Solid State Drives Expected to Challenge Hard Drives in Laptop Market
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., July 17, 2006 -
In the near future, hard disk drives (HDD) may face legitimate competition in the mobile computer mass storage market as Flash-based solid state drives (SSD) stand ready in the wings, reports In-Stat (http://www.in-stat.com). In fact, SSDs have the potential to dethrone HDD as the top laptop storage choice within 10 years, the high-tech market research firm says. The research leads In-Stat to believe that the SSD market share in mobile computers could reach 50% by 2013.
The research was driven by In-Stat's survey of 389 mobile computer users, which allowed primary insight into consumers' valuation of SSD in mobile computers. From this research, In-Stat weighed the perceived benefits of SSDs with the rapidly declining cost/gigabyte trends of Flash to develop a demand sensitive forecasting model.
"The HDD industry has done a phenomenal job of driving areal densities; however, it is clear that there are user segments for which drive capacities far exceed the user's need," says Frank Dickson, In-Stat analyst. "When one examines the declining cost trends for Flash, the user's need for storage and the premium that consumers place on the benefits provided by SSDs, it is easy to see that there will be a clear demand for SSDs."
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
Given the benefits, almost two thirds of respondents to an In-Stat consumer survey are comfortable with paying extra for SSDs in mobile computers.
Of all the benefits of SSDs, respondents indicate that power savings is the most important.
The market inflection point begins in 2010 for In-Stat's expected forecast, as SSDs start to become an economically viable alternative to a wider base of consumers.
Recent In-Stat research, Flash-Based SSDs in Mobile Computing: Contender or Pretender? (#IN0603343SI), covers the worldwide market for solid state drives (SSD) in mobile computers. It includes optimistic, expected, and pessimistic forecasts for unit sales in the mobile PC market through 2010. The forecasts draw from primary data collected in April 2006 that established early adopters' attitudinal response to SSD in mobile computers and their internal valuations. It also contains an overview of the technology and a discussion of SSD's core benefits in mobile PCs.
This research is part of In-Stat's PC Technology Service, which analyzes the market and technology changes that effect current and future PC system architectures. This service's coverage includes in-depth analysis of core-logic, graphics, internal interfaces, external wireless interfaces, and other changing PC technologies, as well as coverage of changing usage models, current issues in the PC market, and roadmaps for future PC processors.
In related research, In-Stat found that as consumers continue to amass large amounts of digital content, they require enhanced storage capacity on their consumer electronic products. Hard drive manufacturers are increasing storage capacities on smaller form factor hard disk drives (HDDs); as a result, these companies are poised to benefit from the expanding Consumer Electronics (CE) market. In 2004, shipments of hard disk drives into the Consumer Electronics segment reached 40 million units, and this market will reach almost 240 million units in 2009. Over the next few years, significant growth may come from portable devices such as PDAs, digital camcorders, and mobile phones. For more information on this research, please visit: http://www.instat.com/catalog/Ccatalogue.asp?id=161#IN0502137MI
For more information, contact:
Frank Dickson, Director - Semiconductor Research
Phone: 480-483-4467
Email: fdickson@reedbusiness.com
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In-Stat’s market intelligence combines technical, market and end-user research and database models to analyze the Mobile Internet and Digital Entertainment ecosystems. Our insights are derived from a deep understanding of technology impacts, nearly 30 years of history in research and consulting, and direct relationships with leading players in each of our core markets. In-Stat provides its research through reports, annual subscriptions, consulting and advisory services to inform critical decisions. Technology and semiconductor vendors, infrastructure and device manufacturers, service providers and media companies worldwide rely on partnerships with In-Stat’s tenured, experienced staff and on our in-depth market intelligence to support critical business, product and technology decisions.
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