File facts & stats

Question 1

The modern concept of a 'file system' for managing files on a storage device emerged around what year?

Accepted Answer

around 1961. Early operating systems like Burroughs MCP and MIT's CTSS pioneered the idea of managing 'virtual files' on shared storage.

Question 2

By what point had hard disks become the dominant form of non-volatile computer storage, a position they've held ever since?

Accepted Answer

the early 1960s. Hard disks quickly displaced older storage methods and remained the standard for decades.

Question 3

IDC projected the world would generate about how many zettabytes of new data annually by 2025?

Accepted Answer

about 175 zettabytes. That includes everything from personal photos and documents to enterprise databases and video files.

Question 4

The word 'file' already denoted information stored on punched cards by what year?

Accepted Answer

1952. Long before hard drives existed, 'file' referred to organized stacks of punched cards holding data.

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