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'Hybrid' HDD Technology To Allow Data Access Without Booting

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the wonders-of-the-mondern-age dept.

jfruhlinger writes "You've got a file on your laptop that you need to access — but you don't want to wait for your laptop to boot up to get at it. New technology from the company Silicon Storage Technology will make the contents of a hard drive accessible via a computer's USB port even when the computer is powered down. 'FlashMate combines hardware, firmware and software in a system application subsystem that manages a notebook computer's hard drive. It is based on SST's expertise in NAND flash controllers and memory subsystem design with Insyde Software's expertise in PC BIOS, system software and power management. FlashMate can work in conjunction with features such as Windows Vista ReadyDrive and serve as nonvolatile cache for the hard disk drive, thus enabling a standard hard disk drive to function as a hybrid drive.'"

2 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Hey, what a great idea! by FinchWorld · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Too bad that Apple has supported HD access without booting for years. Firewire target mode, and SCSI target mode before that. Too bad Apple never supported it via USB then eh? What with USB being widely more available on say, your friends/parents/co-workers/public computer as opposed to firewire.

    --
    "I may be full of crap about this game, and I may be wrong, and that's fine." -Jack Thompson
  2. My laptop already operates without Windows by argent · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I've had a laptop that provides access to the hard drive without Windows since 1997.

    And booting to UNIX single user mode so I can copy a file to a floppy or flash stick takes no time at all.

    Ah, the advantages of being literate and not needing to look at pictures to do things on my computer...