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Array-Based Memory May Put a Terabyte On a Chip
Lucas123 writes "A new type of flash memory, called array-based memory, could offer a terabyte of data on a single chip within the next decade by bypassing current NAND memory technology, which is limited by the miniaturization capability of lithography. According to the Computerworld story, start-up Nanochip Inc. is being backed by Intel and others, and over 11 years has made research breakthroughs that will enable it to deliver working prototypes to potential manufacturing partners next year. And by 2010, the first chips are expected to reach 100GB capacity."
We on Slashdot just learned how to use a TB of ram only yesterday!
USB 3.0 or *something faster* will be required for devices this large in portable storage capacity.. USB 2.0 is ~480Mbps (theoretical max) and it would take forever to transfer a terabyte over USB 2.0.
http://www.usb.org/usb30
http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201807389
http://www.jamesshuggins.com/h/tek1/how_big.htm
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Memory device with dual cantilever means, United States Patent 5036490, IBM, published 07/30/1991. TFA talks about IBM's Millipede project, which looks like something similar.
A better summary would have said "Improvements to cantilever memory hold promise for 1TB chips by 2018" or something similar.
Wikipedia has some information on non-memory uses of micro-cantilevers.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
We only need 50 GB, and in a form factor about a third of a deck of cards, and cheaper than a BRD. And it doesn't even have to be rewritable. Then, the tyranny of spinning disk media will finally be temporarily ameliorated, by USB high definition video players.
Imagine: not having to worry about your media obsoleting because the interface is so cheap and useful that it is guaranteed to be on every computing device long after it has been surpassed by superior buses.
Imagine a robust format that doesn't skip or scratch, even if you keep it in your pocket with your keys.
Imagine a built-in crypto chip ensuring strong DRM by essencially creating an encrypted ssh tunnel straight to your video display device, using a different key every time for the actual data.
(ok, the last one's maybe not so great, but there's no reason why anything with a usb connect can't have the crypto built in, so you'd still have your portability. If there's still a problem, then it's better to enforce the rules as perfectly as possible. People don't usually object to rules that don't affect them, witness the capricious speed laws for your example there)
Can you be Even More Awesome?!
1 TB = a small corner of my SAN.
Personally, I love the idea of small, high capacity, solid state drives. The systems I admin are used for GIS research, and I dread what may happen anytime one of the researches takes a laptop into the field for data collection. So far, the worst which has happened was that one laptop went for a swim, which might have been ok except the salinity of the water was very high.
Ok, so a solid state drive may not have helped too much in that case, but for the occasional drop, bang or 120 degree weather; solid state drives are just gonna survive better.
Necessity is the mother of invention.
Laziness is the father.
These chips use moving parts. TFA mentions concerns over the longevity of the read/write element, but I'd expect the rest of the system to be more vulnerable than solid-state memory as well. With thousands of read/write probes working in parallel, there are lots of points of failure. Also, a mechanical system would have to be pretty incredible to beat the access times offered by current memory.