A hard drive is a computer component that holds data. Every computer needs at least one hard drive to store its operating system, programs and user information. This drive is usually internal; however, as systems have evolved and different needs, threats and circumstances have arisen, the addition of an external hard drive has become extremely popular. The space required for photo files, music files, DVD burning, etc. have pushed the popularity of external hard drives. The external hard drive sits outside the main computer tower in its own enclosure. It is connected to the computer via a high-speed interface cable. This cable allows the external hard drive to communicate with the computer internal hard drive so that data may be passed back and forth. The most common types of interfaces are USB and Firewire. A major advantage of an external hard drive, besides security and backup for your main computer hard drive, is that it is portable and operates on a plug-and-play basis. Any computer with USB or Firewire capability will recognize the external hard drive as a storage device and assign it a letter, such as "N", to designate it. The drive can then be accessed like a normal internal hard drive. It's easy to transfer huge files back and forth between a desktop and laptop, to a friend's house or a family member's house. Just plug in the cable to quickly reconstruct a functioning environment, making your favorite digital photo collection, slide show, music, etc. virtually portable.

Note: We recommend an external hard drive if your digital photo collection is extremely large.