What Hard Drives Work With a MacBook?

The MacBook is available in either white or black.

MacBooks have the distinct advantage of being able to work with a large variety of hard drives. While MacBooks are specific about what type of internal drives can work, the same isn't true when it comes to connecting to an external drive. All MacBooks feature USB connectivity, so finding a compatible external hard drive is not a problem.

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About Hard Drives
- MacBook users rarely see the internal hard drive.
  
  A hard drive is a storage device for computers. Most computers, including MacBooks, contain an internal hard drive but have the option to connect one or more external drives to it. Both internal and external hard drives contain a series of rotating platters on which data is written. Some external hard drives require an external power source known as an A/C adapter, while others are powered through the computer's port, either USB or FireWire. Generally, the size of a hard drive refers to its capacity, not its physical dimensions.
The MacBook Computer
- MacBooks come in three models: the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. Apple discontinued the MacBook model from its consumer line in July 2011, but it is still available through its education division. The MacBook Pro is Apple's high-end model that comes standard with either a 320GB, 500GB or 750GB internal hard drive as of mid-2011. The MacBook Air doesn't contain a traditional platter-based hard drive -- it relies on a much smaller-capacity, faster flash memory storage configuration, something that is not upgradable.
Internal Hard Drives
- A second internal hard drive can't be installed inside a MacBook. Therefore, if you need more storage capacity, you have to remove the existing drive and replace it with a larger model, a process that should be left to a computer technician. This involves copying the data off of the first drive, removing it, installing the new drive and copying the data back onto the new drive. If the entire process seems too daunting to attempt, an authorized Apple tech will have to handle the upgrade. Except for the MacBook Air, all MacBook models contain a Serial ATA 2.5" internal hard drive; no other type of drive will fit inside the computer.
External Hard Drives
- All USB external hard drives are compatible with the MacBook.
  
  Finding an external hard drive that works with a MacBook is a simple process. Every USB hard drive that is sold will work on every version of the MacBook. Pre-2009 MacBooks also have a FireWire 400 port, so any FireWire external drive will work with these MacBooks. Older hard drives, including Apple-branded models, that don't contain either a USB or FireWire port aren't MacBook compatible.