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Penny-Sized Flash Module Holds 16GB

Posted by Zonk on Tue Dec 18, 2007 10:03 AM
from the okay-now-we're-in-the-future dept.
Data Storage Intel Hardware
nerdyH writes "Intel describes its new 2GB to 16GB SSDs (solid state disks) as 'smaller than a penny, and weighing less than a drop of water.' The parts are '400 times smaller in volume than a 1.8-inch hard drive,' Intel boasts, 'and at 0.6 grams, 75 times lighter.' Sampling now, with mass production set for Q1 2008, the Z-P140 is described as an 'optional' part of Intel's Menlow chipset, built in turn as part of Intel's vision for Linux-based Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs)."
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Submission: Penny-sized flash module holds 16GB by nerdyH (702091)
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  • Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)

    by BrianPan (786919) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:10AM (#21738742)
    All flash memory has been smaller than a penny and weigh less than a drop of water for a long time. Adding a package-on-package controller is an obvious next step. There's no big revolution happening here.

    • Re:Big deal (Score:5, Funny)

      by Eternauta3k (680157) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:14AM (#21738792) Homepage Journal

      All flash memory has been smaller than a penny and weigh less than a drop of water for a long time. Adding a package-on-package controller is an obvious next step. There's no big revolution happening here.
      What do you know about marketing?
      :P

      • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

        by BrianPan (786919)
        Touche. I probably would have gone with "new flash still smaller than a quarter, still doesn't explode in your system."

        I guess Slashdot submissions also have to be "sold" to the editors to be front page worthy.

          • Re:Big deal (Score:5, Insightful)

            by russ1337 (938915) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @11:38AM (#21739898)
            we're way way off topic here, but to complement your story:

            A buddy of mine had a job interview for an office job - in the telecoms field, and had previously only ever worked as a precision machinist (CnC type stuff in coveralls) since he left school. He asked my advice on what to wear to the interview (and subsequent job) because I worked in a corporate environment. I helped him chose a suitable suit, tie etc, and gave him some simple dress tips (for the corporate environment - and wasnt entirely sure what his office culture was like, but thought better dress up than down.

            He was the only guy applying for the job that wore a tie - let alone a jacket. He got the job and wore his jacket and tie to work every day, (jacket off during working hours). In 6 weeks they made him the manager.

            I've always reckoned it was that he *looked* like the boss, and it 'looks bad' with him sitting in a cube with the polo-shirts and tee-shirts. The fact he wasn't a complete muppet helped too.

            Next time you think your boss is an idiot and wonder why he's your boss, you'll probably notice that the only difference between him and you, is that he dresses nicer.

            So that is why the article made it to the front page - it was wearing a tie. Articles wearing greasy coveralls and have food stains down the front have no chance.
            • Well, since we're off topic, I have another similar situation... My first day on the job as a co-op, I wore a shirt and tie, and my boss told me not to wear a tie because I was making everyone look bad (I'm pretty sure he was joking). Some people like a more casual environment.

                • It is unfortunate that in this modern corporate world, where two candidates being equal in nearly all aspects, the one nicely dressed candidate tends to be considered better 'management material'.

                  In an interview, part of it is undoubtedly due to the perception that one has gone to greater effort. Allowing for those interviewers with where suit-obsession is particularly ingrained, I'd say the perception of greater effort is most of it. Going to greater effort is understandably an indicator of who really

    • I hope they don't waste it on their Turbo Memory [wikipedia.org] technology. That's something that looked good on paper, but really didn't work as expected. But I can't wait until we get solid state hard drives of a decent size. Maybe in a few years, we'll have 100GB flash hard drives, which will make laptops last longer on its battery...
      • Ummm cave dweller much? We've already got [newegg.com] 100 GB+ solid state drives. This one is obviously crazy expensive but you can get 32GB models for a more reasonable price - around $400 I think.
        • So I'm a cave-dweller for not knowing this? So I guess 99% of the population are of the cave-dweller variety. Congrats on being the 1% of the people who are surface-dwellers.

