Definition of Hard Drives
Often overlooked in their importance, hard disk drives or "hard drives" are the backbone of modern computing storage. Valued for their ability to permanently store data, hard drives will have a place in computing for years to come.
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History
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The IBM 305 was the world's first computer to feature a hard drive.This drive, entitled the "IBM RAMDAC 350 Drive," was a paltry 5 MB in size and a staggering five feet tall.
Function
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Modern consumer level hard drives operate by rotating a read and write head across a circular platter which changes the magnetic properties of its surface when writing data. Data reading is accomplished by detecting the current magnetic state of a particular area on the platter.
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Types
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Though the underlying mechanical technology of hard drives has not changed much in the last 15 years, the connective hardware and data processing protocols have advanced tremendously, allowing for very customized hard drive solutions. Some of the various hard drive formats are: SATA, EIDE, SCSI and SAS drives.
Benefits
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Due to their non-volatile nature, hard drives are a very reliable means for permanently storing large amounts of diverse data either on or off the site of the main computer system.
Fun Fact
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Hitachi has released a one-inch "Micro Drive" with a storage capacity of up to 8 GB. Such drives are utilized in the smallest of today's hardware, such as iPods.
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