Western Digital is expected to end shipments of parallel-ATA (PATA or legacy ATA) hard drives from December 29, 2013. The company maintained a small lineup of PATA hard drives in its product stack, to cater to people with older laptops looking for hard drive upgrades, and whoever else may be using the old standard that was blasted into obsolescence exactly a decade ago, with the introduction of SATA and AHCI. Product discontinuation notifications (PDNs) for the company's last Caviar PATA hard drives, bearing model numbers WD800AAJB (80 GB), WD1600AAJB (160 GB), WD2500AAJB (250 GB), WD3200AAJB (320 GB), WD4000AAJB (400 GB), and WD5000AAJB (500 GB) were issued this may, soliciting the last orders from OEMs and distributors. The last of those orders will be fulfilled by the 29th, when the drives will enter end-of-life (EOL) state. The company will only honor active warranties from then on.

Japanese company Green House has today announced multiple solid state drives based around controllers from Taiwan-based Phison Electronics. Among the models presented are the GH-SSD32B Series (2.5-inch form factor / SATA 6.0 Gbps interface), the GH-SSDP2A Series (2.5-inch / PATA) and GH-SSD21A Series (1.8-inch SATA 3.0 Gbps).

The GH-SSD32B line includes 60 GB, 120 GB, 240 GB and 480 GB units that utilize MLC NAND Flash memory and deliver speeds of up to 520/420 MB/s (reading/writing). The GH-SSDP2A SSDs reach 80/60 MB/s (reading/writing) and come in 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB flavors, while the GH-SSD21A family tops 200/120 MB/s (read/write) and goes from 32 GB to 128 GB. All these SSDs have a three-year warranty and are set to become available at the end of this month.

Nowadays, new products in the SSD market have mostly been upgraded to the more efficient and high-speed SATA interface solid-state drive. However, the majority of industrial computers (IPC) are still using the PATA interface (or IDE interface), which are now facing certain problems -- malfunctioning and bad tracks are beginning to emerge in the older technology and facilities.

To solve the problem, one of the most viable upgrade options at this stage in terms of data security and cost effectiveness would be the PATA interface solid-state drive with built-in security functions. In response to customer needs, Apacer launched this value-added PATA SSDs with Data Security benefit. These products come in two specifications - 2.5-inch, 44 pin AFD 257 and 1.8-inch 40 pin AFD 187. Both models come with three built-in data security functions - Full Erase, Destroy, and Write Protect to provide advanced and upgraded data security advantages.

Greenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid state storage products, is now sampling its industrial temperature SATA and PATA interface NANDrive embedded solid state drives (SSDs) using 2-bits-per-cell (MLC) NAND flash memory. The new NANDrive devices are the first ball grid array (BGA) package SATA / PATA SSDs based on MLC NAND that are capable of operating at temperatures between -40 to +85 degrees Celsius.

NANDrive combines Greenliant's internally developed NAND controller with NAND flash die for a fully integrated SSD in a multi-chip package. SATA and PATA NANDrive products have the same pin-out across all capacities in each family to ensure backward compatibility and simplify board design. The BGA package allows for easy and firm mounting to a system motherboard, and the 1mm ball pitch increases long-term reliability for applications enduring mechanical shock, vibration and temperature cycling.

Greenliant Systems, a leader in energy-efficient, highly secure and reliable solid state storage products, is now sampling its e.MMC NANDrive GLS85VM embedded solid state drive (SSD) product family to select customers. The new NANDrive devices support the JEDEC e.MMC 4.4 standard and are backward compatible with 4.3. While the JEDEC operating temperature range specification is -25 to +85 degrees Celsius, e.MMC NANDrive operates at full industrial temperatures between -40 and +85 degrees Celsius, giving customers data storage that can withstand the most severe conditions.

e.MMC NANDrive combines Greenliant's internally developed NAND controller with NAND flash die for a fully integrated SSD in a multi-chip package. It is available with 2-bits-per-cell (MLC) or 1-bit-per-cell (SLC) NAND to meet varying customer requirements for lifespan, endurance and performance. Measuring 14mm x 18mm, e.MMC NANDrive is offered in a 100 ball grid array (BGA) package, with 1mm ball pitch for increased long-term reliability.

