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1.5GB HDs On a 1" Platter

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the pr0n-on-the-road dept.

darthv506 was among several to point out a Cnet story describing a new "1.5GB HD on a 1" Platter. Samsung is releasing a sub 600 buck video camera that is "Smaller than a pack of cigarettes" featuring the drive. The drive is actually in production, and apparently goes for $65 in volume.

7 of 239 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Let's hope they learner thier lesson... by Lord+Kholdan · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So what? you can't upgrade the pixel amount either so it wont matter. When 4 and 5 MP cameras are out, they might very well have a larger HD out too.

  2. Oh you knew this was coming, but RTFA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Really. Price Currently these cost $65 with a target price of $50. Flash drives cost $200 or more. These drives also have less moving parts, and save space by removing un-needed stuff (Like drive rails; these drives are surface mounted).

  3. Re:ahem... by Looke · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Umm, the IBM/Hitachi Microdrive is a hard drive, not a flash drive. It just happens to be the same size (about one inch) and have the same interface as a Compact Flash type 2 card.

    Being a mechanical device, the Microdrive draws more power and is more fragile than a flash card. Its main attraction used to be high capacity, but Compact Flash is rapidly catching up.

    There's a 4 GB version of the Microdrive coming this fall, says Steve's Digicams

  4. Well... by Kjella · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The gb/volume ratio wouldn't be much better

    You'd need to create 5 1/4" platters for a *very* small market.

    You can change a failed disk in an array much easier than a failed platter inside a hermetically sealed HDD.

    Size = IDE (RAID)
    Speed = SCSI (RAID)
    Really fucking huge? Not sure. Big array? Tape robot? Fibre SCSI?

    However, considering you can fit 1TB (4x250gb WD drives) in a desktop now, I don't see that many needing it...

    Kjella

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  5. Obligatory Linux Comment... by OmniGeek · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Gee, can we boot Linux on it?

    But Seriously, Folks, this kind of storage addresses one of the major problems with memory stick-based still cameras: too much $, too few pictures. Say that a camera with this disk only stores 100 or so 10 MByte pictures and then needs a few minutes to D/L them to a bigger box via USB; that STILL compares well with film cameras (36-exposure rolls), and is MUCH more convenient than a CD-R on the back of the camera (seen'em, not impressed, they're bulkier than my SLR and have no interchangeable lenses). And it's inexpensive. Nice engineering job, great toy!

    --

    "My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
  6. smalle! cheaper! better ? by noselasd · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Lots of fuzz about cheap'n'small drives. Ok, how good are they ?
    Are they reliable ? For years ?
    I'd rather have a big 20Gb@$200 disk that lasts for atleast 7 years,
    than a small cheap 200Gb$50 that might do down the drain in half a year.

    --
    http://osxonintel.xoverzero.com - sign the petition!

  7. Wow! That's... not big enough by phallen · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'd be impressed if it was 3+GB, but 1.5? Use 1GB compact flash or some other form of solid state. It's heading towards 2GB soon, most likely. Who want's moving parts?

    But that said, it does seem likely the capacity of these little suckers will go up, way faster than Flash, so it'll be worth it soon. But 1.5GB? It's too late to be impressive, kinda like... Don't make me say it.... Zip GIZZMO DRIVE! Remember when those seemed big?

    --
    If Slashdot is where the spelling-challenged go when they die, I'm in heaven.