Hard Drives & Data Storage
Hard drives are important to understand so that you can make an informed decision on which storage device best suits your technology needs. Keep reading to learn more about the hard drives available at Staples today.
What Is a Hard Drive?
A hard drive is an integral storage component of your computer. It houses the operating system, documents, data and applications that your computer uses. Computer hard drives can be separated into internal or external styles and further classified by storage space, device compatibility and hard drive type.
What Is the Difference Between External and Internal Hard Drives?
An internal drive is located inside of your computer, while an external drive is a discrete component that can be connected to a variety of computers and other devices. We break down the other differences between these two types of storage devices below:
External Hard Drives
External hard drives work like USB flash drives — once you connect your external hard drive to your computer via a transfer cable, you can transfer files to and from your device with ease.
Consider this option when you require increased storage capacity for an existing device that is filling up fast. They’re also great for making a backup copy of the data on your computer to ensure its safety through redundancy. With an external drive, you’ll have the opportunity to select the right amount of storage for your needs.
Despite their large storage capacity, external hard drives aren’t bulky; their small and lightweight size makes them easily portable. External storage is protected by a shroud or shell to keep delicate internal components from being damaged during transport.
Internal Hard Drives
Internal hard drives have faster processing speeds than external hard drives, since there is no transfer cable involved. With internal hard drives, you won’t have to worry about not having access to your files, since they will always be accessible directly from your computer.
Because internal hard drives don’t require a shell or transfer cable, they’re typically more economical than their external counterparts. However, they are not designed for transferring files directly between devices like external hard drives are.
What Is the Range of Storage Space for Hard Drives?
Hard drive storage space is typically measured in either gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB), with one TB being equal to 1,000 GB. Staples carries both internal and external hard drives in storage space options ranging from 320 GB all the way up to 18 TB.
What Brands of Computer Hard Drives Are Available?
Of course, you only want to trust the best technology when it comes to hard drive storage. At Staples, you can purchase computer hard drives from top brands such as NXT technologies, Seagate, SanDisk, Verbatim and more. In addition to hard drive storage, Staples offers hard drive accessories and hard drive transfer cables to complete your storage setup.