Number 214 - March 2001

Internal Versus External Components
by Dean Andrews, Feb 2001, Lake County Area Computer Enthusiasts
New data buses, like USB (Universal Serial Bus) and FireWire (aka IEEE 1394), as well as changes in PC architecture have changed the issues involved in choosing between internal and external new devices for your PC.     First, it is still true that you will generally find internal devices cheaper than the same device (from the same manufacturer) in external form. This has to do with the extra manufacturing and materials involved in properly shielding the electronic device to meet legal standards. Thus, if you're working under a tight budget and you have some experience in installing internal hardware, consider an internal device.     USB (Universal Serial Bus) devices do not come in internal form--there is no provision for internal components in the USB specification. Thus, you don't have an option to buy an internal component if you're building a USB chain of devices.     Do keep in mind, however, that the FireWire (aka IEEE 1394) bus does allow for internal devices. Unfortunately, few new PCs ship with FireWire capability .If you do have a Fire Wire-ready PC, consider going with a fast FireWire internal device if you need to save space on your desk.     One of the reasons that people choose internal rather than external components is to save space on their desks; external components can quickly stack up, consuming every bit of flat surface in your office or cube. Unfortunately, this reality has prompted PC makers to shrink the size of the desktop PC itself. In turn, this shrinkage has left little room for expansion	bays. Thus, if you do plan to add to or upgrade your PC with space-saving internal components, consider buying a tower or minitower PC. Most desktop systems (those designed to sit on top of your desk) offer very few if any bays for new devices.     Before the advent of USB (Universal Serial Bus) and FireWire (aka IEEE 1394) technology, often users would choose an internal device for high-speed data transfer. Few older PCs arrived stocked with an external SCSI port, and EIDE isn't available for external devices. In the old days, most PC users had to rely on relatively slow parallel and serial port-based products if they wanted an external device.     Not so today. Currently, at 400 mbps, FireWire is the fastest data bus out there.     The upcoming 480-mbps USB 2.0 devices will be faster still. If speed is your only concern, check into USB 2.0 or FireWire products.     Consider your technical skill level before you buy an internal device. While installing an internal hard drive (or a modem or CD-ROM drive) has gotten a lot easier than formerly, it's still not for complete novices or the faint of heart. On the other hand, external components are generally designed to be plug and play, even if they aren't based on USB (Universal 0.11 Serial Bus) or FireWire (aka IEEE 1394) technology. If you have some experience with internal devices, or have a techie friend with some spare time, or have a phone and the time to call for technical support--by all means go with an internal device; otherwise consider an easy-to-install external component.
Number 214 - March 2001