14 DAY TRIAL // The main advantage of the mSATA solid-state drive form factor is the significantly smaller form factor. Basically, the size difference between it and 2.5-inch is colossal.
As the subtitle says, mSATA SSDs are one-eighth the size of standard 2.5-inch drives, and since Ultrabooks are all about compactness, Plextor stands to gain a lot by persuading OEMs to buy the M5M.
M5M is the name of the new solid-state drive released by Plextor at CES 2013.
Set to sell in 64/128/256 GB capacities, it reads at up to 540 MB/s and writes at 160 MB/s, 320 MB/s and 430 MB/s, respectively.
Plextor outfitted the M5M with a Marvell controller (hence the speeds), its Exclusive True Protect Technology (256-bit AES encryption) and the ability to enter the DEVSLP power mode (used power is cut to 1 mW when idle).
No prices have been released, sadly.