Solid state drives better known as SSDs are changing and radically improving computers for the better. A solid-state drive replaces the computers normal hard drive which is generally a disk drive with a drive composed of flash memory chips. These computer chips are comparable the chips that make up USB drives. This new format for storing information has permitted computers to achieve faster loading times and for the computers itself to turn on faster.
Due to the solid-state drives being a new product on the market their price is relatively high when compared to normal dick drives. However, prices have been dropping for some time as more people buy solid state drives for their computers and the performance gain more than makes up for the price. Their also exists methods to circumvent paying a high price for a faster computer. An individual could use a combination of smaller solid-state drive and a very large regular dick drive. The smaller drive would store their computers operating system and any files or programs they access regularly on it. The larger drive would contain all the other files and software that are accessed with less frequency. This combination of expensive new technology and cheap existing technology would provide a the best that both can offer without the large price tag associated with current solid-state drives.
The big problem with moving parts is that they always wear out in the end and sometimes unexpectedly when brand new. This problem is not present in solid state drives due to their lack of moving parts. Manufactures always strive to get rid of moving parts whenever possible to increase the reliability of the drives. This critical difference from normal computer hard drives has led to a longer lifespan for solid state drives. Solid state drives are also smaller and lighter than previous drives. This makes it possible to create ultra-thin laptops, tablets, and other devices. The thinnest devices are putting solid state storage right onto the motherboard and most enthusiast grade computer components have this feature built into them permitting a hobbyist to be creative with his custom-built computer.
The earliest solid-state drives generally where designed for consumer devices with a restricted quantity of memory. The debut of the apple iPod in 2005 marked the first flash memory-based device to enter the consumer market. Today the SSD market is dominated by a handful of large manufactures, including Intel, Kingston, Micron, Samsung and many others. The competition between manufactures has led to the creation of various form factor for solid state drives as well as various capacities creating a large selection of products for buyers to choose from.
The inevitable progress of technology has given the world the solid-state drive. Today these drives con mostly be found on high end computers or in custom built computers where often individuals are driven to create the most powerful setup possible. Over time this will change, and all computer will have solid state drives included with them as the prices for the drives drop over time.
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