Transcend Information, Inc., a worldwide leader in storage and multimedia products, today announced the latest addition to its complete line-up of solid state drives (SSDs), the PSD320 2.5'' parallel ATA (PATA/IDE) SSD. Designed to replace traditional 2.5'' 44-pin PATA hard disk drives, the PSD320 is a value-priced solution that gives older systems the ability to upgrade to the enhanced performance and reliability benefits of solid-state technology.

Apacer Technology Inc., the global leader in memory module, demonstrates its outstanding customizability by rolling out the next-generation industrial modular PATA SSD for embedded/Thin Client devices: ADM 4 (ATA Disk Module). ADM4 boasts the slimmest profile among Apacer's PATA SSDs. It adopts a 44-pin connector and can be used either in parallel (at 180°) or perpendicularly (at 90° or 270°) for various mechanisms. The just-launched next-generation modular SSD breaks through the speed barriers by reaching the read/write speed of as fast as 80/50 MB/sec, which is several times higher than its predecessors. Widely recognized by Thin Client device users for its extreme reliability, the ADM series has made Apacer one of the main SSD suppliers for Thin Client systems around the world.

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of SSDs and DOMs, today announced immediate availability of 8GB and 16GB low-profile 9-pin USB 2.0 disk on module (DOM) drives that are designed for servers and embedded computing applications.

"We're continuing to expand our lineup of DOM products, which already includes 9 different types of SATA and PATA DOMs in capacities up to 64GB. These new USB DOMs are by far the smallest, lightest and lowest power drives in our DOM family," Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson said in a statement. Maximum active power for these USB DOMs is rated at a mere 150MA. Moreover, DOMs offer superior resistance to shock, vibration, dust and temperature extremes than hard disk drives, making them advantageous for use in industrial environments.

Active Media Products, a world leading manufacturer of DOMs and small form factor SSDs, today announced eight new low-profile IDE DOMs for server, industrial and embedded computing applications in capacities from 8GB to 64GB.

AMP's new Type-3 and Type-4 IDE / PATA DOMs are both designed in a low-profile orientation to fit into very tight enclosures. Both types are available in 8GB, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities. Type-3 models have an industry standard 40-pin female IDE connector, and Type-4 models have an industry standard 44-pin female IDE connector. These two new types give AMP a complete line of IDE DOMs.

Active Media Products, a leader in DOMs and small form factor SSDs, today announced a new 64GB Mini PCI-E SSD designed specifically for Dell Inspiron Mini 9 upgrades that delivers substantially more storage space and dramatically faster performance than the Mini 9's default drive, as shown in the benchmark results below.

The SaberTooth AA SSD scored about 100% faster than the default SSD in Read speeds, and up to 9x faster in write speeds. The SaberTooth AA is one of the first available 64GB upgrades for the Mini 9, making it the highest density storage solution in this form factor. "This SSD answers the demand from many netbook users for bigger and faster storage options. We were able to reach the 64GB density by using the newest high capacity flash chips," stated Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson.

Active Media Products is now shipping what may be the world's fastest 1.8" ZIF drive designed expressly to boost storage performance in laptop upgrades. The new SaberTooth ZF from AMP is an industry standard 40-pin PATA ZIF SSD, available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, that offers previously unheard of performance from a PATA drive, with sequential transfer speeds up to 130 MB/sec.

The SaberTooth ZF will dramatically improve bootup and application load times compared to conventional ZIF hard disk drives. It incorporates the new EastWho IDE controller, which features garbage collection, wear leveling and bad block management, combined with highly reliable MLC NAND flash. The ZF was designed specifically for laptop upgrades, and includes a mini screwdriver and installation guide. It measures 2.8 x 2.1 x 0.2 inches (70 x 54 x 5 mm) and uses an industry standard PATA ZIF interface so it is interchangeable with standard 1.8-inch ZIF HDDs. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade dozens of different netbooks and UMPCs to higher performance and more local storage.

Toshiba Storage Device Division (SDD), the pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today announced two new 2.5-inch HDD models designed for rugged 24-hour continuous operation in computing, industrial, and other extreme environments. The new models - the 100GB1 SATA interface MK1060GSCX and the 80GB1 PATA interface MK8050GACY - offer exceptional reliability and performance across wide temperature, altitude, and vibration ranges, making them excellent choices for use in industrial equipment such as ATMs, digital surveillance, factory automation, and ruggedized PCs.

