Netbook SSD usage to fall under 10% in 2009
Market watcher predicts big shift to HDDs
Has the solid-state drive had its day - at least as a key component of Small, Cheap Computers? That's what one Asian market watcher reckons.
This week, DRAMeXchange forecast that the percentage of notebooks shipping with SSDs has plunged through 2008 and will fall to new lows in 2009.
According to the company's research, in Q1 2008, 70 per cent of netbooks came with an SSD. The following quarter that figure dipped to around 66 per cent before plunging to 30 per cent.
This quarter, the ratio will fall further, to 20 per cent, then down to just ten per cent in Q1 2009. By this time next year, the forecaster forecast, it'll be down to eight per cent.
Asus Eee PC and friend: favours harder drives?
Of course, since we're talking ratios here, there's no consideration of the absolute number of SSD-equipped netbooks out there, and that's certain to rise. But it shows that manufacturers perceive that HDDs are more popular among netbook buyers, undoubtedly because of their capacity.
And, because many netbook vendors are using cheap but slow multi-layer cell (MLC) Flash chips for their SSDs, HDDs can appear quicker too.
That's telling, because it shows that, contrary to the original notion of the netbook as a kind of internet appliance, punters really do want to store lots of data and install extra apps. In turn, that means consumers do see the netbook as a laptop alternative rather than as a secondary machine that's handy to take away for quick web searches and email checks.
DRAMeXchange's findings tie in with comments made in October by Asus CEO Jerry Shen. He said that the 10in, Windows XP, HDD design will emerge in 2009 as the standard netbook form-factor.
That's not to say 8.9in screens, Linux and SSDs are on their way out, but it does suggest there'll be fewer of them around.
Register Hardware's Top Three Netbooks of 2008
COMMENTS
EeePC701 well liked
Yep, everyone loves it.
Including the bastard at the pub who nicked mine from my coat pocket - in FULL VIEW of everyone, his friend, my G/F, the bartender - everyone+dog except me, who was buying the twat a pint till he ran off real sharpish.
Thank fuc*k the pub has CCTV *everywhere* so he's effing nicked. Coppers 'know' him. His 'friend' gave the rozzers his addie, once they'd confirmed his (ID cards universal here, see?).
Cupid Stunt. Well, he _did_ show me how to get the pipe "|" keystroke working on the Finnish keyboard, so wasn't that stupid, I guess...
Mine's the one with USB mouse, USB modem and the "Wall Wart" in the pocket, and a gap where my eee used to beee. (Bugger all use without the charger - can't easily be bought separately in Finland - he'll get an hour out of it. Then I guess he'll toss it, so I'll claim it was an Acer AA1..Or a Sony Vaio..or a Mac Air. That'll make his dole cheque wince.)
SSC without SDD make no sense...
Like it was said above, an netbook/ssc without the SSD make no sense... the think is supposed to be your ultraportable platform not your main computer.
The disk just adds weight and heat!!
Fast SSD are the solution, like those that are starting to appear as after market replacements for the EEE. I can leave perfectly within 16GB, I have done it with an old celeron lappy which had a 15GB disk.
I am just waiting to see when an affordable 10", 16GB SDD, 1GB RAM netbook arrives... with >8h battery live!
PS: The EeePC 701 is a perfect machine, my wife has one and she loves it. I use it from time to time to check email from the couch and it's perfect for that purpose.
SSD - ignorant but learning
I bought the HDD eee-pc 1000H when it first landed. I wanted the SSD model, I assumed that the SSD would be faster than the HDD model.
Since then I have bought 16GB SDHC cards, then found out about different speed modes. I intend to buy 32GB or 64GB SDHC cards when they arrive. My hope is to try and bump drive activity to the SDHC card. so maybe I wont be buying genuine SSD, but I will be buying hispeed SDHC.
My Eee-pc is a great second computer, when my desktop is busy or when I need to compute elsewhere. Most of the time it acts a video player / mp3 player /electronic book. I have a collection of older games on it, with small footprints. I dont install any of them on the HDD. I also like the way I can catalog my collections with it beside me.
All you ever wanted to know about SSDs
It appears the following guy knows what he's talking about, if so, the SSDs that they are likely to put into cheap systems are not worthy your data...
http://hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1059211&cid=26078325
What are you smoking?
If you want lots of storage, get a real computer. I waaaay prefer to have an SSD, despite the limited space, because if I drop the thing, it keeps running. Happily.
If I want to store days' worth of movies and suchlike, my 500GB USB HDD caddy is just fine.
