Will mSATA be a giant killer in the PC space?

One of the main reasons people carry on using desktops, is that notebooks are not powerful or responsive enough when the workload gets serious. Moves in the SSD space by companies like AData, could help sound the death bell for desktop PCs. KitGuru picks up a magnifying glass and goes to investigate.

At Intel's important sounding ‘Ultrabook Ecosystem Symposium', AData shared details of its miniature SSD roadmap. AData has been one of the world's biggest contract manufacturers for DRAM and NAND Flash products for a long time. While they won't admit it, it's known within the industry that AData products make their way into Sony and Asus systems on a regular basis.

According to iSuppli figures being quoted by AData, we're about to see a huge surge in SFF (Small Form Factor) PCs, while – at the same time – a continuing drop off in tower unit shipments.

Intel's drive toward powerful portables means that everything needs to get smaller and less power-hungry. With power draw, moving parts are a real pain the arse. While Napster, iTunes and a host of other content sites across the globe, means that we've largely done away with the ROM drive – it's been harder to kill off the old hard drive. Cue the SSD.

In May 2011, AData launched the stunningly quick S511 and it's now moving the tiny XM series into the market.

For maximum flexibility, these new drives can be used ‘solo' – as the single location for mass storage in your portable device – or as a cache for a larger SATA drive.

KitGuru says: Regardless of which microscopic SSD is supplied, we can't wait to see these new Ultraportables going head to head in the KitGuru Labs.

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