Samsung puts Flash storage into laptops

Users will benefit from faster boot ups and longer battery life

Samsung Electronics is to ship PCs with a Flash-based solid state disk (SSD) instead of a conventional hard drive. The firm said it marks the first time that Nand Flash has moved into a commercial mobile computing application.

Samsung announced that in June it will ship a version of its Q1 ultra-mobile PC and its Q30 laptop fitted with a 32GB Flash SSD in place of a typical 1.8in or 2in hard disk. The SSD is more robust, faster and consumes less power than a hard drive, but it adds considerably to the cost of systems.

The SSD reads and writes data much faster than a standard hard drive, boosting performance. Windows XP will boot up between 25 and 50 percent faster from the SSD than from a hard drive, according to Samsung.

Another advantage of the SSD is that it is completely silent, while a standard laptop can generate up to 30dB of noise.

“PC models based on solid state disks have numerous advantages over traditional hard disk-based models. These include faster booting, greater durability, quieter operation, and increased battery life," said Kim Hounsoo, executive vice-president of Samsung's computing division.

The new Q30-SSD and Q1-SSD are only the beginning, Samsung said. It plans to introduce further models to bring the benefits of its SSD technology to both consumers and enterprise users.

The Q1-SSD will cost $2,430 (£1,290), which compares with £799 for the Q1 with a 40GB hard drive. The Q30-SSD will cost $3,700 (£1,970).