As Intel ships 160GB SSD, pricing nags buyers | Nanotech - The Circuits Blog - CNET NewsIntel is now shipping 160GB solid-state drives as it vies with Samsung and Toshiba to deliver high-capacity SSDs that rival hard-disk drives in capacity. Price, however, remains a big obstacle for many consumers.
(Credit: Intel)
Intel said Monday that it will add 160GB versions of its X25-M and X18-M Serial ATA (SATA) solid-state drive. To date, Intel has limited shipments to its 80GB versions. Laptop-size 2.5-inch versions of the 160GB drive are shipping now; 1.8-inch models for ultraportable laptops will ship next month, Intel said.
Larger-capacity drives from other SSD suppliers are also on the way. In November, Samsung said it had begun mass production of 256GB SSDs. And Toshiba recently said it would show a 512GB drive at the Consumer Electronics Show in January that would ship in the second quarter of 2009.
Solid-state drives are generally faster at getting data than hard-disk drives (and in some cases, much faster) but pricing is a big hurdle for consumers. Toshiba indicated last week that sample quantities of its new solid-state will range in price from $220 for the 64GB drive to $1,652 for the 512GB drive.
That kind of pricing--even if it's for pricey sample drives--is hard to swallow when a laptop-class 500GB hard-disk drive sells for well under $200.
"Introductory" pricing for the Intel 160GB solid-state drives is $945 for less than 1,000 units, Intel said.
Currently, adding an Intel 80GB solid-state drive option to an HP EliteBook 2530p ultraportable laptop adds $659 over the cost of a 5400RPM 1.8-inch 120GB hard disk drive.
Adding a 128GB solid-state drive to an Apple MacBook Air ups the price by about $500.
Additional comments:: Note that the only first-tier PC vendor to publicly say it is using Intel SSDs is Hewlett-Packard. This is a significant customer for Intel since HP is the largest PC vendor in the world. HP offers Intel SSDs in all of its EliteBook notebooks.
if anyone has a better place to put this you may...
My Computer
- Computer Manufacturer/Model Number
- Tx2500z Tablet Pc/Homemade Server
- OS
- Windows 7 Ult x64(x2), HomePrem x32(x4), Server 08 (+VM), 08 R2 (VM) , SuSe 11.2 (VM), XP 32 (VM)
- CPU
- Turion X2 ultra (oh well came with laptop)/P4 @3.2 (yes P4)
- Motherboard
- IDK HP Motherboard / Intel DG965SS
- Memory
- OCZ Dual Channel 4GB kit/ 1gb Dual Channel
- Graphics Card(s)
- HD 3200 graphics /GMA x3100 (yay for intergrated!!)
- Sound Card
- Realtek HD Audio(mic working, well sort of)/Siig IC-70012
- Monitor(s) Displays
- built-in Hp 12" laptop screen/ Acer 19"
- Screen Resolution
- 1280x800 /1440x900
- Cooling
- All Air Cooled
- Mouse
- Logi MX Rev. /MS Wheel Optical 1.1A /Logitech Optical Mouse
- Internet Speed
- College baby but its still routed through vpn to 1536k...
- Other Info
- love my wacom pen and pressure sensitivity...
wished it worked in 7, SUSE for that matter though
)
SK
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