macnn/electronista
12/10/2007, 8:15am, EST
Monday, December 10thToshiba enters solid-state with 128GB drive
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.
The Japanese manufacturer has declined to list prices for the solid-state drives, which also come in 32GB and 64GB models. The company explicitly notes that the disks are designed primarily for ultraportable notebooks but hints that their development is meant to "speed up acceptance" of flash storage not just in computers but also consumer electronics, though it would not provide examples of what this may be. Toshiba plans to demo the drives at the CES technology expo in January and will both sample the drives to manufacturers and ship them in mass quantities during the first quarter of the year.
Filed under: upgrades/storage
Other story tags: Toshiba, SSD
, 
, 8
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Top
subscribe to comments
for this article
"The Japanese manufacturer has declined to list prices for the solid-state drives"
"and ship them in mass quantities during the first quarter of the year."
I think that 128 GB SSD is a perfect size, but the cost will certainly be steep.
I'm not saying that Apple has invented the flash drive-based subnotebook, but I'll bet that every PC manufacturer in the world starts building them in mass production to compete with Apple.
Man, I didn't realize the subnotebooks had died. Oh, wait, that's right, if Apple doesn't make a product, the product doesn't exist.
I think that 128 GB SSD is a perfect size, but the cost will certainly be steep.
Forget the subnotebook, the drive would be perfect for a useful iPod Touch, or imagine an iPod Classic. Think of the battery time on that thing.
I'm not saying that Apple has invented the flash drive-based subnotebook, but I'll bet that every PC manufacturer in the world starts building them in mass production to compete with Apple.
So, you're not saying they invented it, but everyone will now be competing with them. Which kind of implies they did 'invent' it.
But, don't you think this is where so many companies have been hoping to go? Do you really believe only Apple (and it's loyal and rumor-mongering fan base) are the only ones who've come up with this idea? I would think that these drives would be in high demand by many a manufacturer not because Apple is rumored to be making a supposed 'subnotebook', but that the subnotebook makers out there would love the weight loss + energy savings. (Why else would Toshiba be making these drives, just because they think Apple might want them???) In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to see them in just regular notebooks as well.
The 'subnotebook' market is small right now. No company is succeeding at producing a popular product. Again, if Apple starts making one, it will be a good one. It will create a lot of buzz, and the other manufacturers will make new plans to compete with Apple.
I do agree with you that the drives (depending on cost) could show up in some regular notebooks.
Jeez. People here in the U.S. get all worked up over tiny laptops. Well, maybe we are just a bit behind the curve....as my trips to Japan clearly remind me each year.
Sorry to say it, but Japan has been making very small laptops for quite some time now (smaller hands or disposition towards smaller things?) and once these flash drives really start shipping in mass, the Japanese market "sub-notebooks" will blow ours out of the water in regard to size and capability.
I still to this day do not understand the need for a 19inch, 17 inch, or even 15 inch laptops. Even the Macbook is too big for me after using some of the Panasonic, Fujitsu and Sony models in Japan.
Now, if Apple were to truly create a Newton replacement that ran a full version of OSX, I would bite in a heartbeat.