Bad news for those banking on
SSD as the savior of all things laptop. While the drives have been proven to improve battery life and speed start times, other drawbacks have buyers thinking second thoughts about the major premium for laptops like the MacBook Air and Lenovo X300 with SSD -- about $1000 in the case of those two. A new study shows that flash-based laptops are being returned at a rate of 10 to 20 percent for technical failure, compared to the 1 to 2 percent of regular laptop returns due to HDD issues. Perhaps it should be expected from an emerging tech like SSD, but consumers certainly aren't expected to enjoy it. Other consumers are sending 'em back just due to lackluster performance -- particular applications like streaming video and, strangely, Microsoft Outlook, see a performance hit from SSD. Hopefully speedier drives will address this latter problem, but how about everybody cuts their prices in half and we just forget the whole thing, eh?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
D-man @ Mar 18th 2008 1:57AM
Failer......really? Even my firefox spell check picks that one up
hello @ Mar 18th 2008 2:04AM
if u so good why don't you write for engadget?
hello @ Mar 18th 2008 2:05AM
lol major fail i just wrote "if u so good..."
Ace b @ Mar 18th 2008 2:06AM
@ D-man.
dude,who really gives a damn?Seriously.
As for the ssd's,every tech goes through it's "trial and error" phase.and most of the time it's in that phase even after the consumer gets it.But hopefully once their cheap enough that even I can afford them,99% of them will actually work.
Andy @ Mar 18th 2008 2:08AM
D-Man
No worries, I saw it too. Engadget doesn't need to start making up words.
ducky @ Mar 18th 2008 2:30AM
Or even better, stop paying outrageous prices for a technology that provides barely any advantages over proper hard drives.
Zorque @ Mar 18th 2008 2:37AM
Ducky:
Except for, you know, they're much more reliable, smaller, use less power, and make literally no noise.
Zorque @ Mar 18th 2008 2:39AM
Although I guess maybe SSD's aren't much more reliable, considering the article. Still, they do have their pros and cons, and to write them off entirely is kinda jumping the gun.
Chuckles McGee @ Mar 18th 2008 8:06AM
Maybe the consumers are buying SSD laptops, then returning laptops with rocks in the hard drive bay.
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 12:23PM
@Anthony
Yes it is bear and not bare. I made the mistake and I have no excuse.
and
@axemachine
I say Yes because you're suppose to check your articles before you submit them and take criticism when you make a mistake.
I agree but it it isn't necessary to berate the authors. Criticism needn't be rude. It's a simple matter to point out the error. These people are bloggers and they work very quickly. Mistakes are sometimes made.
Saad Rabia @ Mar 18th 2008 2:04AM
Thank you for pointing that out, I actually got stuck at that word and I'm not able continue reading! Can you give us the right spelling, you know, so that we can read the rest of the article?
Ron @ Mar 18th 2008 2:09AM
stuck?
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 2:19AM
@ Ron
I believe that English is not his first language and that he was probably taught very proper English. Sometimes the colloquialisms can give people a bit of trouble.
zomg0t @ Mar 18th 2008 2:31AM
@ happy_penguin
I believe Saad Rabia was just joshing us, poking fun at D-man's presumed obligation to correct every typo Engadget editors make. As a side note, even my firefox picks "Saad Rabia" up as a typo... and "Engadget"... and "firefox"!
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 2:31AM
@ Saad
The article is using a created noun form of the word fail.
Reader @ Mar 18th 2008 3:06AM
Don't josh me bro!
Saad Rabia @ Mar 18th 2008 3:17AM
You guys, I was replying to D-man's comment! I mean seriously, do we have to point out typos in every single article we read on the Internet! And if you think that you are helping the dude who wrote the article can't you just say: "Hey, "failre" should be "failure", Have a nice day"... wasn't that simple and without showing how "smart" you are with English vocab!
And yes, English is my second language, obviously. I'm an Arab guy, so bare with me on the stuff that I write.
Chris Aubeck @ Mar 18th 2008 3:20AM
"not able continue reading"
Oh you fale, too.
Saad Rabia @ Mar 18th 2008 3:26AM
oh shit, Chris, I'm a total failre. I'm not able have good life.
Zach @ Mar 18th 2008 3:32AM
know what time it is?
stop ya bitchin time!!
*makes dance party sounds*
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 5:30AM
I do bare with you, Saad. And I am sorry if my assessment was incorrect. I took your post seriously. That is my own ignorance. :p I apologize if you took that as an insult. That certainly wasn't my intent. You do a helluva lot better than many of us whose native first language is English and I respect that. I only meant to help. I FAIL. :D
Anthony @ Mar 18th 2008 7:22AM
Um...would it not be "bear with me", as in "bearing a burden"? I'm not sure I want to "bare" anything with you. What is this, a PETA protest?
Saad Rabia @ Mar 18th 2008 7:25AM
Oh boy, here we go again!
axemachine @ Mar 18th 2008 11:04AM
@ Saad Rabia
"I mean seriously, do we have to point out typos in every single article we read on the Internet!"
I say Yes because you're suppose to check your articles before you submit them and take criticism when you make a mistake.
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 12:26PM
Sorry about the double post. I must have hit the wrong reply link:
@Anthony
Yes it is bear and not bare. I made the mistake and I have no excuse.
and
@axemachine
I say Yes because you're suppose to check your articles before you submit them and take criticism when you make a mistake.
I agree but it it isn't necessary to berate the authors. Criticism needn't be rude. It's a simple matter to point out the error. These people are bloggers and they work very quickly. Mistakes are sometimes made.