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by noidentity (188756)
      And the smallest sticks are too damn small already. A friend got one of those Micro SD or something and I was surprised he hadn't already lost it in the carpet. Maybe good for having a normal-sized watch with GB of memory, but otherwise too easy to lose.
  • I could see ultramobile devices using these. Not only are they small, but they consume only about 300 mW of power active, and 1.1 mW in sleep mode.

    We're starting to get to a point where wearable computers will be practical. You'll be able to sew a whole computer right into a jacket or a sweater. Throw in one of those wearable displays [myvu.com], abd forget lugging around that heavy laptop!
    • Isn't energy source the bottle neck? Why don't they advertising mainly the power consumption?

      Anyway, the data by the time we can have a powerful computer hidden inside a jacket, the data will be stored at home and accessed through wireless communications, so the only really useful advance in memory is power consumption.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by wattrlz (1162603)
      You can also forget about ever boarding a commercial airline.

  • That's nothing (Score:4, Funny)

    by techpawn (969834) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:15AM (#21738796) Journal
    I lost a few gig of SD memory in a keyboard one time by accident. So, we're actually moving backwards in size.

    • I lost a few gig of SD memory in a keyboard one time by accident. So, we're actually moving backwards in size.


      I've heard that story before, except then, the SD memory was a flute, and the keyboard was... well... at band camp.

  • And next year... (Score:4, Insightful)

    by yuri82 (236251) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:16AM (#21738824) Homepage Journal
    And in 2009 they will have it with 64GB, and the year after 256GB...

    They probably have the technology for 256GB now, but why waste it all on one release?
  • But isn't this yesterday's news? Or did I read it on yahoo over breakfast. I long for the days when slashdot was for news I didn't see on Yahoo first. But this is still cool technology. And means I should keep putting off buying a new iPod.

    • Re: (Score:3, Insightful)

      by garcia (6573)
      But isn't this yesterday's news? Or did I read it on yahoo over breakfast. I long for the days when slashdot was for news I didn't see on Yahoo first. But this is still cool technology. And means I should keep putting off buying a new iPod.

      I long for the days when Yahoo posted something and there was a community of people that responded to the content of the blurb (not the article of course!) and you got responses in the range of trolls all the way through insightful discussion, commentary and links to othe

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by jackpot777 (1159971)

      ...I should keep putting off buying a new iPod.

      Ah, we've all been there with technology. When I got my 2nd gen. iPod nano, I thought "wow, colour screen" and now I'm thinking "hmmm, no video."

      Time to meander like the old man I am: I found a 3.5" floppy at home last week where I had written on the label: 'put onto new computer, maybe 1.4GHz'. Oooh, with 256 megs of RAM and a nice big 40 Gig hard drive... I just checked eBay, there's a HP WorkStation X2000 P4 going in the US for two hundred dollars with 512MB

      • "Or I can wait twenty years and they'll have a nanobot one for free in my Corkflakes (sans SCSI)."

        Corkflakes??

        Is there going to be a corn shortage in the future due to global warming or will we find out that cork is not only high in fiber, but is great for your cholesterol!!
    • I long for the days when people come to /. for commenting and reading comments, instead of news. 8-)

      • I long for the days when people come to /. for commenting and reading comments, instead of news. 8-)
        Since when did slashdot start offering news?

  • Er, so what? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Speare (84249) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:21AM (#21738894) Homepage

    Okay, so they made a chip that would fit in a microSDHC form factor. Is it faster? Is it lower-power? Is the interface more convenient? Is the chipset to host it already commonplace? Why would I want yet-another-memory-stick-format product in the already-crowded marketplace?

    • Re:Er, so what? (Score:4, Insightful)

      by tangent3 (449222) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:34AM (#21739072)
      and most importantly, how much does it cost per GB, compared to Flash?

