes. These diskettes
contain 80 tracks per side, 15 sectors per track, and hold up
to 1.2MB of information, which is approximately 500 pages
of text.
Note
MB
stands for megabyte, which
equals 1024KB (or
1,048,576 bytes). KB stands for kilobyte,
which equals
1024 bytes. Each byte represents a single character, such
asA,$,or3.
❏
1.44MB drive–Use 3½-inch, double-sided, high-density,
135 TPI, 1.44MB diskettes. These diskettes contain 80
tracks per side, 18 sectors per track, and hold up to 1.44MB
of information, which is approximately 600 pages of text.
3-12 Using Your Computer