I'm waiting for a 60GB (or even a 20GB) Nano version. AFAIK, there is no limit to how many flash memory chips can be stacked together to make a solid state iPod.
If the mini HDs, used in the larger ipods, are anything like full size desk or Laptop drives, then that spinning mini HD is likely the weak link in hardware. It's going to wear out or break, like anything that keeps spinning. Especially in portable devices, spinning HDs are subject to shock damage.
So far, the price of a Hard Drive storage cost vs space, is less than the cost of an equal number of Flash Memory chips, used in the solid state Shuffles and Nanos.
If anyone would pay a huge premium, for an all flash chip based storage iPod, Apple would be selling them. Hopefully, memory prices will continue to decline. I supect larger Shuffle!
If Apple made flash chip based ipods, for which the drive mechanism never broke and buyers might not get insurance, would that effect their business boom?
Or are there still plenty of other components to fail, and new feature upgrades to market, to prevent keep large capacity, Flash ipods from lasting forever and flooding the market?
Will cheaper hard drives, that can write more densley, and thus be smaller, like the new perpendicular write drives, keep a HD, THE storage device of choice for the immediate future, for larger capacity iPods?
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Dave