The primary limiting factor of using the solid-state drives in laptops and desktop computers is cost. These drives have actually been available for some time now, but the cost of the drives is roughly the same as the entire notebook This is gradually changing as the number of companies producing the solid state drives and the capacity for producing the flash memory chips grows. Currently the price of the SSD is less than half of the same capacity from the previous year.

The other problem affecting the adoption of the solid-state drives is capacity. Current hard drive technology can allow for over 320GB of data in a small 2.5-inch notebook hard drive. Up to 2007 middle only 64GB (Samsung & SanDisk) solid-state drives are there in the market with in the size that is compatible with notebooks. Even the 64GB drives are extremely expensive.

All of this is set to change soon though. Several companies that specialize in flash memory have announced upcoming products that look to push the capacities of the solid state drives to be closer to that of a normal hard drive but at even lower prices than the current SSDs. This will have a huge impact for notebook data storage.

In this year Samsung continues to push the capacities of solid-state storage, announcing a super-fast 256 GB, 2.5-inch solid-state drive with an SATA II interface. It offers a sequential read speed of 200 MB/s and a write speed of 160 MB/s. Samsung expects to launch the 2.5-inch SSD in September, 2008 with a 1.8-inch version following in the fourth quarter of 2008. The company did not offer any pricing information currently.

The California’s BiTMICRO has announced it has pushed the capacity of its 2.5-inch solid-state drives to a mammoth 416 GB – but they’re for military and industrial clients. BiTMICRO says the 416 GB E-Disk can sustain transfers of up to 100 MB per second with bursts up to 133 GB/sec. The unit has an operating range from -40°C to 85°C, making it suitable for use in human-hostile environments. The drive supports PIO 0-4, DMA 0-2, and UDMA 0-6 transfer modes, and offers an ATA/ATAPI-7 PATA interface. BiTMICRO expects to begin production on the drives in the first quarter of 2008, with the first units shipping in March 2008.

San Jose, California-base storage developer ‘Super Talent’ has announced it is now shipping the world’s thinnest 256 GB 2.5-inch SSD drive. That drive uses a standard SATA-1 interface and is designed as a drop-in replacement for standard 2.5-inch hard drives; however, the drive measures 12.5 mm (0.5 inch) thick. Super Talent says is 40 percent thinner than other 256 GB SSDs on the market currently.

So now no matter of capacity and size of the solid state disk but have a concern with the cost of SSD. As of now cost is a key factor.

The single most important factor in any consumer system is cost. As long as the desirable features can be brought to the market for an affordable price, the product should succeed. The big trade-off is cost vs. features.

There are a lot of arguments to suggest that SSDs will replace Hard Disks in many applications – but on the other hand – the hard disk industry is still looking healthy – and there are many new applications for hard drives.

The 2 biggest HD OEM’s (Original Equipment Manufactures) – Seagate and Western Digital collectively reported nearly $17 billion of HD revenue for the 12 months ending Summer 2007. That revenue was $3 billion more than their combined HD revenue the year before. That $3 billion is itself bigger than the size of the SSD market the year 2007. So even though the SSD market is growing fast (approximately doubling in revenue for the foreseeable future) it is not going to slam the brakes on growth in the hard disk market.

Replacement of hard disk by SSD is not a easy think by enterprisers. For example – in the server acceleration market the factor is – SSD cost versus additional server costs – and is completely unrelated to hard disk cost. If we accept the results from that forecast the impact of SSDs could halve the number of servers needed long term. That would hit server shipments but is unlikely to impact high capacity (terabyte up) hard disks. That’s because the number of hard disks you need for bulk data storage and backup in enterprise storage networks is related to data growth and not server numbers. In this scenario SSDs and HDs can coexist – and both markets can grow at the same time.

It’s a different matter in other markets – like notebooks – where SSDs and HDs will compete head to head for the same slots. Yes, It’s true, now laptop adaptable SSDs are available in the market.

Predicting the price vs. capacity points at which users will switch is fraught with difficulties. That means desktop entertainments PCs are safe for HDs. But most corporate notebooks are likely to switch. On the other hand consumer notebooks – which have to meet entertainment needs (play games and movies) will hang on as a HD market.

In general term Home computer means computer for personal use. It is also called as PC. It is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end user, with no dominant computer operator. A PC may be used at home, or may be found in an office. Personal comptuers can be connected to a local area network (LAN) either by a cable or wirelessly. While early PC owners usually had to write their own programs to do anything useful with the machines, today’s users have access to a wide range of commercial and non-commercial software which is provided in ready-to-run form. Since the 1980s, Microsoft and Intel have been dominating much of the personal computer market.

Personal Computer was a class of personal computer entering the market in 1977 and becoming increasingly common during the 1980s. They were marketed to consumers as accessible personal computers, more capable than video game consoles. These computers typically cost much less than business, scientific or engineering-oriented desktop personal computers of the time, and were generally less powerful in terms of memory and expandability. However, a home computer often had better graphics and sound than contemporary business personal computers. Usually they were purchased for education, game play, and personal productivity use such as word processing.

