Solid-state Memory may come to ipod
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Should all parties oblige, Apple would maintain a separation of price bands between its next-generation video iPod and its iPhones. However, in the event it take the direct subsidization route — as a recent pricing survey suggests — the key to differentiation could rely heavily on advances in solid-state memory.
With rapid price declines affecting the NAND flash market, Apple has reportedly initiated prototype mockup and other exploratory techniques as it anticipates a shift in the flagship iPods away from 1.8-inch hard disk drives and towards all NAND flash.
Come late this year or early next, a combo of discounts in NAND flash pricing and Apple’s long-term supplier agreements could allow the company to deliver an all-flash player with an approximate 32GB capacity. Such a move would also pave the way for significant increases in battery performance and give way to slimmer, sleeker designs.
The move of apple to a solid-state memory will greatly increase the battery life of the iPod, but it will take a hit to the capacity. One of the greatest aspects of the iPod has been it’s superior capacity. If that takes a hit it doesn’t make me want a new iPod, when I get a new iPod I want a 100gig model with a widescreen.
Of course, in the next ten years Solid-State will come to replace all HDD so this is a natural progression. We’ll have to see how events play out.
Source: Appleinsider
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