What is a SSD or Solid State Drive for Your Computer?
An SSD or Solid State Drive is a direct replacement for the hard disk or disk drive in your computer, whether it is a standard stand alone compute, notebook, netbook or latptop. They can also be used as an external hard disk that you connect externally to any type of computer that you might have.
All current hard disks have moving parts that make them susceptible to damage when they are knocked especially if they are in use.
Solid State Drives have No Moving Parts!
SSDs are small, portable and robust - perfect for Netbooks!
SSDs don’t have the problem of being prone to damage to slight knocks or drops when in use as they have no moving parts and are built entirely from sold state memory similar to the computer memory in your pc or notebook. Because of this they are a lot less fragile win use and are much better suited to mobile computer applications such as and netbooks and notebook computers and also as add-on external hard drives that you can take anywhere without worrying about them getting damaged so easily. SSDs are just inherently more robust in any computing environment whether internal or external.
The difference that makes the memory in SSDs unique is that any information held in memory is retained even when the power is turned off, unlike normal computer memory, which loses all information whenever power is lost like when you turn off your notebook.
SSDs are Less Fragile than Hard Disks
This new breed of hard disk, the solid state drive or SSD is just another form of data storage device, but it is different in that it uses solid-state memory to store your computer’s data for as long as you want until you delete it. Think of it as a very large USB stick that is so large it can actually replace the hard disk in your computer.
Potential To Replace All Hard Disks
An SSD is able to easily emulate a hard disk drive interface in any computer and thus it can very easily be used to replace a normal hard disk or HDD in most computing applications. And because SSD drives have no moving parts they are also totally silent, unless of course a cooling fan of some type is required.
Solid State Drives are also a lot less fragile than the hard disk they are now beginning to replace. In addition because there are no mechanical delays access times to the data are quicker and therefore SSD drives are faster than standard hard disks and they don’t need cooling fans either.
Faster Access Times
So there are lots of benefits that come with solid state drives and at some point in the no too distant future they will definitely replace the current hard disks in all new personal computers.
They are already being found in notebooks and laptops and have almost already become the new stanrd hard disk for netbooks, where portability, simplicity and reliability are paramount.
Currently they are still somewhat expensive, especially when compared gigabyte to gigabyte with standard computer hard disks, but as the technology improves and the mass market swings into gear prices will drop and at some time soon they will be priced the same as today mass produced hard disks.
Prices Are Dropping!
When this price point is reached then solid state drives will take over as the new standard disk drive for all computers and the current hard disk drive (HDD) will become a thing of the past.
Fortunately cheap ssd drives are already becoming available and if you shop around you should be able to get the deal that you want.
For more on solid state drives, their history and other details checkout SSDs at Wikipedia for a full description of what SSD drives can do and the benefits they offer.
