HDD vs. SSD -- which will win the storage wars?

A great tech battle is currently raging between traditional hard disk drives (HDD) and solid-state drives (SSD). Manufacturers constantly attempt to one-up each other, releasing great new products. Consumer electronics companies must then weigh their options carefully; both storage solutions offer pros and cons. Will one fare better than the other in a discerning marketplace?

Sources: Seagate, Intel

Researchers at IHS iSuppli believe Seagate could single-handedly bolster the HDD industry in its struggle against SSD. The group's Memory and Storage Service's findings point to one of the company's latest breakthroughs as a likely interest driver.

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"Seagate’s new Momentus Thin HDD represents an attempt by the hard drive industry to answer the challenge of SSDs in notebooks - and even in media tablets - by undercutting the cost of solid-state drives while providing higher densities," said Fang Zhang, storage systems analyst with IHS.

The product holds a powerful trump card, says IHS: a "thin form factor...suitable for mobile platforms." Zhang also pointed out that Seagate could make headway "by undercutting the cost of solid-state drives while providing higher densities." One such deal is already in place.

Upcoming ARCHOS tablets will ship with the new hard drives - an industry first, according to Seagate. Rocky Pimental, Seagate's Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, touted his company's ongoing efforts to "break new ground" in the HDD industry. "The Momentus Thin drive gives tablet buyers a compelling option, providing great storage capacity and performance that dovetail with the processing power of the new ARCHOS products for great Android and multimedia experiences," he said.

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However, that doesn't mean SSD technology should be counted out.

"Although shipments of SSDs for notebooks will be miniscule compared to HDDs during the next few years, the solid state drives are shaving off points of market share that are critical to maintaining the growth of the hard drive business," said IHS' Zhang, adding that SSD-powered tablets are stealing sales from traditional devices such as PCs and netbooks. To wit, IHS said it expects notebook SSD shipments to grow from 4.7 million units in 2010 to almost 17 million units by 2015. Though this marks a less than 10 percent growth when measured against the HDD industry, the group asserts that it will add up.

One more hurdle for Seagate's new hardware is that tablets with HDDs are considered kitsch. IHS says just 2 percent of that market will be comprised of such devices by 2012. Unless it's milk, 2 percent is no victory.

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Are you an HDD supporter, or do you prefer SSD storage? Let us know in the comment section.

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