The World of Portable Hard Disks

In this highly digitized world, cyber gadgets are virtually an extension of the human body and mind. With the enhanced dependency on computers in the contemporary life, portability has become a much sought-after trait. The intense complexity of every facet of life demands that professionals should be in a position to carry along their vital data with themselves. At the same time the storage media chosen for this purpose should be safe, efficient and extremely light. Portable hard disks cater to this demand by adapting the existing technology to meet new challenges and requirements.

What is a Portable Hard Disk?

Portable hard disk, as the name suggests, is a hard disk that is lightweight and handy. It differs from a fixed hard disk in the sense that unlike a fixed hard disk, it is not an integral component of a computer. A portable hard disk is an external storage media that can be used as an accessory to save and back up data, depending upon the choice and the needs of a user. Also unlike fixed hard disks, portable hard disks are not bulky so as to make them sleek and mobile.

However, since portable hard disks are small and light, one should not underestimate them because of their miniature framework. They are known not only for their style and speed, but are also capable of serving as an effective solution for the current storage and backup needs. Some of the portable hard disks available in the market have a storage capacity as high as one terabyte (1TB). This simply enables a user to save tons of pictures, videos, documents and music on them. Portable hard disks offer very high data transfer rates and are fast and reliable. Some of the portable hard disks are equipped with an inbuilt capacity meter that enables a user to view the utilized disk space.

How do Portable Hard Disks Work?

The internal configuration of a portable hard disk is basically the same as that of a fixed hard disk. It consists of a number of hard round platters that have a magnetic coating on either side. The data is stored on these platters in the Binary Notation. The platters of a portable hard disk are a bit small as compared to those of fixed hard disks. These platters are fixed on a spindle that rotates at a very high speed and are accessed by electromagnetic read/ write devices known as heads. The heads perform various important functions such as reading and writing the data on the disk, interacting with the rest of the computer, etc.

Most of the modern portable hard disks available in the market are plug-and-play devices that can be attached to a computer through a USB port for usage. Though portable hard disks are heavier than USB flash drives and face a tough competition from them, still they are an ideal storage solution for a person who is willing to trade off a modicum of portability for an exceptionally high storage capacity. Hitachi, Seagate Technology, Toshiba and Samsung are some of the leading manufacturers of portable hard disks.