Computers have become the order of the day and the most important component of any computer is the hard drive. It is that part of the computer that stores all the information. The internal hard drive comes along with the system and there is no difference between the internal and external hard drive. The functions of the external hard drive are the same however the only difference is that it is hooked to the computer from outside. These drives are very small and compact, that they can fit into a pant pocket or a wallet. Some of them also come along with a power grip that protects the device from any kind of rough handling.
This device is very popular as it makes the data portable and secure from various threats such as viruses. The profuse internet access these days has exposed the hard disk to threats such as spyware, Trojan horses and viruses. It is certainly very important to protect the data from these threats and this is possible with the help of secure external hard drive. These days, there is a rise in the multimedia information and hence there is a need to possess these external drives. These are also used as a substitute to the internal hard drive as there is every chance that they fail at times.
The external hard drives are connected to the computer with the help of a high speed interface cable. This device can also be connected using a very simple USB port. With improvement in the technology, there are high speed USB 3.0 interfaces available that helps in the data transfer. This enables the data to be transferred at double the speed of a 7200 SATA drive and ten times that of USB 2.0 interface.
The storage capacities of the external hard drives vary drastically. They can range from 250 gigabytes (GB) to 2 or 3 terabytes (TB). Along with the storage capacity, the price would obviously vary and that is a very big consideration. Usually, the larger the storage space, the price would be on the higher side. There are also plenty of brands available for these kinds of drives in the market. Hence it is advisable for the individual to read large number of reviews before deciding on the brand to be purchased. Since it is an investment, the choice made has to be certainly worth it.
However, in the years to come, this device is expected to play a bigger role in the home computer use. As the computer devices are shrinking, the external devices would be used for immediate access for data.