Intel is promoting a new SSD specfication targeted to Ultrabooks that should be finalized in September, according to Digitimes. The specification is called Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) and should resolve problems with the current mobile mSATA specification. This specification causes future problems for Ultrabook manufacturers as it has limitations in the number of NAND flash chips that can be used. If manufacturers would like to increase the SSD capacity in their Ultrabooks the NGFF specfication should enable them to use more chips, thus increasing capacity.
The NGFF based SSDs would feature nearly the same size as mSATA drives, only the length would be changed. Micron, Sandisk and Samsung are according to Digitimes all be involved in the new specifications. PC vendors might be holding back from the new speficiation in the fear of having left-overs of old components.
