RSSDespite Dell using SSDs, Samsung to rely mainly on HDDs
By Jacqueline Emigh | Published June 20, 2008, 6:06 PM
Although Dell now offers Samsung's solid-state drives across 18 different notebook PC models, Samsung still views SSDs overall as just a "complement" to its HDD line-up.
NEW YORK CITY (BetaNews) - At a press conference this week hosted by Samsung, Dell Storage Director Hubbert Smith told reporters that while flash memory-based solid-state disk drives (SSDs) offer performance benefits across many notebook PCs, enterprise servers, and other applications, he believes Samsung will also keep relying on lower-cost, high density HDs to meet users' capacity needs.
Smith cited a study from industry analyst firm IDC released last May, that predicted enterprise storage will split into two separate product segments over the next few years: "performance optimized" and "capacity optimized."
Meanwhile, Dell officials informed journalists that, although SSDs remain higher in cost, Dell is now offering them as an option to notebook PC users, especially for those needing "rugged-ized" drives, without any moving parts.
In a presentation, Sarah Williams, Dell's storage marketing manager, said Dell is getting inquiries around SSDs from some school systems, for example.
Dell execs also mentioned other advantages to SSDs, from Dell's perspective, including lower power requirements and a more "flexible" form factor which allows drives to be mounted in different locations.
Williams admitted, though, that while Dell already has its eyes on Samsung's 250 GB drive, the Dell notebook options are migrating only now to Samsung's 100 GB drive.
Speaking to the importance of HDDs in Samsung's overall strategy, Samsung this week announced mass production of two new Spinpoint-branded hard drives: the 500 GB MP2, for accommodating notebook storage of video, music, and data; and the F1 RAID Class (F1R) 3.5" hard drive, with a 1 TB capacity.
In his talk to reporters, however, Smith also acknowledged that, at some point down that road, HDDs might be relegated to the role of "archival storage."
The only SSD worth buying is one that uses the same type of volatile DRAM that's used for main memory along with a battery backup. Just use a standard mechanical hard drive to backup the SSD. Yes it's considerably more expensive but such an SSD is MUCH faster than the flash memory SSDs. Since it takes very little power from the battery backup to refresh the memory it's very unlikely the battery backup would run out anytime soon in case of a power loss.
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|I think Samsung have it about right. The cost of HD's are cheap and that is what most buyers want. Sure its desirable for laptops and other uses where vibration and knock damage mean the premium is worth paying.
Samsung's drives are getting a reputation of good reliable drives, and the F1 series are great, they are quiet, fast and cool drives.
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|I would think solo SSD drives are dangerous if something goes wrong.. Data is usually not recoverable.
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|Compared to MO drives that 'consume' more current, are slower, and where, if there is a problem, the data is not accessible, they have distinct advantages. In fact, the difficulty of retrieving data from a portable source if lost or 'borrowed' is a security asset.
As far as the owners' problems due to failure - NO format absolves the owner of the need to follow best practices and to make regular backups.
Data retrieval post crash from an MO drive is not exactly a routine backup strategy. Or...let me rephrase that...for most, data retrieval should Not constitute a routine data backup strategy. And it also constitutes a vector for a potential security breach - as too many have already discovered.
But SSD do offer much more resistance to failure due to impact and mechanical issues, and in this sense offer many advantages for ruggedized portable devices...
Each will have a place. The key is to determine the best balance for the money spent - and with luck the cost of SSDs will continue to decrease! I would guess that in a year or two the cost per MB/GB will actually become reasonable for the average user.
Of course, by then, the footprint of the average OS bloat will probably outpace the rate of positive economic development for SSDs! ;-) Oh well...
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|Would you rather spend $1000-$10000 recovering data from magnetic media or spend $50-$100 and backup your damn files? :p
I would think morons users computers are dangerous if something goes wrong. Stupidity is not usually curable.
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|Was anyone expecting the market to suddenly jump solely onto SSDs??? It seems that Samsung is simply stating the obvious common sense response.
Why would anyone simply s*** solely to SSDs this early in the lifecycle with their prohibitive costs and limited advantages for the majority of the marketplace?
In all but the more extreme mission critical applications, cost will be the determining factor. Give them a few years and I would expect them to be more cost competitive and viable - but I don't expect them to utterly replace traditional HDs anytime soon.
I get the feeling that this article's lead is trying just a bit too hard in attempting to create a crisis that it purports to address.
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