Intel Phasing Out SSDs with 50nm Flash
It's time for the first generation of Intel SSDs to retire and be sent out to the pasture.
X-bit Labs reports that Intel plans to discontinue its 1st-generaton of solid state drives manufactured under the 50nm process: the X25-M and the X18-M. While the site doesn't provide a source, we assume the announcement was made this week during the International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) where Intel disclosed the secrets behind its 34nm process technology.
As it stands, the first-generation SSDs--the 50nm X25-M and X18-M offering 80 GB and 160 GB capacities--will be discontinued. Additionally, orders for the drives will no longer be accepted, and they will not be cancellable after April 20, 2010. Intel expects to ship the final batch of first-generation SSDs in August 2010.
The 50nm X25-M and X18-M originally appeared on the market in August 2008. Consumers didn't have to wait long for a successor, however: Intel's second-generation batch was released in late July 2009. It's estimated that the product life for a SSD model is a little over a year, shorter than the lifespan of CPUs.
This week at IEDM, Intel revealed its 2nd generation high-k/metal gate transistors that offer better performance than resistors used last year. The company said that performance has been boosted by 5-percent and 13-percent for NMOS and PMOS, respectively. Intel also revealed that SRAM array density, at 4.2 Mbit/mm2, is the highest reported array density for a 34nm or 28nm technology.

http://professionalmike.com
At least there's always OCZ Agility/Vertex EX keeping SLC alive
Actually I think in all cases (slc,xeon, ecc memory) price discourages the consumer more than anything.
As far as all three most consumers have little to gain (and really other than multi-P boxes who needs a Xeon?) from any of these technologies. Really SLC offers a limited return if only one person is accessing the drive. Xeon's offer no benefit IMHO(sure the extra valadation is nice CYA if you are running a critical server but in reality the nosebleed price gives you equivalent performance of consumer models with the exception of multi-P configurations. ECC pretty much falls into the same category.
How does a transistor have better performance than a resistor?
I think they were referring to the Product Development and sales period.
That is to say, from the point that a product is developed and released to manufacturing for distribution to retailers, to the time that a Newer, better model is developed and released to manufacturing and distribution.
Whether they discontinue the previous model is entirely up to the manufacturer as Intel seems to be doing with the X25 series.
ohh, i see. Thanks for clearing that for me.
I'm encouraged by the progress that MLC drives have undergone recently, but it's important to me that SLC drives remain an option for enthusiast home system builders.