Q I hear serial ATA (Sata) is the way forward for hard drives. Can I run a Sata drive alongside my current IDE hard drives?

My ECS motherboard says it does not support the ‘Hot-Plug’ function. I use Windows XP.
R Cowx

A You are correct – Sata is the new technology for connecting a hard disk to a computer. Its advantages include its much smaller cable, which makes it easier to fit drives and helps reduce heat build-up in the computer.

If your motherboard has the correct connections, there is no reason you can’t have a mix of old IDE and Sata drives in the same computer. Sata in itself is not really a reason to pick a particular drive. If the computer takes either, price and capacity are better reasons.

The reference to hot-plugging is the ability to remove a drive from the computer when it is turned on. This is not an issue for home users so it does not matter if your motherboard cannot do this.