Toshiba delays 128GB SSD notebook

Toshiba on Monday announced the delay of its DynaBook SS RX1 notebook, the first with a 128GB solid state drive (SSD). The company's Japanese DynaBook site said the laptop, scheduled for release in mid-April with web sales commencing on March 25, has been pushed back to June on account of parts delays, and apologized to any customers already on the waiting list. If the parts shortage in question involve the SSD drives and can't be reconciled soon, Toshiba may not be the first manufacturer to sell 128GB SSD drives in laptops, as it previously claimed.

The announcement is similar to last year's delay of Toshiba's 64GB SSD laptop, and if the drive is due for the US, it will also likely be delayed. Luckily for Toshiba, it has not announced any US ship dates for the SS RX1 equivalent, the Portégé R500, with a similar drive, saving face from and any disappointments in the process.

Meantime, competitor Samsung is due to release a similar 128GB Flash SSD in the first half of 2008, though it likewise hasn't announced any plans for a system of its own nor who would use the drive, putting the two companies are now in a race for who can get a 128GB SSD to market first. Currently, Apple and Dell are among companies utilizing a 64GB Samsung SSD. Intel recently unveiled its own SSD drives, up to 160GB in size.

Apart from longer battery life, SSD drives have the benefits of faster boot times and data transfer times than traditional HDDs. They are also lighter and with fewer moving parts, more resistant to shock and impact.

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