Understanding Computer Storage and File Systems

Storage devices have transformed from punch cards and magnetic drums to SSDs. Early computers used punch cards, then magnetic tapes and hard disks, evolving into today's fast and compact solid-state drives with no moving parts.

File systems organize data in a storage device. They manage file storage and retrieval by maintaining a directory structure. The file system determines how data is named, stored, and separated into files or directories.

NTFS supports larger files and has better security features than FAT32, including encryption and permissions. FAT32 is older, offering greater compatibility with various devices and operating systems, but with a 4GB file size limit.

EXT4, commonly used in Linux, adds journaling to prevent data corruption during unexpected shutdowns. It supports large file systems and huge files, increases performance, and uses delayed allocation to reduce fragmentation.

The File Allocation Table (FAT) was an early file system designed for simple layout and compatibility. Despite its limitations with file size and performance, it's still widely used in USB flash drives and memory cards.

ZFS is known for its robustness and high capacity storage. It introduced features like snapshot and copy-on-write, which allows creating consistent backups and efficient data recovery, revolutionizing file system design.

Cloud storage has changed data accessibility, offering storing and sharing from any location. Its distributed nature can improve reliability through redundancy, although it relies heavily on network speed and stability.