Sony VAIO Z to offer ultra-fast "Quad SSD" in RAID 0 configuration, backlit keyboard?
By Thomas Ricker 
posted January 4th 2010 4:23PM
posted January 4th 2010 4:23PM
We've already given you the leaked specs for the unannounced updates to Sony's VAIO Z series of laptops. Now here's what you haven't heard: that SSD on the feature list is rather special, a "Quad SSD" in Sony language. To quote from the materials we've peeped, the Quad SSD is delineated as "SSD RAID0:64GB/128GB x 4." What's unclear is whether that means 4x 128GB or 64GB modules for either 512GB or 256GB of RAID 0 storage, or simply 4x flash modules totaling 128GB or 64GB of RAID 0 capacity. Presumably, it's similar to devices like the PhotoFast GMonster Quad Drive (pictured, with four CF memory cards) that we've already seen. What we do know for sure, however, is that Sony's Quad SSD features incredible throughput compared to a traditional 5400rpm hard disk. We're talking about writing a 1GB file at about 4 seconds compared to 25 seconds on that same 5400rpm spinner. We're also told that the VAIO Z will be the first to feature a backlit keyboard, something we've been missing from Sony's previous generation of Zs. It's CES kids so the truth is only hours away.[Thanks, Anonymous]
@surgex Dude...You have no idea what you're talking about.
One stripe DOES NOT affect the entire volume. One section of one stripe affects the other sections of one stripe.
Because of this, if a single drive dies it destroys one section of EVERY stripe and that renders every stripe unusable but the lose of one single stripe has no affect on the others.
Also, it is impossible for "one of those drives [to have] ONE bad stripe" because no drive has a whole stripe.
If it isn't using an Intel SSD, or an OCZ SSD with an Indilinx controller, it's fucking garbage. I really wish laptop manufacturers that offer SSDs as an option, would tell you specifically what brand you're getting. It makes a huge difference as to both how long the SSD will last, and the kind of real-life performance you'll actually get.
Many companies like to broadcast how fast their transfer rates on their SSDs are, well that's all well and good, but if you're using it as a Boot/application/program drive, transfer speeds are thoroughly useless.
@Solidstate89
Agreed. If a laptop manufacturer offers an SSD as an option they should tell you brand and model up front. Not doing so is clearly unethical, as all SSDs are not created equal...whether its SLC, MLC, sata2(3gbps), sata3 (6gbps)...brand and model makes a diff as well.
@Solidstate89 Screw those, I am interested in the new SandForce controllers. I think they have some promise.
@Matt Jacobson
Agreed, I'm most looking forward to those SandForce controllers, but I only mentioned those two specifically because those SandForce OCZ SSDs aren't supposed to be out for quite a few more months, and if this laptop is already designed, and just waiting for a sale date I doubt those would be included as the SSDs of choice.
I don't get this... we need raid 1 on this to break SATA II's bank.
Haaaa Sony (snif)
Lack of a backlit keyboard is one of the things that has kept the Z from the top my "almost perfect" list. Now if it only has multitouch and optical SP/DIF..
@surgex
I understand how striping works...
A four disk array has many many stripes and each disk only holds 1/4th of each stripe.
The "failure of a single stripe" almost has no meaning. You're basically suggesting that the same sector on each drive somehow became unreadable due to unrelated causes.
Even if that were the case, its doesn't affect the other stripes on the drive. If a single disk in the array dies, it kills the volume, not a single stripe.