- Hard drives have only existed for a relatively short period of time. The very first prototype hard drives with somewhat modern features existed in the early 1960s, but the absolute first hard drive was created in 1956. Such hard drives were, compared to modern standards, ludicrously large, slow, and inefficient with energy. As time went on, hard drives became smaller, cheaper and more effective.
- Hard drives function by using a magnetic system to store digitally encoded data into their internal system. The basic way in which most hard drives function is through the storage of data onto a spinning "platter" system, which constitutes the "disk" in the "hard disk." The data is transferred onto the platter via a complex magnetic and electrical process. The job of the hard drive is to store this data, not losing or distorting it, until it is requested by the computer at a later time. Hard drives are erasable and therefore reusable.
- Many consumers believe the common misconception that computer hard drives affect computer processing speeds. While this is true to an extent, it is largely inaccurate. The only element of a hard drive that may affect a computer's processing speed is its rate of storage. Modern hard drives, however, store data so quickly that they have virtually no effect on the overall speed of the computer system into which they're built. The main object that does affect processing speed in the computer processor.
- In purchasing a computer system look for several factors regarding that computer's hard drive. If you want to store a lot of data-intensive files such as videos, music, or games, look for a computer with a hard drive featuring plenty of memory. The more memory, the better. At the same time, keep in mind that modern hard drives feature massive amounts of memory, sometimes far more than an average user will ever need. Modern hard drives can contain hundreds of gigabytes of available memory in the form of permanently stored memory, not RAM (random access memory). Keep in mind that 1 gigabyte equals roughly 250 songs in the mp3 format.
- Hard drive technology is going to continue to grow and evolve at an exponential pace. Early hard drives often contained only a few megabytes. One thousand megabytes are equal to one gigabyte. One thousand gigabytes are equal to one terabyte. It is theorized that personal computer hard drives may soon be storing hundreds of terabytes of information and that growth will continue unchecked for the foreseeable future. However, with developments in nanotechnology, it is conceivable that one day the hard drive will disappear.
