Final answer:
The two main storage locations for records in the digital realm are hard drives, which store data magnetically, and cloud storage, which stores data on remote servers. CDs were once common but are now supplanted by more efficient methods.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two most common locations where records are stored in modern digital devices are on a hard drive and in cloud storage. Hard drives work by magnetically encoding information on a disk, allowing for data to be quickly stored or retrieved, as depicted in Figure 12.1 and Figure 12.28. On the other hand, cloud storage allows for data to be stored on remote servers accessed via the internet, offering scalability and access from anywhere with an internet connection. While options like RAM, CD-ROMs, flash drives, and magnetic tapes have been used historically for data storage, in contemporary applications, the combination of hard drives and cloud services has become more prevalent due to their convenience and capacity.
Prior to the rise of cloud services and streaming, CDs were a dominant form of data storage, capable of holding a vast amount of digital information, including an entire encyclopedia on a single disc. CDs utilize pits and lands to digitally encode data, read by a laser beam that scatters off these pits as the disc spins, which is detailed in the legacy references to Figures 30.40 and 30.42. However, their usage has declined in favor of more modern storage solutions.
Of the options given, the first one (hard drive and cloud storage) is the most accurate in describing the current predominant storage locations for digital records.