Saad Rabia @ Mar 18th 2008 12:35PM
@ axemachine: I didn't only say: "I mean seriously, do we have to point out typos in every single article we read on the Internet!"
I also said: "And if you think that you are helping the dude who wrote the article can't you just say: "Hey, "failre" should be "failure", Have a nice day"
My point is that if you think you are doing the right thing by pointing out typos, then point them out without being a smart a** about it. As happy_penguin said, these writers do this job as fast as possible and they might fall in a typo every once in a while.
@ happy_penguin: Actually, I wrote "bare" first, so I'm the one to blame. :p
Andrew @ Mar 18th 2008 2:14AM
haha, I love it when a grammar nazi gets nitpicky and subsequently gets flamed...
Kizorblade @ Mar 18th 2008 3:19AM
Godwin's law.
"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
You managed to do it with only a few posts! Bravo.
Paul @ Mar 18th 2008 3:34AM
^^^^
You can always tell the ones who just found out about godwin's law as they are so eager to show off their newfound knowledge.
Kizorblade @ Mar 18th 2008 3:56AM
Nah. I've known about it for a while.
Assumptions suck don't they?
RandomCake @ Mar 18th 2008 11:55AM
Thank goodness this isn't Usenet then!
thethirdmoose @ Mar 18th 2008 9:31AM
Indeed... you might say that it makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me"
thethirdmoose @ Mar 18th 2008 9:31AM
Indeed... you might say that it makes an "ass" out of "u" and "me"
Syliss @ Mar 18th 2008 2:28AM
Well if this is true, then maybe they will put a hdd into the x300. Which is what im hoping for!
happy_penguin @ Mar 18th 2008 2:32AM
@ zomg0t
OH hell you might be right. My bad. :p
Spike @ Mar 18th 2008 2:38AM
It's quite bad performance, I hope someday my 64GB Samsung SATA I drive breaks so I can return it in hopes to receive a much better SATA II model as a replacement.
linuxamp @ Mar 18th 2008 3:43AM
In my experience SATA II doesn't mean better performance. I had two different SATA II drives in my machine which has an SATA II controller but when I moved to SATA I raptors I could feel a significant improvement. I guess the reduced response time of 10K RPM was more significant than the higher theoretical burst rate of SATA II (7.2K).
Spike @ Mar 18th 2008 3:45AM
The interfaces have nothing to do with it when dealing with Sammy SATA SSD's. The SATA II model has more than twice the performance over the SATA I model, theres plenty of engadget articles about the SATA II model from Samsung. SATA I or SATA II, thats just Samsung's naming scheme.
takamaru @ Mar 18th 2008 2:40AM
"...but how about everybody cuts their prices in half and we just forget the whole thing, eh?"
Word.
idiot @ Mar 18th 2008 2:45AM
more like three quarters
Kizorblade @ Mar 18th 2008 3:20AM
How about for free?
(You saw that coming. Admit it)
ethana2 @ Mar 18th 2008 4:05AM
I only want 4 to 8 GB at these rates. Once they come down I'll consider buying more than I need.
Dualboot @ Mar 18th 2008 3:34AM
I just got my x300 and your annoying (yet informative) post will not deter me from being an early adopter (who is now even poorer). I have never had a laptop that booted, registered my fingerprint and did its Windowzzzz boot-up in less than 35 seconds. I'll just make sure I have a good backup once it's fully installed...
Strangely enough, Lenovo did not install the most up-to-date version of XP and I had to wade through 60 patches before I could get going. You would think they'd come up with a new image for every new laptop. Their other Lenovo craplets were up to date, down to WinDVD...
Chebwa @ Mar 18th 2008 9:10AM
When you buy a new PC, the only updates preinstalled are service packs. This is the same for any vendor (save for maybe boutiques). I think.
linuxamp @ Mar 18th 2008 3:43AM
I don't see how we can have this problem with SSD. We've been using various types of flash memory in flashdrives, PDAs, digi cams and iPods for years.
In response to Zorque: They are more reliable in the physical sense since they have no moving parts. Vibration and shock is horrible for spinning drives but for flash it only gets bad if the shock begins to produce cracks.
Andir3.0 @ Mar 18th 2008 7:12AM
When you pay too much for something and don't notice that it's faster by a whole lot, do you:
1. Suck it up
2. Demand your money back because of false advertising
3. Attempt to get your money back by claiming there is a technical problem
I'm guessing option 3 was used a lot.
Andir3.0 @ Mar 18th 2008 7:13AM
Err, "...do notice that it's not a lot faster..."
www.ssdforums.com @ Mar 18th 2008 7:53AM
Samsung's attempt to really make the SATA naming convention tough. SATA previously released a statement saying not to call their SATA 3.0 GBit/s stuff SATA II. And now this from Samsung?!?!
bebop @ Mar 18th 2008 3:51AM
What does an SSD do that SD or CF doesn't that makes them so prone to failure?
www.ssdforums.com @ Mar 18th 2008 7:46AM
Depends on the vendor. More of it has to do with ECC and wear-levelling which is performed in the controller design. Also, much of the SD and CF you see uses MLC based NAND flash which is rated to less write/erase cycles than SLC (100,000 vs. 10,000).
The CF and SD markets are also much more price competitive, so they don't pay much attention to reliability and performance. The SSD vendors charge a premium and "should" be delivering products that are worth that difference. The price is still coming down however vs. capacity.