After announcing its quarter terabyte 1.8-inch mobile hard drives yesterday, Toshiba is now pleased to inform that it has begun sampling 256-gigabyte (GB) SSDs and new small-sized Flash Modules for netbook computers and ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs). Working samples of both SSDs are available now, but mass production is expected in 4Q, 2008. The upcoming 2.5-inch drives use MLC (multi-level cell) NAND flash chips that deliver maximum read speed of 120MB/s and maximum write speed of 70MB/s, via a high speed SATA 3.0Gb/s interface. In addition Toshiba will start manufacturing new flash modules fabricated on a 50mm x 30mm platform that offer a maximum read and write speeds of 80MB/s and 50MB/s, respectively. They will also be compatible with the SATA interface and come in 8GB, 16GB and 32GB models. The fast growing market for netbook PCs, UMPCs, mobile and peripheral applications will widely adopt them upon availability. The new drives will be showcased at the CEATEC in Makuhari, Japan, from September 30 to October 4, 2008. No word on pricing yet.

We usually don't use our front page for "deal of the week" news, but what I saw today made me do that. If you by any chance have a way to purchase from NewEgg you better wake your American contact now. Right now using a $70 mail-in rebate you can buy online OCZ's 2.5-inch 64GB Core Series SATA 3Gbp/s SSD drive for as low as $99. Yes $99 (original price $269.00) and you can have a 64GB SSD for your desktop PC or laptop. The OCZ Core series SSDs offer sequential read speed of 120-143MB/s and sequential write speed of 80-93MB/s. The MTBF for these is 1.5 million hours. Hurry up and buy yours here.

Intel Corporation announced today it has begun shipping Intel X18-M and X25-M Mainstream SATA Solid-State Drives (SSDs) based on multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash technology for laptop and desktop computers. The new high-performing data storage devices give computer buyers a new level of system responsiveness in a lightweight, rugged, low-power package that can replace traditional hard disk drives. Validated for Intel-based computers, the X18-M is a 1.8-inch drive and the X25-M a 2.5-inch drive, offering several advantages over hard drives including faster overall system response, boot and resume times. With no moving parts, SSDs run cooler and quieter and are a more reliable option than hard drives. In addition, SSDs remove input/output (I/O) performance bottlenecks associated with hard disk drives that help maximize the efficiency of Intel processors, such as the company's Core family of products. For example, lab tests show that the Intel X18-M and X25M increase storage system performance nine times over traditional hard disk drive performance.

We promised to bring you some more details on Intel's future SSD family when IDF kicks off, and now that time has come. In San Francisco Intel demoed X18-M, the 80GB SSD model we talked about on Saturday here. X18 is the mainstream SSD from Intel based on the second generation SATA 3GB/s interface. The heart of X18 is made out of ten 8GB NAND flash chips, five on each side of the PCB. Intel promises read and write speeds of up to 240MB/s and 70-170MB/s respectively for this drive. Again no details on the price and the release date were disclosed. Please note that on the second picture, the controller chip of X18 is actually removed to prevent the drive from making its way into competitors' hands.

Responding the demands of enthusiasts and high-performance mobile computing consumers, OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today unveiled the newest addition to their industry-leading OCZ Core Series SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drives. The Core Series has established OCZ as a pioneer in the SSD market by offering consumers the benefits of solid drives technology at an affordable price. With the industry continuously shifting in this direction, OCZ strives to place its Core Series at the forefront.

Advanced Media, Inc., is a manufacturer and marketer of the popular Ridata brand of recordable DVD media, electronic storage products, and digital media accessories. The company is pleased to announce the Ridata Single Layer Cell (SLC) 2.5" IDE Ultra-S to its award-winning Ridata Solid State Drive (SSD) product line up. IDE is an established interface that is pin-to-pin compatible and eliminates setting the BIOS on installation. The Ridata SLC 2.5" IDE Ultra-S 16 and 32GB are now available, the 64 GB arrives in Q3 2008.

OCZ Technology Group, a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and computer components, today unveiled the OCZ Core Series SATA II 2.5" Solid State Drives (SSDs). OCZ has gained momentum in this pioneering technology, which uses NAND flash instead of rotating platters as the storage medium, and is a high-performance, highly reliable and energy-efficient alternative to conventional hard disc drives.

With announcements coming in from of rolling out Solid State Drives (SSD) and that it would become a prominent player in the SSD business, Seagate is still in requirement of trade relationships with a NAND Flash manufacturer, add to that it doesn't have production facilities of its own.

This has gotten analysts to speculate on where Seagate will source its chips from, a possibility being buying Intel's share of the Intel-Micron JV. Such a buy-out would set Seagate back by close to $1 bn. Another possibility would be to acquire SanDisk or Hynix (Hyundai) which focus on making entry-level solid state drives, but are a major players in the overall NAND flash market. If it will be SanDisk, Hynix or any other flash maker remains to be seen, but it wouldn't come as a surprise if Seagate announces the acquisition of a flash company soon.

Solid State Drives hardly need an introduction. Putting your operating system and other important files on an ultra-quick flash drive makes everything a lot faster. Unfortunately, at this point, it also makes things a lot more expensive. Current offerings from brands such as Apple and Alienware increase the overall laptop price by anywhere from between $900 and $1300 USD. Analysts predict that this situation is not likely to get any better in the near future. They cite that the main reason has to do with actual storage offered by the SSD. 64GB of storage on the main hard disk simply does not cut it for most users, especially those willing to spend several hundred dollars just for the speed upgrade. Until big SSDs are available for a low price, they simply will not catch on. Analysts think that SSDs will catch on about five years from now.