Micron Intros mSATA SSD for Ultrabook/Ultrathin Sector

Micron on Tuesday introduced a new solid state drive outfitted for the rapidly emerging Ultrabook/Ultrathin market. The new mSATA drive is based on the company's current 2.5-inch RealSSD C400 series, providing the same high performance and reliability in a space that is approximately one-third the size of a standard business card (1.2 x 2-inches).

"The C400 mSATA drive is designed to work in ultrathin, high-performance SSD-based systems and can also act as a cache drive in dual-drive systems," the company said. "SSD-caching systems have both a hard-disk drive and a low-capacity SSD. These systems use software to automatically identify the most frequently used files and programs and then access those files from the SSD, providing greater performance than a hard-disk drive, but at a lower price point than a stand-alone SSD."

Micron will offer the mSATA SSD chips in capacities ranging from 32 GB to 256 GB using a SATA 6 Gb/s interface for high data throughput. The company says the drive's focused high performance, low power consumption and caseless design enable better computing experiences in ultrathin form factors. It also leverages Micron's 25-nm MLC NAND Flash and manufacturing and testing capabilities.

"Efficient memory and storage are key components to portable computing," said Justin Sykes, Micron's general manager of client SSD solutions. "Our new mSATA delivers on the true promise of SSD technology — high-performance storage in a tiny, low-power package. Breaking away from the constraints of enclosures meant for hard drives is a great step toward enabling truly mobile computing platforms."

The drive is currently in production and is available through Micron's extensive distribution network. A Crucial-branded version will be available to consumers this calendar quarter through select global channel partners and at www.crucial.com.