Apple Researching Flash Memory Technology

[Digital Skunk]

My point in all this is that while there is something very elegant about not having any moving parts spinning around inside my laptop, I'm not overly anxious to move to solid state drives. I don't think Flash is going to be the technology that obsolete's rotating disks. Something will, no doubt, but I don't think Flash is it. We need too much storage and we can't get that cheaply enough with solid state.

I agree... the biggest thing I am looking for in HDDs is faster rotational speeds with less noise, and less heat, or drives that can better handle it. I like the new iPod Classic with 160GB, but I'd rather have a faster drive.

Also... I would like to see more SAS options for the desktops.

I might imagine a system like this: 128GB of solid state storage in the laptop, and 24GB of RAM so I can minimize paging, and a 500GB external 2.5" firewire drive to store media files and other large datasets. Not cheap with todays technology, that's for sure, but if applications can control their bloat over the next couple years, that might be a suitable portable system for my needs in 5 or 6 years.

I don't know about the 500GB external in 5 to 6 years. We have portable RAID drives that can hold up to that now albeit at $750 a pop. I think we may have up to 2TB portable single drives by that time. 24GB in 6 years may be a stretch too. It took us a while to break that 2GB barrier on laptops, and currently we can get up to 8GB if the RAM wasn't so expensive to manufacturer. I am thinking maybe something like 16GB in 5 to 6 years.

 

[winterspan]

The high cost has been the primary reason for the delay. Sure hope Apple can partner in development of PMC memory, which blows flash out of the water:

'Programmable-metallization-cell (PMC) memory, or nano-ionic memory could start replacing flash memory in 18 months'

http://advancednano.blogspot.com/2007/10/programmable-metallization-cell-pmc.html

I understand the sentiment, and I am also hoping to see a practical flash alternative in the next few years, but Apple hasn't been known to do that type of hardcore applied physics/engineering. What they will do is make a device (like a future MB pro) that makes the new technology useful

 

[winterspan]

what?

Most of the posts in this thread are very backward-looking. "How will they use this in desktops and laptops?"

My forward leaning perspective is all those features of servers, DVR's, routers, etc., etc., will flow into the handtop arena in a couple of short years and while we may have devices with 4x the screen real estate of the iPhone of today, we will displace most laptops and desktops with personal supercomputers that "do it all". Large peripherals will be wireless of course.

The wide screen experience will be a pair of glasses you have on your belt when you need them, and the rest will be very iPhone like.

Prepare to be "stunned". (Hi Steve )

Rocketman

Thank you for enlightening us with your "forward-leaning" perspective. Perhaps it was naive for the rest of us to be speculating about such antiquated subjects as the applications of flash memory storage in a laptop.

As for a future when the "features" of servers, DVRs, and routers synergystically form the basis of a new Iphone.... uh.. no comment.

 

[wizard]

OK let me guess WRONG Thread.

Intel processor

Not exactly sure what you are talking about but if it is a tablet device from Apple it needs a ARM processor for extended run time. specifically it needs to be able to handle a 12 hour or more work day on a single charge.

802.11n

Just to pull this back on track lets just say that it uses Apples new flash technology. We will say that even though Apple doesn't have the the production capacity nor the any public known agreements with a manufacture.

Dave