Designed for extended periods of operation, the MK1060GSCX and MK8050GACY feature a "case temperature" range of -15 to +70 degrees Celsius2 - the widest temperature range for 24/7* power-on operation in the HDD market. Both drives also have an expanded operating altitude range and offer better resistance to vibration when compared to standard HDD models.

Active Media Products, manufacturer of small form factor SSDs and unique USB drives, today launched the SaberTooth Z4 line of consumer grade 1.8-inch PATA ZIF SSDs as a performance upgrade solution for many popular notebook models. The new SaberTooth Z4 SSDs support sequential read and write speeds of up to 80 MB/sec and 38 MB/sec respectively.

The SaberTooth Z4 measures 2.8 x 2.1 x 0.2 inches (70 x 54 x 5 mm) and uses an industry standard PATA ZIF interface so it is interchangeable with standard 1.8-inch ZIF HDDs. It was designed specifically for consumer and professional laptop upgrades. The Z4 uses highly reliable MLC NAND Flash as the storage medium.It features garbage collection, wear leveling and bad block management built into the firmware to maintain a high level of performance and reliability over the life of the drive. The SaberTooth Z4 series delivers substantially faster bootup, application load and shutdown speeds than conventional PATA HDDs. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade dozens of different netbooks and UMPCs to higher performance and more local storage.

PhotoFast Global Inc. a pioneer in creative, high quality and extreme performance flash-based storage manufacturer, today revealed its new line up of USB 3.0 accessories. Relied the new standard and host controller introduced to the market, PhotoFast demand to bring even higher transfer rates to meet the bottleneck where every user has experienced before.

Upgrade market has always been a major concern to PhotoFast. Several series of products has been developed to fulfill the demands of these users. A full line of 1.8" PATA SSD and adaptors are available that would enable the aged laptops to fast response and shock resistance.

Active Media Products, a leading manufacturer of DOMs, SSDs and USB drives, today announced a new line of IDE Flash DOM (Disk on Module) drives that are smaller, lighter, faster and more reliable than rotating media, making them ideal for use in servers, networking, industrial, military and embedded applications. These new Parallel ATA flash disk modules are offered in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB capacities, built with highly reliable MLC NAND Flash.

"We developed these PATA DOMs in response to demand from our industrial customers who need relatively small but highly reliable storage drives for use in server appliances," explained Active Media Products VP of Sales, Jerry Thomson. These DOMs have been validated on the latest Opteron 6100 (Magny Cours) server motherboards to ensure compatibility with the newest server hardware. Designed with industry standard 40-pin and 44-pin female IDE connectors, they are compatible with myriads of existing motherboards and systems.

Mach Xtreme Technology Inc., a worldwide leader in top performance, high reliability and user-friendly designed PC components, today unveiled MX-NANO Series 1.8" PATA SSD with 256MB cache memory which makes MLC (multi-level cell) NAND-based storage an affordable offering for notebook users demanding performance and energy efficiency at an attractive price point.

The new MX-NANO Series of 1.8" PATA SSDs that are ideal for upgrading popular notebooks based on 50-pin, 44-pin or ZIF PATA interface. Combined with industry's leading 256MB cache memory and ultra-fast access times, these new SSDs deliver double or even triple the performance of the default hard drives in most current notebooks, resulting in substantially faster boot-up, application load and shutdown speeds. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade dozens of different notebooks and UMPCs to higher performance and more local storage (up to 240GB).

Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs and endangered species USB drives, today released new 32GB and 64GB 1.8-inch PATA ZIF SSDs that support read speeds up to 100MB/sec and, thanks to their DRAM cache, reach write speeds up to 85MB/sec. These new Turbo ZIF SSDs are available now through Amazon.

With no moving parts, SaberTooth ZT is rugged enough for use in industrial, embedded and network computing applications where a very compact yet high speed storage solution is needed. Its PATA / IDE ZIF interface supports PIO mode 4 and UDMA mode 6. It also supports SMART commands. The ZT includes excellent ECC, wear leveling and bad block management technologies that improve reliability and extend endurance. These drives have the same physical dimensions as industry standard 1.8-inch HDDs, measuring only 2.8 x 2.1 x 0.2 inches (71 x 54 x 5 mm), making them an easy plug-in replacement in many laptops and netbooks.

Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs and endangered species USB drives, today added a new 128GB capacity drive to their SaberTooth ZX series of 1.8-inch PATA ZIF SSDs. The new 128GB SSD is ideal for upgrading popular laptops and netbooks. With sequential read speeds up to 80MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 38MB/sec, the new 128GB ZX delivers impressive bootup, shutdown and application load speeds that are dramatically faster than hard drives.

