What is the primary characteristic of a Hard Disk Drive (HDD)?

The primary characteristic of a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is that it includes spinning platters and read/write heads. In an HDD, data is stored magnetically on multiple rotating platters that spin at high speeds. Read/write heads move over these platters to access or record data. This mechanical movement is a defining feature of traditional HDDs, distinguishing them from other storage types, such as solid-state drives (SSDs), which do not have moving parts.

The inclusion of these specific components indicates how data is read from and written to the storage medium, emphasizing the mechanical nature of HDDs compared to more modern technologies. HDDs are effectively used for large-scale data storage due to their cost-effectiveness, even though they tend to be slower than SSDs because of the physical limitations of moving parts.