14 DAY TRIAL // SanDisk seems to have struck again on the flash storage market, because not only has it developed a new type of solid state drive, but it actually made it capable of storing up to 64GB of data while being only slightly larger than a fingernail and almost weightless.
Basically, SanDisk created a 64 GB chip that will push current ideas of “compact SSD' or “small form factor storage unit” out the window.
On today's market, there are multiple solid state drives that are, physically, just as large as any other SSD or HDD while having less storage space than what is required to act as a Windows 7 boot drive.
And yet, SanDisk managed to provide mobile electronics, like laptops and tablet PCs, with 64GB of storage on a single chip.
Known as iSSD, the flash product is smaller than a stamp and unlikely to actually add to a product's final weight, not in any noticeable way at least.
The SSD supports the SATA interface in a small BGA (Ball Grid Array) package and is meant to be soldered onto any motherboard, though it will be most useful in electronics that are often in danger of suffering drops or jostles.
For those interested in numbers, the SSD measures 16mm x 20mm x 1.85mm, weighs under one gram and has sequential read and write speeds of 160 MB/s and 100 MB/s, respectively.
"The new category of embedded SSDs should enable OEMs to produce tablets and notebooks with an unprecedented combination of thin, lightweight form factors and fast performance," said Doron Myersdorf, senior director, SSD marketing, SanDisk.
"With our embedded flash storage leadership, SanDisk believes it is uniquely positioned to deliver the ultra compact SSD solutions needed by OEMs," he added.
The SanDisk iSSD is compatible with all major operating systems and also comes in smaller capacities, as low as 4GB to be exact. Bulk orders are already shipping, with pricing dependent on the quantity ordered.