What is a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)?
A Hard Disk Drive (HDD), more commonly referred to as a Hard Drive (HD), is a non-volatile secondary storage device which can be used as either an internal or external storage device.
It stores data using a magnetic arm with a read/write head on the platter, divided into sectors and subdivided into tracks. Contained within the air-tight case of the Hard Drive are one or more than one platters which spins at rapid speeds depending on the model of hard drive referred to and is recorded in “Rotations Per Minute” (RPM).
Depending on the generation of hard drive, it uses either a Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment (PATA), or Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), or Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) data connection.
Older generations of Hard Drives store several gigabytes (GB). However with advancement in technology, Hard Drives can now store several terabytes (TB) of data.
Hard Drives can vary from 3.5″ for desktops and 2.5″ for laptops.
Storage Devices 