What is a key characteristic of external hard drives?

External hard drives are designed to offer a convenient way to store and access data away from the internal components of a computer. One of their key characteristics is that they connect to a computer using interfaces such as USB (Universal Serial Bus) or eSATA (External Serial Advanced Technology Attachment). This feature makes them compatible with a wide range of devices, allowing for easy plug-and-play functionality, which means users can quickly connect and disconnect them without complex setup processes.

The use of USB or eSATA for connectivity allows for substantial data transfer rates and compatibility with most modern computers. This versatility contributes to their popularity for backup purposes, data transfer, and additional storage solutions.

In contrast, other aspects, such as limits to data storage or speed issues related to usage scenarios, do not define the essential capability of external hard drives as effectively as their connection methods do. This makes the identification of the connection types a fundamental attribute of external hard drives.