MacRumors.com

CNet reports that Intel is entering the Solid State Drive (SSD) market later this year to compete against existing suppliers such as Samsung, Toshiba, and SanDisk. Up to this point Intel has only offered small-capacity products up to 16GB in size. In Q2, Intel will be introducing 80GB and 160GB 1.8 and 2.5-inch SSDs aimed at the laptop market. Intel also promises significant performance gains over existing SSD products:

"When Intel launches its...products, you'll see that not all SSDs are created equal," Winslow said. "The way the SSDs are architected, the way the controller and firmware operates makes a huge difference"

The drives are expected to come with an SATA interface, making them not directly compatible with the MacBook Air -- the only Apple laptop that offers an SSD option. As SSD drives drop in price, however, we can expect them to be offered with other Apple laptops. Intel believes prices will drop 40-50% per year.

Solid State Drives offer advantages of faster performance, lower power requirements and durability over traditional hard drives.