Using external memory devices to improve system performance

A computing device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• memory coupled to the at least one processor;
• an external memory device manager implemented at least in part by the at least one processor and the memory, and via which the computing device determines, in response to a read request for data where the read request is directed to a hard disk, that the data is available from a removable solid-state memory device that is separate from the hard disk, where the separate removable solid-state memory device is configured to complete the read request faster than the hard disk;
• and
• the external memory device manager configured to redirect, in response to the computing device determining that the data is available from the removable solid-state memory device, the read request from the hard disk to the separate removable solid-state memory device.