1. A machine-implemented method of accessing one or more storage media, said method comprising the steps of: accessing a retrieval value of two or more regions of a plurality of regions on a single storage medium, wherein the retrieval value of each of the two or more regions indicates one or more performance characteristics, wherein the retrieval value for at least one region of the plurality of regions is determined based at least in part on an internal transfer rate that can be achieved by a location in that at least one region on the single storage medium; wherein at least a first region of the two or more regions comprises one or more locations having a first retrieval value, wherein at least a second region of the two or more regions comprises one or more locations have a second retrieval value different than the first retrieval value; selecting where to store a particular file of a plurality of files, on the single storage medium based at least on (a) the retrieval values of the two or more regions on the single storage medium and (b) an access frequency associated with the particular file; wherein the step of selecting comprises: forming a classification of the particular file based the access frequency associated with the particular file; selecting a particular region of the plurality of regions on the single storage medium to store the particular file based at least on (a) a retrieval value of the particular region and (b) the classification of the particular file; storing the particular file in the particular region on the single storage medium; wherein the steps of accessing, selecting, and storing are performed by one or more computing devices.