Intel Sets Bar High with SSDs

Intel will bring a bigger—and faster—solid state drive to market in the second quarter that will heat up the competition between chipmakers and launch a new generation of laptops and PCs based on SSDs rather than hard drives, reports CNET. Intel’s 80-160GB SSDs are twice as fast as current hard drives and outpace rival Samsung’s 100mbs SSD.

SSDs are based on Flash memory like those used in cameras and thumb drives. Unlike hard drives, they have no moving parts to fail. So, they’re more reliable and much faster. They’re also much more expensive; upgrades from standard hard drives can cost $1,000. Intel says prices will drop quickly as demand and manufacturing ramp up. (More Intel stories.)