Hard Disk Drive

Adding-a-hard-disk-1-1 — The contents of Hard Drive Disk

The Hard Disk Drive

Most every desktop computer has one or more hard disk drive. A hard disk drive’s job is to permanently store digital information. It will even re-restore your digital information as it changes. The idea of the hard disk drive is to make sure all the important and non-important data, in a computer, is safe from unexpected power loss or from any potential catastrophe, which otherwise cuase the user to loose data.

~The Hard Disk Drive’s History

The hard disk drive was first invented in the 1950’s. Its first design was 20 inches in diameter, which could only hold about two or three megabytes worth of memory—this is really nothing compared to our modern day hard disk’s comparitively enormous capacity. Unlike the optical drive the hard disk is not manual, it's automatic. At first the hard disks were called “fixed disks” or “Winchesters.” These fixed disks were later renamed “hard disks,” because people needed a more recognizable name so as not to confuse them with “floppy disks.” Floppy disks (which are no longer used) have a flexible plastic film and hard disks have a hard platter that holds magnetic medium.

~Basic Facts about the Hard Disk

An easier way to understand the hard disk is to compare it to a cassette tape. They both have magnetic recording abilities, in other words “magnetic storage.” The hard disk will retain the information for a very long time.

The hard disk is connected to the motherboard by cables. “The power supply unit's job is to convert the power provided from the outlet into usable power for the many parts inside the computer case.” (2,b)

The quality of the hard disk's parts will affect how well it will works. It parts are delecate and should be handled with care.

Sources (3):

1)

How the Hard Disk Drive Works

a) http://www.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk.htm

Hard Disk Basics

b) http://computer.howstuffworks.com/hard-disk1.htm )

2)

Power Supply Unit

http://pcsupport.about.com/od/componentprofiles/p/p_ps.htm

3)

What's inside a hard drive?