TDK announces 64GB 1.8-inch HS1 micro SATA drives, we scream in glee

Things are looking up in the SSD race: TDK has just announced what they are calling the smallest Micro SATA SSD drives. The HS1 series will measure just 1.8 inches with 16, 32, and 64GB capacities and will use single-level cell NAND flash memory. Read / write speeds are spinner-like 100MBps and 50MBps respectively and are expected to be energy efficient at 20mA. Security wise, we're looking at 128-bit AES encryption with 7-bit error correction. They won't come cheap, though: prices are expected to run $900, $1,500, and $2,000 for the three capacities.

[Via Electronista]

[matt|H @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:33PM]

I'll take two.

Wait, how much?

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:40PM]

Don't worry, you'll still have 3 limbs left.

[Zak @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:44PM]

I'd say only two left, because those cost an arm AND a leg.

[Low Ranked @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:46PM]

And your unborn child.

[Aguiluz @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:50PM]

How about if it costed me my head?

Okay! I'll take one hundred and make the fastest RAID array ever!

Man, I'd be running around like headless chicken in joy.

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:01PM]

No Aguiluz, you'd be dead.

[OneLove @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:14PM]

2000 ducats?

[Hancock @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:26PM]

no seriously, what makes this 64gb 1.8 drive better than the one the macbook air uses (which is "only" like $900).. why is this twice as expensive??

[Aguiluz @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:36PM]

@Samboini
What!? I never thought I would die.

(Okay, I was joking.)

[M3Ls @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:36PM]

2,000 for the laptop included right?
right..? :-(

[DarkLight @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:41PM]

LOL exactly what I was thinking...

I'd rather have a $2,000 computer with some LSD.... (Liquid State Drive)... (or whatever the non-SSD things are)

[Jherez @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:54PM]

I wonder where iEye is to come with his usual comments

[Michael LaFramboise @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:58PM]

err... DarkLight... a whathef***? Is you from the future? Don't you mean
"HARD DISK DRIVE"?

[Killa Gorillaz @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:06PM]

@ darklight

Just get the computer hold the LSD... :)

"Drugs are bad, m'kay"

[w00t @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:50PM]

I dunno the LSD would probably be a requirement for me to spend that much on a hard drive :)

[jtc970 @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:03PM]

@ DarkLight, if I could, I would give you 1 billion points, for being the first person to make me laugh on an otherwise crappy day.

[Sean O @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:40PM]

I'll scream in glee when they knock a zero off the price tag.

[Grant @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:45PM]

Yea no kidding, so much fo screaming in glee...... :(

[Aguiluz @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:46PM]

If they knock off a zero then the $900 will be $90!

Yay! It is so good, so don't expect it to happen.

Yet..

[Aguiluz @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:48PM]

@Grant:
But while you wait for a zero to knock off....


....you can practice jumping and screaming in glee. So it would be perfect when the time comes. :)

[Tom Oliveri @ Jun 4th 2008 1:30AM]

64gb for $200.. i'll pass

[Christian @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:47PM]

Coming soon to the newest, most expensive iPod nano yet!

[Tom Oliveri @ Jun 4th 2008 1:30AM]

yea because ipods need 100mbps read times... as soon as i hear about a song that has '100mbps' audio quality i'll jizz myself

[dwr50 @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:49PM]

You can buy a lot of hard drives for $2000.00.

[yorick @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:51PM]

and you thought MBA's SSD was expensive.
turns out is a bargain compared to this new drive.

[Low Ranked @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:52PM]

There needs to be a certain threshold when it come to pricing gadgets:

1.8" SATA SSD @ 64Gb = $2000
52" Plasma HDTV = $2000
3.5" SATA 1Tb = $185

Huh?

Small gadgets and big gadgets are expensive but medium sized ones are cheaper?

I wish fries and drinks used this pricing scheme.

[Aguiluz @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:53PM]

You can buy a whole lot of potatoes and drinks to make the biggest lot of fries and drinks with $2000.

[Dillon @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:54PM]

While reading this I was all like "no wai! omfg are you for realzies?!1" and then I got to the last sentence and I was overcome by a major face palm.

[Reader @ Jun 2nd 2008 5:59PM]

One day when I have my 50 dollar 1TB SSD, I will look back on this article and say "HAH!"

Then I will repeat this multiple times. Of course by then I'll be longing for that quantum drive that gets 500TB/s with a capacity of infinity.

[Pochi @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:22PM]

You will also repeat it several times because by then you will be completely senile.

[obed1ah @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:10PM]

Why is it I can buy a 16 GB USB stick for under $100 but a 16 GB SSD drive costs $900?!?!?

Could it be were all being taken for a ride??? As far as know they're both flash memory...

[Samboini @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:14PM]

There has to be something in it as I too often wonder this, perhaps someone can shed some light on the situation? Differences in read/write speed, the number of cycles before failure..?

[substance90 @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:29PM]

Supposedly SSD is a lot faster, but with these prices... Just like the WD Raptors with 10 000 RPM. These SSDs are another class itself, this is beyond enthusiast!

[iofthestorm @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:36PM]

SSDs are totally different from USB Flash drives. USB flash drives are ridiculously slow compared to hard drives, whereas SSDs are anywhere from around half the speed of a hard drive to equal speeds of a hard drive, and sometimes faster. But currently it'd probably be best to just get a WD Raptor if you really want speed.

[OneLove @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:16PM]

...at least paint it gold and put some diamonds on it.

[DarkLight @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:20PM]

Damn, I think engadget's comment system went FAIL again...

[dj496 @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:25PM]

This is frikkin cool.

[Neebs @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:31PM]

I scream, you scream,
We all scream for SSD

[Kelly @ Jun 2nd 2008 6:37PM]

Ok, let's make a doughnut!

[maven1000 @ Jun 2nd 2008 7:15PM]

this is awesome

[phanbouy @ Jun 2nd 2008 8:46PM]

this is sparta

[Kyle Kersh @ Jun 2nd 2008 10:33PM]

Buy 3 8GB CF cards, throw thim in a CF -> SSD converter dealy, save $700.

[eurofanboy @ Jun 3rd 2008 7:40AM]

you mean like $2000 of your weak, green, american dollars, right?
Ok, I'll take some of these drives for my kids to play with

[BloodyRedCoats @ Jun 3rd 2008 11:41PM]

Ello ol' chap, fancy a legitimate job not requiring the exchange of drugs and haughty euros, eh wot? :D Jolly good

Let us not forget, the Atanasoff–Berry Computer and the ENIAC were both made by us Yankees (oh, as well as the internet), so you'd still be using the typewriter and telephone (also either made or rather, perfected by us..) as your means of printing texts and communication, respectively, we're it not for us. Good morning. :D