Measuring 70 x 54 x 5 mm, the ZX has the same dimensions as 1.8-inch HDDs. It uses a parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) ZIF interface, and supports PIO mode 6 and Ultra DMA mode 6. SaberTooth ZX is compatible with most netbooks that use 1.8" PATA ZIF hard drives. The ZX is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade a multitude of mobile computers to higher performance and more local storage. The SaberTooth ZX family now includes 32GB, 64GB and 128GB models.

Elitegroup Computer Systems, the world's leading motherboard, barebone system, and notebook manufacturer, is pleased to introduce a brand new small and powerful motherboard, ECS TIGT-I, embedded the latest Intel dual core Atom processor D510 integrated memory controller and Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3150(GMA3150) to deliver up to 20% higher performance than ever for home users.

The ECS TIGT-I motherboard features fast Ethernet, high definition audio for various internet applications and leverages integrated GMA3150 graphics core supporting DirectX 9 for popular graphics requirements. In addition, the ultra low voltage and Mini-ITX(170x170mm) form factor, make the ECS TIGT-I motherboard become an ideal solution for fan-less systems, small form factor PCs or portable devices.

pureSilicon Inc. is now shipping Renegade R2, its latest generation of ruggedized solid-state drives (SSD), designed to deliver uncompromised performance in the harshest conditions. Renegade R2 Series SSDs offer enhanced read and write speeds (sequential read: 255 MB/s; sequential write: 180 MB/s), improved IOPS (random read: 18,000 IOPS @ 4K; random write: 1,200 IOPS @ 4K) and proprietary SiPher data security technology. The drives are available immediately in a wide range of densities (4GB, 8GB, 16 GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB) with SATA II configuration, in a low profile (9.5mm height) 2.5-inch form factor. 256GB, PATA, 1.8-inch form factor, and encryption versions will start shipping in Q1 2010.

"pureSilicon is dedicated to providing high-performance, rugged storage solutions to the defense, military, industrial, and government markets," said Jason Breakstone, founder and CEO of pureSilicon. "While many SSD manufacturers are focusing their efforts on the mass consumer markets, pureSilicon is committed to designing and delivering technologies that will provide significant benefits to our customers such as full-disk encryption and data declassification methods. Renegade R2 is designed to operate in the harshest conditions."

Active Media Products, manufacturer of SSDs and WWF series USB drives, today launched the new SaberTooth ZX series of 1.8-inch PATA ZIF SSDs that are ideal for upgrading popular netbooks such as the Dell Inspiron Mini 12, selected models of Sony Vaio, and more. The new SaberTooth ZX supports sequential read speeds up to 80MB/sec and sequential write speeds up to 38MB/sec. Combined with sub-millisecond access times, these new SSDs deliver double or triple the performance of the default hard drives in most netbooks, resulting in substantially faster bootup, application load and shutdown speeds.

Measuring 70 x 54 x 5 mm, the ZX was designed to the same physical specs as 1.8-inch HDDs. It uses a parallel ATA (PATA / IDE) ZIF interface, and supports PIO mode 6 and Ultra DMA mode 6. SaberTooth ZX is compatible with most netbooks that use 1.8" PATA ZIF hard drives. It is one of the fastest and easiest ways to upgrade dozens of different netbooks and UMPCs to higher performance and more local storage.

Toshiba Corporation, the industry pioneer in small form factor hard disk drives (HDDs), today introduced a new line of 1.8-inch HDDs with a capacity of up to 160GB on a single-platter, and a slim five-millimeter high profile targeting next-generation portable media players, digital video cameras and other consumer electronics products.

With an areal density of 723 Mbit/mm² (467 Gb per square inch), the industry's highest, Toshiba's new MK1634GAL family of 1.8-inch HDDs offers consumer electronics manufacturers a thin and light package with the industry's largest storage capacity, best power consumption efficiency, highest durability and quietest seek operation of any HDDs on the market.

WD today announced that it has begun shipping its new SiliconDrive III SSD product family based on technology from its March 2009 acquisition of SiliconSystems. The company's new SiliconDrive III products feature faster read/write speeds and increased capacities, and offer mechanical scalability, making them a perfect storage solution for embedded system and data streaming applications such as multimedia content delivery systems and data center media appliances.