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A hard disk drive is a magnetic storage device permanently installed in computers, smartphones, and portable music players. It holds work files and permanent memory loads, and is the mechanism for built-in storage for most game consoles. The term “hard drive” was introduced in the 1950s and became popular as they became commonplace in home computers. Hard drives have become increasingly popular as the need to store data has outgrown the storage media of the time. The inside of a stationary unit is basically the same for any size or configuration. Hard drives are found in many portable devices, including many MP3 players, smartphones, and tablets. Hard drives typically work best when they’re not moving outward, and in most traditional computers they’re not. Most hard drives are categorized in terms of their storage capacity, and the specific number is an indication of how much memory or storage space is available for applications, files, and other documents which can be quickly saved and retrieved.
A hard disk drive, also called a hard disk or hard disk drive, is a high-capacity magnetic storage device that is permanently installed inside a high-capacity computer, smartphone, or portable music player, and is also usually the mechanism for built-in storage for most game consoles. These discs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but most work in the same basic way. They hold work files and permanent memory loads while serving as an anchor for device operations and applications.
Origins of the term
The name “hard drive” was very common when it was first introduced in the 1950s, but became progressively less popular as the years went by. While the term still has some relevance, in common parlance it is often referred to simply as a “hard drive.” In the past, there were many ways to store information outside a computer, but very few ways to store information inside. The term implied that the disk was fixed in place within the computer and could not simply be pulled out as other forms of storage might. The term “hard drives” took over as they became commonplace in home computers. These were considered the opposite of a floppy disk, the common removable storage media of the time.
Hard drives have become increasingly popular as the need to store data has outgrown the storage media of the time. However, they were considered by many to be very slow and expensive. It wasn’t until cost went down and storage capacity increased that they became a regular part of consumer electronics; at first, they were installed only in large corporate computers and industrial machines. Over time, the capacity of the drives has increased and their physical size has decreased. Most experts now consider them one of the most convenient means of data storage and they are found in many portable devices, including many MP3 players, smartphones and tablets.
How does it work?
The inside of a stationary unit is basically the same for any size or configuration. An internal motor causes the very thin magnetic platters to start spinning. These platters are covered in tiny magnetic regions that each have a directional charge, and as they rotate that charge gains traction, and its signal can be converted by computer circuitry and motherboard into meaningful data and direction.
Another internal motor drives one or more arms that move around the platters. The “read” arm reads the directional charge and sends the information to the unit. The “write” arm, on the other hand, changes directional charges, saving and storing new information on the platter. The inside of one drive may look very different from another in a different device, but usually all of these basic parts are there.
Common examples
Hard drives in computers are some of the more common examples. Almost all modern computers have one or more of these drives that store all of the computer’s saved information, including operating system data, applications, documents, and photos. All electronic devices with high-capacity storage capabilities typically have these as well, albeit usually on a smaller scale. The hard drive in an MP3 player is usually much smaller than the one in a desktop computer, for example, but they usually work the same way and often look very similar, although one is necessarily smaller than the other. They are also found in most digital video recorders, game consoles and home media centers, and even most modern smartphones contain them.
Risks and precautions with movement
Hard drives typically work best when they’re not moving outward, and in most traditional computers they’re not — they’re sitting on a desk, table, or otherwise stationary office space. However, as mobility increases, the risk of injury increases. Tablets, smartphones, and portable music players are just a few examples of devices with stationary drives that move very nearly by design. A traditional drive would not perform well in these circumstances and there is always the risk that the read or write arms could go off course with too much thrust. In most cases, however, motion-prone devices also have protective casings and extra bracing around their drives to help prevent disk slippage or other damage.
Capacity designations Capacity
Most hard drives are categorized in terms of their storage capacity and the relevant unit is usually the byte. A byte is generally understood to encompass eight bits, and traditionally it took one byte to encode each letter of computer code. Early computers had disk capacities measured in kilobytes, which is 1,000 bytes of data. Megabytes (1.0002 bytes) follow, followed by gigabytes (1.0003 bytes) and terabytes (1.0004 bytes). The specific number is an indication of how much memory or storage space is available for applications, files, and other documents which can be quickly saved and retrieved. In most cases the more memory space on a drive the more expensive it is, although not always. Much depends on the market and the precise capabilities of the device in question.
