Hard Disk

For more capacity and faster access speeds than those with floppy disks, fixed or hard disk storage is used in microcomputers. The hard disk generally available for use with micro computer's is similer to those disks available with mini-and mainframe computer systems. However, unlike the hard disks for the larger computer systems, the hard disks of the microcomputers are generally not removable. Their storage capacity can range from hundred megabytes to many gigabytes. In some hard disk systems, data are stored in the same way as they are on diskettes. A series of tracks are divided into sectors when the disk is formatted. As their name suggests, hard disks are made out of a rigid substance that is capable of storing a greater amount of data than the soft materiel used for diskettes. Hard disk drives for microcomputers can be internal unit into the computer cabinet and non removable or outside the computer cabinet and connected to it by a short cable. Hard-disk have the following characteristics: