eSATA is the external version of SATA technology, and the acronym stands for external serial advanced technology attachment. It is one option, along with Universal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 (FireWire), when considering interfaces to use for external data storage.

A computer must be compatible with the interface that is to be used to store or transfer the data. For instance, it must have capability onboard or by means of an adapter, and the computer's box must have a port in which the cable can be placed (otherwise we would be running cables through random holes in the computer, which could be fun, until a fan ends up chopping one). If a computer does not have an eSATA interface built-in, it may be able to have that enabled by use of a host bus adapter.

When comparing similar versions, eSATA using SATA II technology can transfer information more quickly than its counterparts - USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 - are able to do. However, the connectors for the eSATA drives do not provide power, while the other options can. This means that eSATA hard drives will need to have a power supply.

Other drawbacks

As with standard hard drives in general, eSATA ones are susceptible to things like being dropped, certain temperatures, electromagnetic fields, humidity, etc. Some people may find an external solid state drive (SSD), or even a USB flash memory stick, to be more in-line with their usage.

Additional information

You can do research for more information on eSATA, as well as other external data storage options. Alternatively, to continue reading about SATA hard drives in general, return to the home page.