Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Solid State Drive

The first PC I used had no hard disk. I ran a word processing software from floppy disk. As software, including operating system, grew bigger, floppy disk no longer could handle them, and hard disk became a standard device on every PC. Now, you have an alternative to hard disk – Solid State Drive, or SSD for short.

Solid State Drive, or Flash SSD to be more specific, uses the same technology as your thumb drive and memory card. It has several advantages over the conventional hard disk, such as:

  • Faster start up
  • Lower power consumption
  • No mechanical parts, so less susceptible to knock and vibration


SSD does have its shares of weaknesses:

  • More expensive
  • Lower capacity


Based on the information I read, SSD currently sold in the market max out at 256GB. Some Malaysian photographers are already using a couple of 500GB hard disks for storing their digital images.

So, should you go for SSD? If you currently own the shares of Western Digital, should you sell them immediately?

I am no expert, but here is my take:

If you buy a new desktop, stick to conventional hard disk. If you buy a new notebook computer, you may choose either SSD or hard disk. Should you go for SSD, you may still need to get an external HD for files you don’t access frequently.

Thanks to digital photography and digital videography, hard disk makers such as Western Digital should still be doing fine in the near future. Technology evolves fast, though. Three years from now the picture could be very different.


P/S I reserve the rights to be wrong

10 comments:

  1. Yeah! But I heard that SSD's lifespan is shorter and that it is more easily corrupted? But I believe one day SSD will substitute their older sibling! :D

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  2. totally don't understand wat is that about. :p

    p/s: yeah, i am planning to go to visit oxford too.

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  3. Thanks for the good update/info.

    Will use when it gets more popular, cheaper and proven. This is what I always do for new gadget/technology.

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  4. tekkaus
    Yes, I think you're right. SSD has shorter lifespan. But technology advance may change that.

    kikey
    Never mind. In one year time SSD will be more popular, and you'll know about it.

    Grass
    Haha... I am an technology laggard too. Let the geeks try it out.

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  5. sorry...
    i guess these are too complicated for me >.<"

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  6. Yes technology change very fast. Don't even know what new things we will see in next 10 years.

    For me, SSD or hard drive not so important. I prefer technology that has to do with travel. Like maybe "Beam me up Scotty" from Star Trek - wouldn't that be a nice replacement for all the mode of transportation today? : )

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  7. 迷迭香
    You'll have to learn about SSD in a few years. It's the future.

    foongpc
    The beam me up technology is too far fetch. For now I would like to see bullet train coming to Malaysia/Singapore.

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  8. We should wait a few more years then the SSD technology will improve. Just like now they are advertising Blu-ray to replace DVD. Just wait a few more years then it will improve and become more usable.

    As for the bullet train, I have sources that say KTM is already engaging a Japanese company to lay elevated tracks from JB to KL. Don't know how long this will take though.

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  9. I think still pretty expensive now. I think some netbooks in the market are equipped with 8GB SSDs??? If I didn't see wrongly.

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  10. JL
    The initial plan for bullet train was to connect KL to Singapore, but it has been shelfed due to the recession.

    Neo
    8GB SSD??? Maybe my info is a bit outdated...

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