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by MBCook (132727)
      Read the story. This isn't to replace SD cards. This is a little chip to be built onto the motherboard of cell phones or iPods to hold the data, and for that it is much smaller than other offerings.

      • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

        by Speare (84249)
        Okay, so they don't want to encase it in a piece of plastic with a big slider-pad for contacts. I'm sure SanDisk would be okay with direct integration of their storage chips onto motherboards too. I stand by my comment: this appears no different from existing capacities already available on the market. Why the huge press event?

        • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

          by ivan256 (17499)
          microSD caps out at 8GB right now, and even those aren't readily available...

          Doubling capacity isn't press-release worthy anymore?

  • It's three times bigger than microSD (Score:5, Insightful)

    by adam1101 (805240) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:28AM (#21738994)
    The dimensions of this module are 18x12x1.8mm, which is more than three times the volume of microSD (15x11x0.7mm, which includes a plastic housing). Now some of the other features are nice (IDE controller, high speeds), but the size isn't anything amazing.

    • Yep. Now just tell me where I can get a 16 GB microSD card and I'll accept you as right. By the way, don't you think this device includes a housing too?

      Even though the devices aren't even competing with each other. It's a tiny size for it's market segment and capacity.

    • Yes, MicroSD is still smaller. That said, Wikipedia (I guess you consulted Wikipedia) is incorrect in its leading summary. The card is not 0.7mm thick, it is about 1mm thick (0.95mm according to my vernier scale). Funnily enough, the table in the bottom of the Wikipedia article lists 1.0mm as well. The 0.7mm seems to come from the connector part.

      So to adjust for your calculations...
      MicroSD = 15*11*1.0 = 165
      Intel's thingy = 18*12*1.8 = 388.8

      388.8 / 165 ~= 2.36

      Anyway, the more important bit is that it doe

  • Not 400 times smaller (Score:3, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:36AM (#21739090)
    400 times smaller in volume than a 1.8-inch hard drive

    Why do people say things like this?
    Its size is 1/400 of a 1.8-inch hard drive, not 400*(the smallness of a 1.8-inch hard drive).

    • 400 times smaller in volume than a 1.8-inch hard drive


      Why do people say things like this?
      Its size is 1/400 of a 1.8-inch hard drive, not 400*(the smallness of a 1.8-inch hard drive).


      It's called capitalist marketing. Welcome to the show. Popcorn? ;)
    • Remember how well the bimbo's that now read news did in math class?
    • "Why do people say things like this?"

      It rolls off the tongue more easily. Funny thing about the net, a lot of the text that's posted on it was originally derived by how people speak to each other. It can really wreak havoc on a brain that's too hard-wired. I remember nearly putting our finance guy into a coma by walking into the building with my baseball hat on backwards.
    • Ok, let us start by taking out "in volume", which is clearly there to avoid confusion with capacity, diameter (1/400th of 1.8"??) and whatever. "400 times smaller than a 1.8-inch hard drive", or "X times smaller than Y". Well, I do understand "X times larger than Y", does that mean 400*(the largeness of Y) then? Personally I'd say I just interpret that as 400*size, largeness is to me the same sort of subjective attribute as smallness.

      To me it sounds perfectly reasonable that if X is 400 times larger than Y,

  • Memory low... (Score:3, Funny)

    by nonos (158469) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @10:40AM (#21739144)
    .. please insert coin !
  • of interface and controller?

    Seems like they might be significant...
    • Why should interface and controller costs be significant? It's certainly going to be less than for a regular drive since you won't have to deal with anything electromechanical. And if you compare with something similar as USB thumb drives they've come down so much in price that you can find them for a song in supermarkets these days... and they all have controller and interface electronics in them.

