The rise of digital file formats, and the increased demand for file format compatibility between both software and hardware has led to great changes in technology. Gone are the days of saving things on floppy disks, instead, people complain that their 120gb hard drive is no longer sufficient for their storage needs. People store huge amounts of data on their computers, in the form of images and photos, music files and recordings, any work or school documents, as well as videos from phone and from downloads.<br><br>Prior to the arrival of portable external hard drives, keeping your operating system and data separate seemed unnecessary. Then, as people started to accumulate more and more valuable data on their computers, a virus attack began to mean the potential risk of many important files. In response to this, users started installing multiple hard drives in their computer unit to separate the two elements. Another method was to create two or more partitions within the original hard drive.<br><br>Although this served the purpose, for those that are not technically confident, this could seem like a lot more hassle than it?s worth. However, from past experiences, I can assure you, keeping personal files separate to the operating system is one of those things you won?t appreciate, until the worse happens.<br><br>A great way of getting access to as much storage as you need without the hassle of taking apart your computer, adding a new hard drive, or transferring data from a small drive to a new bigger drive, is the portable external hard drive.<br><br>Most will connect through a USB connection, making this simple technology for even the most unconfident. IDE connecting external drives can also be purchased, however, these are more recommended for users who are confident with their computer skills. IDE connection is better suited for those who want to transfer large amounts of data and often, as USB data transfer can be slow for large amounts, and if you?re doing this anyway, chances are you know your way round the computer.<br><br>You will also be able to find cables online that will make any hard drive you own a portable external hard drive. This is a handy cable for you in office IT assistants, or if you need to upgrade to a bigger size in your machine, and want to avoid the hassle of transferring the data back and forth to drives.<br><br>If you are confident with computers, search online for computer fairs to get a great deal on a portable external hard drive. Shopping is a lot easier when you understand the specifications of the drive.<br><br>You need to only concern yourself with two specifications ?<br><br>Size ? How big is the external drive? How big do you need it to be? New drives have storage capabilities measurable by terabytes, as opposed to gigabytes, again demonstrating just how quickly the technology develops.<br>Data Transfer Speed ? Your new drive should be able to not only store all of your data, but transfer of data to different drives should be quick and simple.