The Hitachi-LG HyDrive optical disk drive/solid state disk (OD/SSD) combo is now official. The HyDrive fits into a notebook computer’s optical drive bay. It features 32GB or 64GB of NAND flash memory and an optical drive in one unit.
The Hitachi-LG HyDrive optical disk drive/solid state disk (OD/SSD) combo is now official. The HyDrive fits into a notebook computer’s optical drive bay. It features 32GB or 64GB of NAND flash memory and an optical drive in one unit.
The HyDrive can boost system performance in a number of ways. The entire SSD can be used as a cache by the computer; alternatively, Windows and select programs can be installed on the drive and the remaining capacity can be used as cache. Hitachi-LG said the HyDrive can boost system performance in optimized computers.
The first generation HyDrive will be featured in the ASUS Eee Top computers; the second generation will appear in the ASUS N61DA notebook computer. The company says there will be "much more to come with the next generation HyDrive."
The second generation drives are expected to scale to 256GB; they are also expected to adopt a faster SATA 6.0Gbps interface over the current SATA 3.0Gbps.
Availability
The HyDrive will launch in August 2010 (Sept. 2010 internationally). Pricing information has not been revealed, though the company hinted the addition of a HyDrive would likely up the price of a standard notebook by about $200.
