MacNN has reviewed OWC's Mercury On-The-Go Pro SSD drive. The unit is now available in three sizes: 64GB (reviewed), 128GB and 256GB. The drive utilizes FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 connections, and comes with cables and a carrying case -- an optional AC adapter is available, though the drive generally runs on bus power. Models have no moving parts, storing data in flash memory.
As part of Samsung's initiative to promote environmentally-friendly efforts, the company has highlighted the energy efficiency of current SSD storage and DDR3 memory components. The use of higher-density DDR3 memory is said to reduce power consumption by up to 70 percent compared to DDR2 modules. The power savings is attributed to lower voltage requirements, as low as 1.35 volts, and the energy-efficient 40nm manufacturing technology.
Samsung has introduced its latest solid state drive (SSD), the 256GB FlashSSD, geared for gamers. The component is claimed to offer a five-fold improvement in data loading time compared to traditional hard drives, while running with lower power consumption.
OCZ has released its OCZ Solid 2 SATA II 2.5” Solid State Drive, using MLC-based NAND flash memory for a balance between performance and price. While MLC memory is slightly slower than SLC memory, the new drives deliver 100MB/sec write (120GB model) and 125MB/sec read speeds and a seek time of less than 0.1ms using the less expensive memory type. The drives carry a 64MB onboard cache and a three-year warranty, while mean time between failure is rated at 1.5 million hours.
Intel may be ready to launch new solid-state drives based on 34nm NAND technology within two weeks or less, a report claims. Rumored since January, the drives are expected to ship in 80, 160 and 320GB capacities, the last being significant for more practically replacing a conventional hard disk. Other capacities may also be in the works, dense enough to replace many notebook hard drives, a source says.
SanDisk has begun shipping its next-generation SSD drives geared for netbooks, the pSSD P2 and S2. Both series of components feature new non-volatile nCache technology which is claimed to enable a five-fold increase in random write performance compared to HDDs, an important advancement for netbooks that use full-featured operating systems such as XP or Ubuntu. The technology is designed to reduce instances of stalling or "shuddering" experienced with earlier-generation SSDs.
Toshiba on Thursday introduced the dynabook SS RX2/WAJ, its latest notebook that features a 512GB SSD. The drive utilizes 2-bit-per-cell multi-level NAND flash memory to quadruple the density compared to the company's previous 128GB offerings, while a new controller is claimed to increase read speeds by 230-percent to 230MB/s. Write speeds have also been boosted by 450-percent to 180MB/s.
Japanese manufacturer PhotoFast has produced the G-Monster PCIe SSD, a new solid-state drive designed around extreme specifications. Whereas most SSDs are limited to 256GB or less, the G-Monster starts at that level, and additionally comes in 512GB and 1TB capacities, rivaling some hard drives. The G-Monster is substantially longer however, closer in size to a high-end video card.
pureSilicon this week showed its 1TB 2.5-inch SSD drive (pictured below). Featuring standard SATA II drive interface, the device, is "the most compact SSD per gigabyte: 15.40GB per cubic centimeter in a 2.5-inch form-factor" -- at least three times greater than any other SSD on the market, the company claims. The company says the high density has been achieved through innovative engineering techniques and its "exceptionally" thin enclosure and that four of the devices can fit into the same form factor as a typical 3.5-inch drive. Currently, the company say the SSD line is built for server, networking, datacenter, supercomputing, and professional media, but the technology lays the groundwork for high-capacity SSD for consumers.
Samsung Electronics has extended its line of full-HD digital camcorders with four new models - the HMX-H106, HMX-H105, HMX-H104, and HMX-H100. In addition to full HD video, the new H-Series offers a renowned Schneider Kreuznach Varioplan HD lens with Optical Image Stabilization, H.264 and internal Solid State Drives to provide onboard memory. Samsung's new flagship HMX-H106 features an internal 64GB Solid State Drive (SSD), increasing both write performance and dramatically reduces power consumption. The company claims that when actively reading and writing data, Samsung's SSD technology consumes approximately 1/8th of the power of a comparable HDD.
Eric Cheng of Echeng.com says he has successfully installed and run a RAID 0 SSD array in a MacBook Pro, with strong performance results. Utilizing two 120GB OCZ SATA SSD notebook hard drives, and an MCE OptiBay hard drive adapter (placed in the MacBook Pro's SuperDrive bay), Cheng was able to configure the two drives and set them up in a striped RAID 0 array, and install a bootable copy of Mac OS X.