  • Breakfast Cereal (Score:5, Funny)

    by Easy2RememberNick (179395) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @11:03AM (#21739398)
    It would make a great breakfast cereal if you had a whole bunch of them in a bowl covered in milk, and yes, of course, it would be called GigaBites.
  • I find that the summary uses "penny size" to describe the size of the chip. Slashdot Standard Units Manual, clearly states that the preferred units for length is football fields, (as in my bookshelf is 0.01 football fields wide).

    Similarly preferred units data size is libraries of congress (as in sigfile in /. should be less than 80 femto libraries of congress)

    For weight it is locomotives. As in "The sun weighs 3.72 tera locomotives)

    And for flow rate it is Amazon river. The new regulations reduced the maximum flow rate for shower heads from 1.6 atto amazons to 1.2 atto amazons.

    For volume the preferred units is number of Earths that could be stuffed into it. As in "The asteroid Gzibpat has the volume of 0.1 micro Earths.

    So please recalculate the volume of the chip in Earths and resubmit the story.

  • Truth in advertising (Score:4, Informative)

    by somepunk (720296) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @11:38AM (#21739894) Homepage
    When I saw them comparing pennies for volume and water for weight, I knew there was some funny business afoot. A drop of water weight a damn lot less than a penny, so (even allowing a lot of room for variation in density) this flash thingie is likely a lot smaller than a penny, or a lot heavier than a drop of water, or they would have chosen some smaller familiar item to compare it with. That, combined with the fact that a "drop of water" is not exactly a well defined quantity, and it screams out for a fact check.

    A quick google brought up a freshman chemistry lab report [asu.edu], in microsoft word format, even. Not exactly the paragon of authority, but it is well known that freshman chemistry students have a far greater respect for the truth then marketers.

    Their value for the mass of a drop of water is .025 grams, which is twenty-four times less than the .6 grams that the mass of the flash memory. I thought so.

    It isn't hard to imagine a .6 gram drop of water, actually, just to be fair to those dorks, but I don't think it would resemble the familiar ones that most of us are accumstomed to.

  • weighing less than a drop of water
    In lower gravity everything weighs less, including water. But a drop should be able to grow bigger before it breaks from a dripping tap/faucet and falls. Maybe these two effects cancel out, making the "drop of water" a useful standard weight for everywhere in the solar system.

    Or maybe Intel's PR team are full of Christmas spirit and have bet each other to use randomly-chosen phrases.
    • You appear to have no sense. We still call them pennies [wikipedia.org] here in the USA, even if it isn't the official term.

    • Re:English Penny (Score:4, Funny)

      by GogglesPisano (199483) on Tuesday December 18 2007, @11:21AM (#21739634)
      Now this is a prime example of why standard units are so important.

      As I understand it, here on Slashdot, size is expressed in units of Library of Congresses. Let's do a few quick calculations:

      So, uh, lessee... a US penny is .75 inches across... the Library of Congress has approximately 530 miles of shelf space... ...carry the two...

      That means that this new chip is 2.2334E-08 Library of Congresses in size.

      Happy to Help!

    • Re: (Score:2, Informative)

      by serialdogma (883470)
      Why deal with old pre-1707 English pennies, when a new one pence piece is called a penny? At 2cm diameter, this would be still quite small.
    • Actually I am waiting for something even better.

      the core OS stored on one of these things. The boot loader loads the OS drive read only. The OS loads and runs. Swap, applications, etc are then stored on the regular HD.

      Benefits boot times are quicker, but more importantly viruses can't modify the core OS. At least beyond a reboot. Think of it as a live CD for any computer. Security for even MSFT's software would be high.

      Though knowing MSFt they would allow the drive to be switched to R/W by windows upd
    • Wow...

      Penis-Sized... and Tastecicles... what proximity... but, to get to the minor point...

      I was half expecting references to "A penis for your kiss, an nuzzle for your thoughts, a hind if you tell me that you love me..."

      (IRT: A penny for your thoughts, a nickel for a kiss.. a diiiime if you tell me that you love me..."

      Hehehe

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