AkG
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2007
- Messages
- 5,270
The cost of entry into the SSD marketplace is insane IF you dont have your own controller and - most important of all - your own NAND production. Its not like the old days (ie 3 years ago ) where you could slap a controller and some NAND into a metal case and see 200% or greater return on your investment. Now its rather thin margins. Intel, Micron, Samsung, etc ...they are slowly squeezing the other players out of the market via NAND prices.
WD has tried the SSD route....it was....an interesting experiment. Maybe they will be able to expand and grow, but I see these hybrids as the hdd mfg'ers last real chance of moving out of a slow moving sunset industry. 'Hard' Drives will be with us for a long time to come...but the days are numbered and have been since NAND really took off. When we see 1TB Solid State (whether NAND is what it ends up being...is another topic all together) going for 1-1.5bills....HDDs will become niche, just like tape storage is now. SSHD gives them a chance to stay relevant and in the mainstream for even longer.
Honestly if they play their cards right I could see them picking up a couple of the NAND war 'losers' for pennies on the dollar and parlaying the patents and IP into long term success. IE Seagate and WD are thinking not of this coming decade...but the following one...and that one will not resemble the market of today.
WD has tried the SSD route....it was....an interesting experiment. Maybe they will be able to expand and grow, but I see these hybrids as the hdd mfg'ers last real chance of moving out of a slow moving sunset industry. 'Hard' Drives will be with us for a long time to come...but the days are numbered and have been since NAND really took off. When we see 1TB Solid State (whether NAND is what it ends up being...is another topic all together) going for 1-1.5bills....HDDs will become niche, just like tape storage is now. SSHD gives them a chance to stay relevant and in the mainstream for even longer.
Honestly if they play their cards right I could see them picking up a couple of the NAND war 'losers' for pennies on the dollar and parlaying the patents and IP into long term success. IE Seagate and WD are thinking not of this coming decade...but the following one...and that one will not resemble the market of today.