In the wake of last Friday's leak, Intel has now formally announced its Mainstream series of SSD drives. Models will be available in 1.8- and 2.5-inch sizes, and rely on MLC (multi-level cell) NAND memory, which should in theory aid to keep prices down. One of the first examples is the 80GB X25-M, which is also Intel's first SATA-based SSD for notebook and desktop OEM builders.
Sunnyvale-based OCZ on Thursday unveiled new Core Series V2 SATA II 2.5-inch SSD drives, offering users speedy 170 megabyte-per-second read and 98 megabyte-per-second write times, with much larger sizes. The drives represent a continued effort for OCZ to push down the prices of SSDs for mainstream users. While OCZ declines to supply exact prices from its release, it says that the new Core Series V2 drives cost half of what comparable products do, while offering sizes of up to 250GB.
Intel has announced the availability of a new solid-state drive, a variant of the Z-P230. While a 40-pin ZIF version for PATA connections remains available, Intel has introduced a new PCIe "mini-card" model which is even smaller. The PATA model is itself said to be four times smaller than a normal 1.8-inch mechanical hard drive. Read and write speeds remain at 38 and 10Mbps, respectively.
Semiconductor maker Indilinx has upped the potential throughput of SSD drives, an announcement claims. The company says that its Barefoot controller, just out of development, is capable of peak read/write speeds up to 230MBps, allegedly the fastest on the market. This speed is entirely dependent on the type of memory used however, and in practicality it operates at 170MBps with SLC (single-level) NAND memory, or 200/160MBps using MLC (multi-level) NAND.
Seagate is rumored to be looking into buying out Intel's 49 percent stake in the IM Flash Technologies joint venture between the chip maker and Micron, a flash memory manufacturer, according to analysts. That is just one option for Seagate, but the analysts say the company would be better off buying into SanDisk, as it is not involved with any other companies and is less costly. Furthermore, they maintain that Seagate needs to purchase or team up with a NAND flash memory maker in order to be successful in its solid state drive (SSD) production.
TDK will debut its HS1-series solid-state disk drives at the Computex Taipei 2008 show due to start tomorrow in Taiwan. At 1.8 inches, the drives are the smallest on the market to use a Micro SATA interface, and are meant for notebook computers and industrial devices. The drives are available in 16, 32 and 64GB capacities, and use single-level cell NAND flash memory. Prototype versions of the HS1 drives were first shown at CEATEC in 2007, and TDK says are now ready for use in industrial devices.
Samsung late on Sunday promised what it says is a breakthrough in solid-state drives with the launch of its first 256GB SSD. The drive offers twice the capacity of the Korean firm's previous 128GB SSD but is also much faster. The 256GB edition reads sequential data at 200MB per second, twice the rate of the original model, while also seeing an even greater increase in write speeds: where the earlier drive writes at 70MB per second, the new SSD writes at 160MB per second. This comes in a chassis that is also described as one of Samsung's thinnest at 9.5mm (0.37in), making it suitable for very thin and light notebooks.
People contemplating SSD versions of computers like the MacBook Air -- which costs approximately $1,300 more than the HDD edition -- may not find the performance difference worthwhile, writes Computerworld. The magazine has conducted a test of 32GB SSDs by Crucial and Ridata, in comparison to two 7200rpm hard drives by Seagate. All four drives used cloned copies of Vista Home Premium, and were benchmarked by software called HD Tach.
Seagate has begun the first of what may be several lawsuits against makers of flash memory, show filings from the US District Court in San Francisco. It has accused STEC, formerly known as Simple Technology, of violating four patents it owns, connected to the creation of flash memory -- should it win, Seagate could be granted an injunction against STEC products as well as unspecified damages. Seagate CEO Bill Watkins argues that compensation would be well-due, as it has invested heavily in developing technology for SSD drives, and it has tried to persuade other companies to license its patents.
MCE Technologies today unveiled the QuickStream SS, a self-powered solid-state drive designed for standard and high-definition video capture. The QuickStream SS is ideal in situations where vibration or other environmental factors contribute to a less-than-desirable shooting environment for standard platter-based capture methods. Size configurations were not mentioned, but MCE will ship both a 2 hour and four hour model, for $1800 and $2800 respectively.
Once again taking advantage of its Shanghai Developer Forum, Intel has announced its first-ever line of self-branded solid-state drives. Previously codenamed "Rocket," the drives are SATA models available in 1.8- and 2.5-inch sizes, and in capacities ranging from a standard 32GB to an unusually large 160GB. Each drive is also said to be ruggedized, and tested against forces up to 1,500G.
