Hard disks are used for long-term storage of data in computers. They use magnetic platters coated with magnetic material and read/write heads to store and retrieve data. Common interfaces for connecting hard disks to computers include IDE, EIDE, SCSI, and Serial ATA. Capacities range from megabytes to terabytes. Hard disk specifications include RPM, cache size, interface type, capacity, and warranty duration. Examples of hard disk brands are Western Digital and Seagate.