What type of memory is a HDD

[orelki]

Hi,
I recently ran into a really odd question in a test we're having.
The question is what type of memory is an HDD, the possible answers are:
Flash
RAM
ROM

The correct answer is 'Flash', but is it really true? If not, what is the correct type of memory and why?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Someone Somewhere]

None of those are correct. Flash memory is solid-state (no moving parts), and is called 'flash' memory because it has to be erased in relatively large sections - the smallest size you can write and the smallest size you can erase are not the same.

HDDs could be considered magnetic storage, bulk storage, or several other terms - but they're not flash, RAM, or ROM.

 

[Guest]

I wouldn't even go so far to call it memory. More like storage. Even so, its definitely not 'Flash'. Ask you teacher if she meant a 'SSD' instead.

 

[jsmithepa]

This shows, all these "academic" type questions depend heavily, how they defined those terms to you on THEIR textbooks. Am guessing is not ROM because HD is RW, between flash and ram, am guessing because of comparative speeds. As an IT guy, knowing this does zero to do my job.