Internal Vs. External Hard Drive
All computers have at least one internal hard drive that contains user data and programs. Additional hard drives can sometimes be installed in a computer to expand that capacity. External hard drives can also be used to expand a computer's capacity or to increase data portability.
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The Facts
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A hard drive is a storage device used by a computer to save data such as user created files and programs. All computers have at least one hard drive that contains the operating system, such as Windows or Linux, any installed programs and user files. External hard drives operate on the same principle with one difference; they are portable and can be moved from one computer to another.
Internal
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Laptop and desktop computers ship with at least one internal hard drive. The speed at which data can be transferred is partially determined by the interface used to connect it. The two most common interfaces are ATA and SATA. SATA is a newer standard that provides faster performance and increased reliability. Desktop computers will sometimes have space for two or more hard drives. These additional drives can be used to increase storage capacity or backup data.
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External
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External hard drives are useful for a variety of reasons. The increased portability allows large amounts of data to be shared between two or more computers. Portable hard drives are not integrated directly into the computer, which makes them ideal as backup media, even allowing for offsite storage. The disadvantage is that most external hard drives are slower than an internal model. The reason for this is the interface used, generally USB or Firewire.
Enclosure
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It is possible to convert an internal hard drive into an external one. A device called an "enclosure" is used to do this. The hard drive is placed within the enclosure, which provides power and a way to connect the hard drive to the computer. There are several reasons for using an enclosure, for example when upgrading to a new internal drive, an enclosure can be used to transfer data from the old hard drive.
Considerations
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The proliferation of digital photography and video has greatly increased the popularity of external hard drives. A USB hard drive is now a common accessory to many laptop owners. Since the interface makes an external drive slower, they are best used as supplementary storage to save user files, such as photos, music, videos and documents or to back up the primary drive.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Audriusa: Wikimedia Commons