Workstation – SuperFast PC of new world

Types of Personal Computer – PC

A personal computer may be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, tablet computer or a palmtop.

* Workstation

A workstation is a high-end personal computer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems.

* Nettop

A subtype of desktops, called nettops, was introduced by Intel in February 2008 to describe low-cost, lean-function, desktop computers. These feature the new Intel Atom processor which specially enables them to consume less power and to be built into small enclosures.

* Desktop computer

Prior to the wide spread of PCs a computer that could fit on a desk was considered remarkably small. Today the phrase usually indicates a particular style of computer case. Desktop computers come in a variety of styles ranging from large vertical tower cases to small form factor models that can be tucked behind an LCD monitor. Most modern desktop computers have separate screens and keyboards.

* Netbook

Netbooks are small portable computers in a “clamshell” design, that are designed specifically for wireless communication and access to the Internet. They are generally much lighter and cheaper than subnotebooks, and have a smaller display, between 7″ and 9″.

* Laptop

A laptop computer or simply laptop, also called a notebook computer or sometimes a notebook, is a small personal computer designed for mobility. Usually all of the interface hardware needed to operate the laptop, such as parallel and serial ports, graphics card, sound channel, etc., are built in to a single unit. Laptops contain high capacity batteries that can power the device for extensive periods of time, enhancing portability.

* Tablet PC

A tablet PC is a notebook or slate-shaped mobile computer. Its touchscreen or graphics tablet/screen hybrid technology allows the user to operate the computer with a stylus or digital pen, or a fingertip, instead of a keyboard or mouse.

* Ultra-Mobile PC

The ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) is a specification for a small form factor. It was developed as a joint development exercise by Microsoft, Intel, and Samsung, among others.

* Home theater PC

A home theater PC (HTPC) is a convergence device that combines the functions of a personal computer and a digital video recorder. It is connected to a television or a television-sized computer display and is often used as a digital photo, music, video player, TV receiver and digital video recorder.

* Pocket PC

A pocket PC is a hardware specification for a handheld-sized computer that runs the Microsoft Windows Mobile operating system. It has many of the capabilities of modern desktop PCs.

PC- Home Computer Trends, Types and Technology

Evolution of Personal Computer – PC

The introduction of the microprocessor, a single chip with all the circuitry that formerly occupied large cabinets, led to the proliferation of personal computers after about 1975. In what was later to be called The Mother of All Demos, SRI researcher Douglas Englebart in 1968 gave a preview of what would become the staples of daily working life in the 21st century – e-mail, hypertext, word processing, video conferencing, and the mouse.

21st Century cheap and power saving pc

It is said that transformation is the real key to life and innovative transformation alone brings about great experiments in today’s technology-driven world. When it comes to innovation and technology then Microsoft is the first name that abruptly comes to our minds. A successor to Microsoft Windows XP, Windows Vista is the latest line of operating systems developed by Microsoft as an answer to varied technical requirements on personal computers and business desktops. Pioneered under the name ‘Longhorn’, Microsoft Vista was released in varied stages to computer software and hardware manufacturers, retail channels and business customers. The entire world witnessed a boom in computer technology as the windows vista was released all over on January 30, 2007 and all the customers could buy windows vista online from Microsoft’s website. Adorned with innovative features, Windows Vista comes wrapped in a completely new garb. This new operating system is an answer to the technological boosts and advancements in Microsoft vista. Designed to suit the varied needs and requirements of personal as well as business computers, Windows Vista comes with a host of features that not only ease the pressure of work but also ensure speedy output. An updated graphical user interface, visual style dubbed Windows Aero, besides a redesigned search function and multimedia tools including Windows DVD Maker, Vista encompasses in it all the versatility of functions coupled with greater usability. The sole aim that drives Vista is to heighten the user experience through better communication functions on a home network and simplification of sharing files and digital media. It also comes power packed with version 3.0 of the NET Framework which enhances and encourages the software developers to write applications without grudging for traditional Windows APIs.

Ever since Microsoft has launched Windows Vista, the advancements have never stopped and gradually one after the other, newer versions of Windows Vista have stormed into the market. Realizing the growing need for an advanced version, Microsoft launched Windows vista ultimate service pack. The Windows vista ultimate service pack 1 is endowed with a complete set of latest Vista updates in addition to other augmented enhancements devised to revive personal computer’s experience. It also comes packed with an assortment of rich features like window meeting space, windows media player 11, enhanced parental controls, speech recognition and a number of other navigational tools. These features heighten the user experience to an altogether different level. Windows Vista service pack 1 also incorporates other windows vista ultimate extra features along with a number of windows updates. The additional booty it offers includes a multi-lingual user interface, 3D facility or videos used as desktop background, a number of tech-rich security features like bitlocker, Microsoft tinker game and windows sound schemes. Thanks to all these enhancements, working on windows vista becomes a joyride for the user who can use them to their maximum advantages. A perfect gift for personal computers, windows vista ultimate service pack proves the mettle of Microsoft again.