Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. hopes that falling prices for flash memory chips will mean solid-state memory can eventually replace hard disk drives in laptop computers and other devices, a top executive said.
Well let's get on these falling prices. If you don't know, the benefits of flash based memory are many. First of all, it is more stable because it's more difficult to damage solid state memory.
For instance, your laptop is very susceptible to having bad memory partititions based on damage. If you drop your laptop you could ruin your data. If you bang the laptop the wrong way the same thing can happen. This is simply because a hardrive is spinning on a cushion of air while being read in a way that sort of resembles a old record player. Think of how easy it is to scratch a record that is playing on a phonograph. It is a little more difficult to damage the hard drive, but I think you can get the point.
Second, it will consume a lot less power. To spin that hard drive you have to use energy.
What I think is most interesting about all of this isn't the implications for laptop computer (the LCD screen is still the biggest hog of energy) but is the implications for MP3 type devices. I want iPod to get to work on this post haste. We need 60-120 gig flash based iPod devices. Then you will get longer battery times, less chance for failing hard drives, and a lighter device that you can take on workouts without worrying you'll damage the disk.
How great would that be?