Toshiba’s Japan-only new Dynabook SS RX1 is the first ever notebook to offer a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), matching the storage capacity of conventional hard-disk drives with the speeds associated with flash drives. The model will be available about nine months after Toshiba also unveiled the first laptop with a 64GB SSD drive. In North America, the RX1’s equivalent is the Portégé R500, already a holder of many “world’s first” accolades.
Imation has entered the burgeoning field of SSD storage with two sets of drives, designed in collaboration with Mtron. The first of these are the MOBI 3000s, SATA disks meant for the consumer market; these consist of 16 and 32GB 2.5-inch drives, as well as 16, 32 and 64GB 3.5-inch models. The drives are capable of reading at 100MBs, and writing at 80MBs; random access speed is just 0.1ms. Prices start at approximately $700.
HP today announced two new energy-efficient desktop computers, both of which use a solid-state drive to store data, and are compliant with the Energy Star 4.0 standard. The solid-state drives provide a number of benefits, such as faster system startup times, better reliability and durability, while maintaining a smaller footprint than a traditional hard drive. The ultra-slim HP Compaq dc7800 uses Intel Core 2 Duo processors with optional vPro technology, and Verdiem Surveyor network power management software, which can lower the energy cost for the computer to $10 per year, when combined. HP is selling the dc7800 for $1300.
OQO's presence at CES is being used to release new options for the model 02, its Windows-based UMPC. Buyers can now choose a new SSD drive, doubled in size from 32 to 64GB; the option is significant in that few full-sized notebooks offer a 64GB SSD, let alone a device as small as a UMPC. The model 02 has also been given the option of a "sunlight-optimized" display, making it more practical for people working outdoors. The previous screen continues to be the default.
Imation today unveiled its CES lineup and announced its intention to launch into the rapidly expanding solid-state drive business. Signing an agreement with Mtron, Imation says it has co-developed a new line of flash-based hard drives it says will be the world's fastest of its type. The SSD MOBI 3000 reads at an already quick 100 megabytes per second but is said to be more impressive with its 80 megabyte per second write speed. This performance is not just better than most flash drives but also bests fast traditional drives in many key areas such as OS boot time and tasks where constant disk access is important, such as working with large videos, Imation argues.
Crucial today became the latest storage producer to explore solid-state hard drives with a new take on the formula. Simply titled the Crucial SSD, the 2.5-inch disk holds either 32GB or 64GB of memory and is meant as a faster, more durable drop-in replacement for conventional rotating hard drives. Like most of its kind, the SSD has no moving parts and is almost completely skip proof; without the need to spin, it also has an access time of under 1 ms and often performs faster than the old technology, Crucial says. Unlike most such drives, however, the new disk is not limited to the inside of a computer. A new external kit converts the device into a USB drive for easily removable storage.
The Taiwan-based A-Data is the latest company to release a 64GB solid-state flash drive (SSD). In particular the company has actually released four drives with the capacity, in 1.8- or 2.5-inch sizes, and with a choice of SATA or PATA (parallel ATA) interfaces. Each is said to have special anti-shock protection, and use multi-level cell technology technology to fit its storage. Like all SSD drives, the A-Data models consume less power and have faster access times.
Intel late Friday revealed what it touts as the most miniscule solid-state drive ever released. The Z-P140 is tailored for portable media players, handhelds, and other devices where even the already small 1.8-inch flash drives common to ultraportable notebooks would be too large. The entire drive is no larger than a penny and weighs just 0.02 ounces --as much as a paper clip, the chipmaker says. Regardless of its size, the SSD is still faster than most any flash-based memory card and reads as quickly as 40MB per second while writing at 30MB per second.
Toshiba started its week with the introduction of its first solid-state disks in its 1.8-inch HDD range. Designed to replace conventional rotating storage, the drives are said to offer the storage of a multi-level cell flash device with the speed of simpler single-level cell technology: an advanced controller lets it read at 100MB per second, write at 40MB per second, and yet hold 128GB of storage in such a small size, the company says. In combination with a 56-nanometer manufacturing process, this helps the drive speed up response times and extend battery life while still providing the storage of a conventional disk.
Although long known as a RAM producer, Micron has only just introduced its first SSD flash drives, the RealSSD line. Coming in 1.8- and 2.5-inch sizes, the drives are limited to 32 or 64GB capacities, but bring with them a few distinguishing traits. They use a native SATA II interface instead of a bridge chip for example, and can be removed from a computer without turning off power beforehand. They also consume a mere 2W when active, and less when idling or in standby. Plastic casing is said to cut weight by at least 50 percent over similar-sized HDDs.
