The internal, external, and cloud storage devices are all ways of storing data and information, however, each one does so in a different manner and are used for specific reasons and occasions.
INTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE
The internal storage device is located, as said in its name, inside of the computer case. Almost all computers come with some type of internal storage, the most common being the hard disk. On a superficial level, this internal storage device is needed to keep the computer’s operating system together, allowing the computer to access its output and input devices as necessary. It stores the applications you use on a regular basis and has the majority of the original versions of the data that you have saved onto your computer. Internal storage devices allow for the data stored on them to be viewed at a much quicker pace than that of data stored onto an external storage device. The reason behind this is because internal storage devices are located in the motherboard which is directly connected to the computer’s system, while external storage devices are connected through items such as a flash drive or USB that makes it a longer process to get the data over to the computer, since it is not directly on the computer (such as the internal storage devices being located in the motherboard). If the computer is shut down, relocated, or something similar, the internal storage preserves and displays any of the latest applications used and the data found on them. Although, this method of storing data sometimes isn’t the best, as all of your data along with applications can be lost if (and when) the hard disk fails. There are two ways to avoid this major inconvenience: (1) to back up all of your computer’s data onto an external storage device such as a USB or (2) having two hard disks in your computer case, reserving one for if the other fails, as hard disks copy all the data of the other so if one were to fail and you have a spare, you’d still have all of your data there.
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE
An external device, on the other hand, is a storage device that isn’t found inside of the computer, instead it is located outside of the computer, storing the data that has been transferred and saved onto it, and can be connected by a cable that links the computer and the interface (such as a USB port). Some examples of external storage devices include USB, flash-drives, terabyte external drives, solid-state memory cards, and many more. When being used, the data is thus passed in a back-and-forth motion through the interface. As soon as an external drive is inserted into a computer, an extra section (usually distinguished by a singular letter, such as “W drive” or “X drive”) appears in your file folder. External storage devices are best for backing up data that was previously saved internally, along with the advantage that they provide in facilitating how data moves around to one computer to another as they are portable drives. But the transferring of data with an external drive is slower (as I explained above) and these drives physically take up space around the computer, computer case, and other things you have placed in your work area. These drives are also constantly being plugged into and out of the port, which may lower the port’s quality in receiving outside data eventually.
Photo by Brina Blum on Unsplash 
Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash
CLOUD STORAGE DEVICE
The cloud storage device is the most commonly heard of and one that many beginners use as it is one of the most convenient ways of storing data, although not always the most reliable. The internal storage device is the easiest as it is located in the computer’s hardware, while the external storage device is the most inconvenient of the forms of storing data since it must be purchased either at a store or online. Cloud storage devices are frequently used because they allow people to access their files and data from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection. People pay the cloud storage according to how much storage they want or require for their data to be backed up. It also facilitates the sharing of documents and files with others, it’s as easy as just authorizing access to the other person you shared the data with. Essentially, cloud storage devices are used greatly as an additional method to back up data (automatically even) and you can back up data anytime anywhere (with an internet connection) and count that it will always be in your cloud storage device in case you need to recover anything.
The links where I found my information can be located here, here, and here.
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