19 June 2009 - 10:31Characteristics of a Good Hard Drive

If you think the only characteristic of a hard drive worth looking into is the price and the brand name, then you’re making a big mistake. Others consider the price and brand of a product as the indicators of quality. They think a product’s quality (in this case, the hard drive) can be gauged by the price. However, a cheap hard drive can be just as efficient and reliable as expensive ones. This is because some expensive hard drives do not have the characteristics that are considered standards for the device. And what are these standard characteristics that should determine if your cheap hard drive is good enough?

The most important characteristic of a good hard drive, cheap or not, is its reliability and durability. With this, you are rest assured that your data is completely safe. This goes beyond the size of the hard drive—it doesn’t matter if your hard drive has 120GB or 2 TB. Regardless of the size, your data must be secured so you will be secure.

Easy installation is also preferred, especially with external hard drives. This means the device should be compatible with all types of operating systems and it shouldn’t require any strenuous installation procedures. Basically, this means the hard drive should be easy to use, something that a computer greenhorn can easily use.

Although mostly neglected, the physical size of the hard drive is also an important characteristic that will determine the quality of the device. Can it stand vertically and horizontally? Is it compact enough to enable you to save desktop space or make it easier for you to bring it anywhere?

The speed of the data transfer and the maximum capacity of the hard drives are very important too, needless to say, regardless if you are going to buy an external or internal device. The hard drive’s speed should be, of course, fast—or at least proportionate to the rotational speed indicated. It’s not the speed per se, since this varies from product to product, but the capacity for fast data transfer, considering the device’s rotational speed. Meanwhile, the hard drive should be able to manage intensive use of space without showing signs of slowing down or inefficiency. This is a must, of course, especially when the user is using his computer intensively, with several programs and saved data. Again, it’s not about the speed or size, since they vary, but how the device utilizes these. It’s one thing to say that the hard drive is fast and has a large memory; it’s another to say whether or not these can actually be seen or are evident.

And, last but not least, the hard drive should be affordable and reasonably priced. With this, it means the hard drive’s price should be proportionate to its specs, capacity, and power.

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