Reducing
the number of components inside notebooks and netbooks is a big focus
for many computer makers. The less hardware you have to put inside a
machine, the lighter they can be and the less power the machines can
consume.
Today, Hitachi-LG Data Storage Inc (HLDS) has
announced the HyDrive storage
solution. The HyDrive is a unique combination of a SSD and an optical
drive for notebooks, nettops, and AIO machines. The new HyDrive will
launch in August inside the Moneual Family PC 102.
The
first generation HyDrive combines the SSD for main storage inside the
optical drive to reduce the space needed inside a machine and will
have either 32GB or 64GB of storage. Next Year, HLDS plans to expand
that storage capacity to 256GB.
"We are very excited
about the potential of this ground-breaking product", says HLDS
CMO YK Park. "The PC industry have come to expect us to lead in
optical storage products and HyDrive is the logical next step, where
it offers user benefits to PC booting, shutdown and application
loading times with typically 30~60% reduction in addition to robust
media handling and playback."
The HyDrive can boost the
performance of an additional HDD as well by using the entire SSD as a
cache for Windows and Office applications – applications can also
be stored on the SSD as well. In addition to storing data and acting
as a cache, the HyDrive can perform as a traditional optical drive,
burning data to CD and DVD discs.
ASUS will be using the
HyDrive on some of its coming machines after testing is completed.
ASUS will put the drive into the Eee Top range of PCs and into its
second-generation N61Da notebook.
