Super Talent caters to Eee PC with new 16/32/64GB SSDs

Though not the first SSDs we've seen looking for homes specifically in netbooks, Super Talent is hoping to make an even bigger splash with its latest trio and their bite-sized prices. Merely days after causing us all to drool with a sub-$300 128GB drive, the firm has revealed a trifecta of mini PCIe SSDs designed "explicitly for the ASUS Eee PC." The units are available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB flavors, each with 40MB/sec maximum read speeds and 15MB/sec maximum write rates. The trio is expected to hit mass production next month, and they'll only cost you $53, $79 and $149 in order of mention.

[Via jkOnTheRun]

[Ogo @ Oct 8th 2008 7:45AM]

This will help netbooks sell!

[Bobby @ Oct 8th 2008 8:16AM]

This looks very much like Intel turbo memory. Can I install it in my older notebook ?

[Flashpoint @ Oct 8th 2008 8:24AM]

Netbooks sell themselves. Besides cash-strapped Americans buying them for their kids, and cash-strapped schools buying them for their students, Netbooks make excellent ultra-portable devices for city officials and police to use. I've seen EEE's being used to print "no knock warrants" from police cars.

I'm just glad netbooks fuel the SSD market. Within a year we will see $300 500GB SSD's.

[Ogo @ Oct 8th 2008 8:59AM]

@Flashpoint

Yes... Netbooks sell but how many people would choose a 4-8GB SSD or a 80-120GB HDD? I for one would not even consider a 4-8GB netbook. 32GB SSD in a Netbook will be an offering people will pause and think about.

32GB SSD
- lighter weight
- thinner netbooks are possible
- possibly use less power

vs

80-120GB HDD
-heavier
-thicker netbook
-more storage

[Ogo @ Oct 8th 2008 9:01AM]

opps... I meant to write "how many people would choose a 4-8GB SSD or a 80-120GB HDD?"

[RoboDan @ Oct 8th 2008 3:49PM]

How's about you up the read and write speeds and use these as OS drives, allowing the possibility of Hot-swappable SATA SSD drives? Not only could you easily RAID the OS drive in mini PCIe (2x mini PCIe slots) but you would also keep your data (stored on the SATA SSD) free of corruption in the case that the OS is corrupted. You could, alternatively, store two different OS's on the two different mini PCIe SSD cards and switch back and forth SEAMLESSLY with a CTRL+TAB-like function. OS X + Vista? How about Linux and XP? Whatever you want!

I'm not even going to go into how much faster boot times could be... or how much of an increase in battery life you would see.

Anyway, develop the idea, supertalent, and you will gain a lot of marketshare

[The_WB @ Oct 8th 2008 7:55AM]

What is the write life? That was the real problem with the first eee SSD cards. Everyone was (and is) fearful that with some disk actions of programs, the SSD could reach that write life limit in short order.

On the upside - the price is finally coming down and performance is rising. We are still years away from mainstream computing with SSD drives.

[gyffes @ Oct 8th 2008 8:30AM]

FEAR is not the same as VALID CONCERN.

The SSD life-span myth has been explored -- and debunked -- all over. FLASH DRIVES are not designed to be used as a main drive; SSDs are.

[happy_penguin @ Oct 8th 2008 10:40AM]

We're starting to talk realistically. Now let's see the storage space double at the same price points. I can see people buying these for limited application when they see the need for a solid state drive. At least they're in a price range I would consider affordable.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 8th 2008 8:01AM]

NICE

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 8th 2008 8:02AM]

NICE

[Intrepid @ Oct 8th 2008 8:32AM]

Stop low ranking people that double post... we all know it's the posting system that's at fault here.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 8th 2008 8:10AM]

@ the web

ssd memory has up to 200,000 wright cycle limit

thats long enough for a thew hundred years of use

[stefan @ Oct 8th 2008 10:06AM]

Wright Cycle, n.: the process of building a plane prototype and crashing it in a hillside.

[Fusion Fuzo @ Oct 8th 2008 8:12AM]

@ the web

ssd memory has up to 200,000 wright cycle limit

thats long enough for a thew hundred years of use

[Shinigami @ Oct 8th 2008 8:19AM]

Wow. $150 for a flash in an overpriced SSD box. Cool.
How about 150mbps read 80 mbps write?

[Jash Sayani @ Oct 8th 2008 8:20AM]

Too expensive!! Why cant they use SATA disks ! You can get a 500Gig for the $300 tag !!!

