In yesterday's post I talked about the USB-C/USB 3.0 reversible flash drive. That's modern day tech. This here is old tech from decades ago. Some of my data still exist on these old drives and this device is how I access them. It works on the mac, not all devices like this do, and it's very convenient. It's a good solution if you have data across multiple drives that use different standards that have existed over the years, but use a modern day computer like a mac.

IDE vs SATA

IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) is an older standard for connecting hard drives and optical drives to a computer's motherboard. It is sometimes referred to as PATA (Parallel ATA) because it uses a parallel interface to transfer data between the drive and the computer.

An IDE drive typically has a 40-pin connector and uses a ribbon cable to connect to the motherboard. The cable has two connectors, one for the drive and one for the controller. Up to two devices (hard drive and optical drive) can be connected to the same cable.

One of the key features of IDE is that the drive controller is integrated into the drive itself, rather than being a separate component on the motherboard. This makes IDE drives more affordable, but also means that if the drive fails, the controller fails as well, and the entire drive must be replaced.

IDE drives have been mostly replaced by SATA (Serial ATA) drives, which use a serial interface to transfer data and have a faster data transfer rate, up to 6 Gbps. SATA drives also have a smaller connector and use a thinner cable, which allows for better airflow and easier cable management inside the computer case.

So, basically, IDE (or PATA) is cheaper but slower than SATA. Nowadays IDE drives are pretty much obsolete. SATA are nearly obsolete too, replaced by steady state drives (like flash drives) which have no moving internal discs and, hence, are more reliable and durable. They are also a lot faster.

Peace & Love,

Adé