Sequential access is a fixed order system used for storing and accessing data, such as in audio or video cassettes. It is cheaper to manufacture and less susceptible to damage, but takes longer to access data compared to random access memory. Examples include DVDs, CDs, and hard drives.
Sequential access is a system by which stored data is accessed in a fixed order. An example of this is an audio or video cassette. The most common use of this system is in computer memory, where it contrasts with the more prevalent random access memory.
The phrase sequential access simply refers to the fixed order of access. In addition to being fixed, this order is predetermined and follows a logical progression. Some types of sequential access are unavoidable, for example when playing a tape. Other types are a deliberate choice. This can include computer data stored as a linked list, where each piece of data contains a reference to the next piece.
Sequential access memory is a storage system in which data is stored and read in a fixed order. This contrasts with random access memory, such as that used by computers to store data for processing. As a general rule, sequential access is the type of memory most likely to be used for permanent storage and random access memory for temporary storage.
Examples of sequential access storage include older recordable media such as DVDs, CDs, and even tapes. Hard drives are also sequential, rather than random access memory. Random access memory included the memory chips found in computers, as well as flash memory that can be either fixed inside a device or removable, such as memory sticks or memory cards.
The main advantage of sequential memory, over random access memory, is that it is usually much cheaper to manufacture. This also allows for greater data capacity given both a fixed price and a set physical size limit. Sequential access memory is also more commonly used in forms of physical storage that are less susceptible to physical damage, including power surges or loss of power.
The main disadvantage of this type of memory is that it usually takes longer to physically access any data. This is because the computer has to scroll through all the data in order until it finds the correct piece, like looking for information in a book with no index, or it has to use a search function that knows where the data is stored but still has to physically navigate to the relevant section of the storage device. In contrast, random access memory is set up such that it usually takes an identical amount of time to find every single piece of data.
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