 - Solid-state storage is a nonvolatile, removable storage medium that employs integrated circuits (ICs) rather than magnetic or optical media. It is the equivalent of large-capacity, nonvolatile memory. Examples include flash memory Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices and various proprietary removable packages intended to replace external hard drives.
The main advantage of solid-state storage is the fact that it contains no mechanical parts. Everything is done electronically. As a result, data transfer to and from solid-state storage media takes place at a much higher speed than is possible with electromechanical disk drives. The absence of moving parts may translate into longer operating life, provided the devices are reasonably cared for and are not exposed to electrostatic discharge.
Solid-state storage media lags behind electromechanical drives in terms of storage capacity. As of this writing, flash memory USB devices can store up to approximately 1 gigabyte (GB), whereas hard drives commonly hold 100 GB or more. The cost per megabyte is higher for solid-state storage devices than for electromechanical drives. However, the price gap appears to be narrowing, and the market for solid-state storage is growing. Many businesses and home users who have multiple computers favor solid-state storage devices for transferring data among their machines, because it is convenient, compact, and fast.
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24 Sep 2004
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