Your hard drive is the main storage device for your notebook computer and home to your operating system, software and data files. There are two primary factors to consider when selecting a notebook computer hard drive:

1. Storage capacity, or how many gigabytes (GB) of information it holds. Notebook computer hard drives range in size from 60GB on a starter model to 160GB on the high side. The average notebook computer holds 80GB of data. When choosing a hard drive capacity look at the hardware requirements for your favorite software. Add 20 GB to that number for a notebook computer hard drive that will continue to work for a couple of years into the future.

Think about what you will be doing with your notebook computer. Will you be saving media files like mp3s, photos, and movies on it? Or are you going to be performing basic office functions and sending email? Will you be installing a lot of software or games on your notebook? Not many people can use a 160 GB hard drive, so don't go overboard. Any remember that you can always get an external drive with 80 GB for about $100. That's what I prefer because I can store all my music, photos, and movies on that and plug it into my desktop or my laptop interchangeably.

Here's a guideline for notebook computer hard drive requirements:"

• 60 GB for Sending Email, Surfing the Internet, Basic Office Applications"
• 80 GB for Email, Internet Surfing, Multiple Software Applications Installed"
• 100+ GB Gaming, Storing Photos and Music, Heavy Applications

2. Speed (Rotational speed/RPM) of the drive. The faster the drive spins, the quicker data can be read and written. Hard drives used in notebooks typically come in three speeds: "

• 7200 RPM"
• 5400 RPM"
• 4200 RPM

The higher the RPM the faster a hard drive can access and write data. Your notebook computer hard drive can read and write files faster. 7200RPM hard drives can perform up to 12% faster than 5400RPM hard drives.

A faster speed hard drive can improve notebook boot time. 7200RPM hard drives can improve XP start-up time by up to 18% over 5400RPM hard drives. You can even get your load your software faster. 7200RPM hard drives can increase application loading speed by up to 14% over 5400RPM hard drives.

As you select a hard drive, try to anticipate your future storage and speed needs when making a decision. The amount of space you consider sufficient now may not be adequate in a year's time.

Keep in mind that if your notebook computer hard drive gets full or even close to full, your notebook will slow down dramatically. While hard drive upgrades can be relatively inexpensive, your hard drive is one of the most important pieces of hardware you have in your notebook. Many people have all of their vital personal and business information stored on a single hard drive. Choose wisely and take care of it, because without it your computer is useless.