Hard Disk Drives
Hard disk drive is a magnetic, non-volatile disk
that uses rotating platters to store data. Digital
data is saved on the smooth magnetic surface of the
platters. They cost much more than the USB memory,
but the space and speed they provide is magnanimous
as compared to flash.
Flash vs. Hard Disk Drive
When Flash memories are compared to hard disk
drives, many questions like the one noted here arise
in everyone’s mind:
-
Will this competition leads to huge price
drops in Hard Disk markets?
-
Will Solid-State storage take over the
magnetic platters of hard disks?
-
-
Does this threat really exist?
-
Would the new era only be of external
storage devices like Flash memory?
There are different factors involved if we deepen
our focus on the issue, such as:
- Cost per MegaByte of memory
increases highly for Flash memory than the Hard disk
drives
- In Flash memory, the maximum manageable limit of
file size is way smaller than that of the hard disk drive,
hence limiting the memory usage.
- Data Recovery from hard disk
drive is much more possible than that of flash
drive.
- For limited storage and high data transportation
needs, flash memory is the best choice.
- For applications with large number of files to be
stored on the storage media, Hard disks would be an
appropriate choice.
How Manufacturers are
dealing with this new fight?
To stay in touch with the industry innovations, top
hard disk manufacturers such as Samsung, Sony and many
other are introducing devices to promote Flash memory.
As Samsung is introducing SSD (solid state disks) in
the market based on flash memory chips. These are said
to be in-line with to compete with the hard disk storage on
price medium, in years to come.
Similarly, Sony is also working on same grounds. It
is launching a new model of its Vaio U laptops in
which hard disks are replaced with flash memory chips.
It is said to be one of the first in the line to
introduce Flash Chips in hard disk’s place.
It seems like Flash chips and hard disk drives
running side by side and are the most favorite competitors
in storage media market. Flash can be a potential
replacement for hard disks because of its high
performance, noise free running, light weight, fast
data access and less power consumption.
But the price factor is still the most active
barrier. Hopefully, it would drop off considerably in
years to come as PC manufacturers are experimenting
with the flash more and more
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