Hard disk for second-hand 13" early-2011 mbp (2.7 hz i7, 8gb ram)

i might be able to get hold of a cheap, second-hand 13" early-2011 macbook pro, specs are 2.7 ghz core i7 with 8 gb ram. it will not come with a hard disk.
i'm thinking of asking a friend to help install the harddrive but as far as i know he's not a mac user. do you know if this mbp can accept any generic hard disk? are there any restrictions as to what can be used and is there anything he should be aware of?

First, you're going to need a hard drive. Currently, for the MBP, you can choose from three types of drives. SATA drives (for the current MBP, SATA-3) a reliable and come in two speeds, 5400 or 7200RPM. SSDs are solid state drives, and can be fast and reliable. Hybrid drives are a cross between the two types.
Several sites will provide you with video tutorials on installing the drive. OWC has a variety of helper tutorials.
Once you get the drive, you're going to have to install the operating system. Currently, the OS is downloaded via internet, but you can still find copies of an older OS on eBay that comes on DVDs.
Feel free to ask more questions!

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