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Flash RAM-based iPod Minis May Be On The Way
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2005-08-22 15:36:05
There have been rumors over the past few months indicating that Apple may turn the iPod mini into a Flash-RAM player, saying farewell to the Hitachi 1" hard drive that currently serves as the storage core of the unit. Further indication that this may soon come to pass comes from Tom's Hardware who recently reported that Samsung may be in the process of wooing Apple over from hard drives to Flash memory for certain members of the iPod family.
Apple, who has already accounted for as much as 40% of Samsung's NAND Flash memory for use in the iPod shuffle, would need to see a 50% reduction in the price of Samsung's 4GB memory modules in order to make the switch financially painless. According to Nam Kim, director of iSuppli's Memory ICs/Storage Systems research department, "Samsung has committed to Apple that its NAND products will match harddrive pricing."
An iPod with Flash memory would be more rugged than one sporting a vulnerable hard drive and would enjoy a longer battery life. The mini, being a rather small but high capacity device, is the choice of many runners and, as such, is often dropped and kicked around during physical activity. Going Flash would increase the mini's chance of surviving such ordeals. But for Apple, it really is about price. If Samsung can actually deliver at HD price, the switch would seem to be a no-brainer for Apple.
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