Maes
I like big butts!
Posts: 10176
Registered: 07-06 |
Even if SSD eventually grows out of its infancy diseases, there are still two things to consider:
- No matter how good the TOTL stuff gets, consumer grade stuff will always be behind the curve in terms of performance and reliability, and even of adopted tech solutions. That's true of any technology, not just SSDs.
- In the case of "affordable" consumer-grade SSDs, affordability is much more likely to be achieved by "cheating" and cutting corners, e.g. by using firmware that masks the flaws of inferior SSD componentry/second rate/MLC cells, rather than some miraculous technological advancement allowing low-cost and plentiful SLC solutions for everyone.
Again, the latter is something very commonly seen in other low grade/"popularized" hardware e.g. some cheap cameras achieve 'megapixel' resolutions by interpolating a common SVGA-res sensor, or some "USB2" devices cheat by implementing only Full Speed. In SSDs "for the rest of us", this can be achieved by e.g. masking increased wear with more aggressive/conservative wear leveling, using strategies that increase R/W speed at the cost of increased cell wear or that mask R/W asymmetry by using relatively cheap onboard SRAM, etc.
What I'm trying to say, is that when SSDs finally reach or exceed the cost per GB of conventional hard disks, this will be done at the expense of their durability, reliability, and overall build quality, rather than some miraculous improvement that keeps those factors constant but drives costs lower. Again, this is far from uncommon in consumer electronics and IT equipment. There will always be good quality SSD for the pro/server market, as well "el cheapo" SSD drives for Joe Consumer.
Last edited by Maes on 11-30-12 at 01:19
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11-26-12 00:25 
