Flash memory vs. magnetic storage

RECENT NEWS
EE Times  Jun 13  Comment 
Flash memory is increasingly posing a challenge to the hard disk drive in PCs and enterprise servers in the datacenter. View the full article HERE.
Cloud Computing  Jun 11  Comment 
CLOUD COMPUTING EXPO -- Intel Corporation today announced the Intel® Solid-State Drive DC S3500 Series, its latest solid-state drive (SSD) for data centers and cloud computing. Designed for read-intensive applications such as...
Cloud Computing  Jun 6  Comment 
Dr. Radoslav Danilak, CEO and co-founder of Skyera Inc., will present on next-generation flash memory technologies to attendees of Cloud Expo New York, June 10-13 at the Javits Center in New York City. Skyera will also show its 44-terabyte...
Forbes  Jun 5  Comment 
SanDisk is one of the leading designers and manufacturers of NAND flash storage solutions. NAND products are re-writeable, non-volatile semiconductor memory devices that retain content even when the power is turned off. NAND is ideal for...
EE Times  Jun 5  Comment 
Acquisition of Novocell by Microchip subsidiary Silicon Storage Technology expands Microchip's flash memory IP offering. View the full article HERE.
Forbes  May 30  Comment 
Flash memory storage density grow is continuing, although the rate of improvement is slowing.  At the recent SanDisk analyst day they indicated that there were perhaps 3 more generations of flash memory products introduced before 3D flash memory...
Cloud Computing  May 29  Comment 
SMART Storage Systems, Inc., an innovative enterprise solid-state drive (SSD) technology provider, today announced that the company has expanded its operations in Asia with the opening of a new research and development (R&D) facility in...
EE Times  May 25  Comment 
Intel and IM Flash Technologies executive says 2-D NAND flash memory can scale to 10-nm and that 3-D NAND needs to be manufactured with at least 32 layers to be economic. View the full article HERE.
EE Times  May 24  Comment 
Intel and IM Flash Technologies executive says 2-D NAND flash memory can scale to 10-nm and that 3-D NAND needs to be manufactured with at least 32 layers to be economic. View the full article HERE.




 
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The mass production of flash memory to power USB drives and Apple's iPod and iPhone has made this once-costly technology a good deal less expensive. This price drop has fueled speculation that flash memory, with advantages in speed and power consumption, could displace traditional magnetic hard disk drives (HDDs) in computers. Flash memory is also known as solid-state drive technology.

But will magnetic storage go extinct? Despite some predictions that within three or four years HDD will be a thing of the past, there remain doubts. It's still expensive today to replace laptop HDDs with flash--the difference could be as much as US $300 more per laptop--and HDD's demise has been predicted several times before, prematurely. One alternative route is that of coexistence--manufacturers have begun introducing hybrid drives that incorporate both flash and magnetic storage.
Flash's future: can these minute memory devices take down the HDD industry?
Flash's future: can these minute memory devices take down the HDD industry?

Who wins if flash memory replaces Hard Drives?

  • Sandisk is the industry leader in flash memory technology, providing flash drives for Apple's iPods and a variety of other consumer electronics.
  • Samsung also manufactures flash drives.

Who wins through HDD/magnetic storage?

  • Seagate is the independent mainstay of HDD technology, its products appearing in an unparalleled across-the-board array--everything from Xboxs to rival PS3s to most laptops on the market.
  • Western Digital is Seagate's only meaningful competition (beyond large "captive" companies like Toshiba and Hitachi, whose sales are many times larger than the independents').
  • Nidec Corporation (Nihon Densan Kabushiki Kaisha) (NJ) is a HDD spindle motor manufacturer with a near monopoly, over 70% market share. Important supplier to Seagate and Western Digital but, because of dominance of their particular niche, see less pricing pressure.
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