Your PC Explained: Hard Disks
Every modern PC has a hard disk. Hard drives are a major component of a PC, just like motherboards and graphic cards are. Hard disks were developed in 1956 by IBM for use with an accounting computer. By today's standards, this piece of hardware was very huge and had fifty platters that measured 24 inches in diameter and had a maximum capacity of only a few megabytes. Since then, hard drives have gotten a lot smaller and are able to store an ever increasing amount of information, with a hard disk able to store 4TB (4000 GB) of data planned to be released in 2011.
While they have gotten smaller, faster and more efficient, all hard disks since their invention have functioned on the same principle. The name "hard disk" is used to describe the surface used to store data, which is a hard platter made out of glass or aluminium alloy and coated with magnetic material. This is in contrast to floppy disks, which use a flexible magnetic storage medium.
Hard disks work by having several platters which spin at very high speeds. Information is read and written magnetically on those platters by a read-and-write head which is placed on an actuator arm that moves the head very quickly as the platters spin. A hard disk also has two electric motors, one that spins the platters and another one that moves the actuator arm. A hard drive also has an electronic board which controls the movements of the head and platters based on data received from the computer. If you want to see what the components of a hard drive look like, you can disassemble an old drive that you no longer use. Note that taking it apart will render the drive useless, as tiny particles contained in the air will damage the read-and-write head and platters.
Today's hard disks can come in a variety of sizes. The most common form factor in use in desktop computers is 3.5". Laptop computers and other electronic devices which require a smaller sized disk use 2.5" and 1.8" form factors. While they are generally associated with computers, many other devices today can use a hard drive to store data. These include video game consoles, photo and video cameras, MP3 players, digital video recorders, etc.
While most hard disks are located inside the device that uses them, external hard drives are also available. These consist of a hard drive that has been put into a special casing which allows it to be used outside of a computer or other device and plugged in via a USB connection.
Questions and Answers
An exciting aspect of access online is the games that have been created that seemingly have swept across all demographics, worldwide. Of course, the technologically advanced games require some extra oomph delivered by graphics cards to help hard drives keep up with the non-stop action in the games.
Well, if you are a gamer, you will surely know a thing or two about graphics quality. The best graphics cards produce best quality of image.
An avid gamer would always love to have a high performance machine at his or her disposal. But, having one of these machines it isn't as easy as it sounds.
Well, if you are a gamer, you will surely know a thing or two about graphics quality. The best graphics cards produce best quality of image.
The role of graphics cards in your computer cannot be undermined, particularly if you are used to working with video contents, 3D games and graphics.
Graphics cards are the small but important part of every computer system they are used to view best quality images on the computer or projector’s screen. Graphics cards are generally incorporated with the motherboard of your personal computer and they are sufficient for the general purposes.
An in depth look at the new MMORPG from Blizzard Entertainment known as Diablo III, a long awaited release for Diablo fans.
Most small businesses take advantage of computer technology, and it certainly can make things a lot easier for everyone within the business when you do so properly. Unfortunately, there are also a number of different problems that can occur as a result of the technology that you are using.
For any restaurants, it is very important to have vigilant end to end point of sale and service. If someone is new to the business of making and serving meals, it's very important to have a clear cut observation on point to point service to sale.
Small business financial software plays a vital role in the operations of an organization especially the small enterprises. This is where you get the opportunity to keep the record of all the financial activities that are occurring in your organization.
Wireless is one of the best ways in order to get internet to a laptop or a computer, but if you want to sell wireless items in the US or Canada, you need to be sure you pass the wireless testing and you get the FCC certification to prove it.
Earlier this year Apple released the iPad, a new piece of technology best described as a tablet computer. The iPad is capable of handling owner's audio, video, movie, and game needs—as well as web content, books and periodicals. The iPad uses practically the same operating software as the predating iPod touch and iPhone. Apple has sold three million iPad devices in only eighty days. Its popularity is probably explained by the fact that no other company has been able to release a device to compet
If you're an Xbox fan at all you've already heard about it, the new Kinect for Xbox 360 and its game changing capabilities. Giving you the ability to control your game just by moving around, Kinect is available as a peripheral for those who are already Xbox owners or comes included in a new Kinect Xbox bundle for those who are new to the platform. Kinect seems to be the closest gaming has gotten yet to bringing the gamer into the game. But how does it all work?
For today's traveling professional, having just his laptop by his side at all times is no longer sufficient. Far beyond the mere "pleasant to have" stage, counting on the right laptop accessories to back up your machine could be what makes or breaks your next business trip, job opportunity, or surprise presentation. Here are a few to be aware of.
A short battery life can largely dampen your ability to use your laptop. It is quite distracting to constantly have to be in search of an outlet so that you can recharge your quickly diminishing battery power. There are, however, ways in which you can extend the life of your laptop battery, regardless of the type of laptop which you possess.
Upgrading your laptop is a very simple and easy process that the average consumer tends to overlook. It is hassle free and is definitely worth your time and effort. The process is nearly the same for almost any products currently, whether you have an apple mac, mackbook pro, toshiba laptop, or even a sony vaio. When upgrading your computer the areas that tend to drastically affect your performance are the RAM, battery, and hard drive. Don't know what those do? Well I'll tell you.
Discuss this Article