[catter12 @ Oct 8th 2008 8:37AM]

for $300, you can get like 2 tbs, and maybe a spare 500gb drive, if you do some shopping around for deals. Maybe you're thinking of the really fast 300gb VelociRaptor, that's just under 3 bills? Yeah, it's faster then your average SATA II drive, it's kinda meant for gamers, and not the average consumer.

[jorvay @ Oct 8th 2008 9:32AM]

There's more to storage than just volume. If it was only about volume, all laptops would be 17" or greater with 3.5" HDs in them. Size is a factor. If it was only about volume, you'd see people exercising with iPod Classics strapped to their arms. Durability is a factor.
There's a saying in the bicycle industry: "Light, strong, cheap...pick two." With computers, you could say something similar: "portable, powerful, cheap...pick two."

[MMaster23 @ Oct 8th 2008 9:04AM]

CMIAW but won't you lose Wifi over this?

My EEE 1000H has only one pci-e slot and it's in use by the (crappy) wifi adapter.
No way I'm giving up internal wifi for some SSD storage...

[Jake Tobak @ Oct 8th 2008 10:54AM]

I think it's to replace the one that's already in there.
iirc, my 901 has 4GB for the OS then a removable 16GB.
tbh I'm fine with the 16GB removable, but I wish the 4GB for the OS was just a little larger cause I want to keep the OS and program files on the same drive and use the other for documents and stuff. I was able to get everything on there with a stripped version of windows and choosing the right programs, but not everything is working correctly and I think I'm gonna have to try again T_T
Right now these prices are pretty good, but I'm probably not gonna upgrade my HDD until the prices come down a bit and the sizes go up.

[jerbils @ Oct 8th 2008 9:05AM]

My question is, would these work in a non-Eee netbook? Isn't it just a standard part?

[Michael @ Oct 8th 2008 9:08AM]

Will this work in any laptop with a mini pci-express? I would love a small one for automatic data backups in case of hard drive failure.

[Jake Tobak @ Oct 8th 2008 11:01AM]

It sounds like it should, but I would send them an e-mail or something before you order.

[NoAndThen @ Oct 8th 2008 2:22PM]

it definitely does NOT sound like that.

PCIe SSDs designed "explicitly for the ASUS Eee PC."

That being said, I don't really see how difficult it would be to use it, unless they somehow locked it down to the eee... which would be idiotic.

[Benson @ Oct 8th 2008 9:39PM]

It definitely _does_ sound like that, because it sounds exactly like the 16GB Adata "For Eee PC"-branded (and white) SD card I've got in my N800 right now. Branding them Eee is expected to help sell more of them, I guess.

[Michael @ Oct 8th 2008 9:10AM]

My Inspiron 1520 has three mini pci-express slots.

I think even the new Dell netbook has three.

[Michael @ Oct 8th 2008 9:21AM]

Oops, that should have been for MMaster23.

[Callum Bush @ Oct 8th 2008 9:41AM]

Does this mean I'm better off buyng a netbook with the smallest SSD available to save cash, and then buy one of these?

Cheers

Callum
PhoneDevil.com

[pete @ Oct 8th 2008 10:12AM]

I believe the Dell mini 9 uses this form-factor as well.
You better have an external CD/DVD drive on hand to reinstall the OS...

[james @ Oct 8th 2008 11:10AM]

The dell mini 9 does not use this formfactor. This card is 1.5 times as long as the mini pci-e cards used in the dell mini 9.

[Necrotix @ Oct 8th 2008 10:55AM]

So I can replace my 4GB SSD in my EEE PC 701 with this thing? That would so rock! Getting SP3 on that was a beyotch /sigh

[Jake Tobak @ Oct 8th 2008 11:25AM]

Sorry, but I think the 4GB in the 700 and 701 are soldered directly to the MoBo. There might be a Mini PCI-express slot, but you'd have to look for that yourself (or Google) cause I don't know.

[Brett @ Oct 8th 2008 11:52AM]

well, they're slower thena the Buffalo and MyDigital brand SSD, but it's good to see some competition to knock down prices.

p.s. datasheet:
http://www.supertalent.com/products/ssd_detail.php?type=PCI%20Express#

[Shayne @ Oct 8th 2008 12:03PM]

My Digial Discount sells a 64GB drive for 159 with a much better read/write speed
Sustain Read Speed up to 70MB/s
Sustain Write Speed up to 15MB/s
same mini PCIe card
http://www.mydigitaldiscount.com/SPD/mydigitalssd-64gb-mlc-mini-pci-express-pci-e-pcie-ssd-for-dell-inspiron-mini-9---preorder-mydigitalssd-64gb-pci-e-ssd-for-dell-mini-9-----800008CD-1222915030.jsp#specifications