Harðdiskar

Harðdiskar, often referred to as hard drives or HDDs, are a fundamental type of non-volatile storage device used in computers and other electronic devices. They store digital data on rotating magnetic platters. Information is read and written to these platters by a read/write head that moves across the surface. The speed at which these platters spin, measured in revolutions per minute (RPM), significantly impacts the drive's performance, with higher RPMs generally leading to faster data access.

The capacity of a harðdiskur is measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB), indicating the total amount of data it can hold. Modern harðdiskar offer substantial storage, making them suitable for operating systems, applications, and large media files. While increasingly being supplemented or replaced by Solid State Drives (SSDs) due to their superior speed and durability, harðdiskar remain a cost-effective solution for mass storage.

Harðdiskar consist of several key components: platters, read/write heads, an actuator arm, and a spindle motor. The platters are coated with a magnetic material, and data is stored as tiny magnetic regions. The actuator arm positions the read/write heads precisely over the correct track on the platter. Harðdiskar are connected to a computer's motherboard via interfaces like SATA (Serial ATA). They are a mature technology, providing a reliable way to store and retrieve digital information.