Fujitsu gets a soft spot for solid state hard drives
(Credit:
Fujitsu)
If there's one trend we see defining the next generation of laptops--or at least the one after that--it's solid-state hard drives. After all, if you take the moving parts out of the most failure-prone part of the laptop, you'll get a more reliable machine, along with better battery life, and a cooler-running system.
Fujitsu is adding solid-state hard drives to some of its ultraportable laptops, starting March 19. Both the LifeBook P1610 and the LifeBook B6210 will be available with either 16GB or 32GB flash-based SSD hard drives. But before you jump on board the solid-state bandwagon, bear in mind these new configurations are aimed at industrial and institutional users. Getting a 16GB SSD drive in your LifeBook P1610 will cost roughly an extra $700, while getting the 32GB version will cost around $1,300, and Fujitsu is expecting only bulk orders for the new technology, not individual sales.
Despite these hefty premiums, solid-state hard drive prices have been dropping lately, and you can get a 32GB SSD drive from SanDisk for around $350. As drive capacities go up and prices come down, expect to see more systems drop the old platter-style drives.
New York native Dan Ackerman, a former radio DJ turned journalist, has written about technology and music for publications including Spin, Blender, The Hollywood Reporter, and USA Today. He hosts the weekly Digital City podcast and the New York edition of Editors' Office Hours. Dan's new album, Tales Out of Night School, is available now. E-mail Dan. 
The only prob is the capacity, which might not be all that great with the heavier OSs that keep coming out.