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Sony enters SSD market

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wachie

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From Anandtech - http://anandtech.com/show/10014/sony-enters-ssd-market-slw-m

Sony-Asia this month introduced its first own-brand solid-state drives that it will sell in retail. The decision to start selling consumer SSDs is completely unexpected because Sony has been trying to focus solely on highly profitable and less competitive businesses in the recent years, whereas the competition in the market of consumer storage is fierce. Initially, the company will sell only two SSD models, which means that it is trying to test a new business rather than to become a leader on the market.
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The Sony SLW-M SSDs are based on the Phison PS3110-S10 controller as well as Toshiba’s TLC flash memory, according to images published by DIYPC.hk web-site. The SLW-MG2 solid-state drive from Sony features 128 MB DDR3 buffer made by Nanya. Usage of TLC NAND indicates that Sony’s SLW-M are entry-level client solid-state solutions that do not cost a lot to make and are not supposed to be expensive, and based on the specifications listed it's a reasonable guess that performance will be near the similarly-built low-end OCZ Trion 100 series.
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Long shot but ala 12GB PS3, a super-slim PS4 with embedded flash drive and expandable external storage via USB?
 
They have experience when it comes to overpriced memory - makes sense.
 
Sounds like a move to bring down the cost of SSDs for their own products (PS4s, but also cameras I imagine) down the line, and eventually get a somewhat affordable 512Gb and possibly 1Tb versions I guess?

Smart, as I don't imagine they'd really be trying to compete in that sector, as the article notes.
 
Pass. We already have reliable SSD products from several manufacturers. We'll need at least a year with Sony's offerings on the market to know how they compare (reliability) and you'd have to be a fool to buy a first gen SSD product knowing there are established makes and models out there that you can get.
 
Rumblings of ssds being overpriced based on the market prices versus what they can produce make me excited for the future of high capacity low cost solid state storage. I have 2 ssds and 6 hard drives in my system ATM. Would love to build a mini atx with a attack of ssds.
 
This is really weird news when they were trying to shrink their core business to things they were good and profitable with. This seems counter to so that.
 
Crimsonclaw111 said:
Do not cost a lot, are not meant to be expensive.

Will probably still be premium prices for average products.
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I love the Playstation brand, but unfortunately I think that's described a lot of Sony products throughout the years.

I'm really surprised this is a market they'd jump in to, it's incredibly competitive.
 
Dreams-Visions said:
Pass. We already have reliable SSD products from several manufacturers. We'll need at least a year with Sony's offerings on the market to know how they compare (reliability) and you'd have to be a fool to buy a first gen SSD product knowing there are established makes and models out there that you can get.
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We already have a rough idea on the reliability.

These drives are using TLC NAND, which is lower than MLC. If they do an embedded flash SKU using TLC then the least they can do is provide external storage. The controller is also a known quantity.
 
I read this a while ago on some tech site, and I really don't understand it. The SSD market is insanely competitive, and to do well you either need very low cost or extremely high performance/reliability. You won't get either by buying both memory and controllers from third-party manufacturers.

Anyway, shouldn't it be in the Off Topic forum?
 
If Sony has some sort of wholesale price discount for those OEMs that buy their sensors, this could be a really good move for Sony, especially after their other recent chip manufacturer purchase. Sony's slowly bringing things in house means less expensive Sony products from them and other companies. Win/win for Sony and its customers.
 
Considering I can get a 240gb BX100 for about $65, I don't even NEED another SSD brand, unless they're bringing something amazing to the table
 
Damn what is wrong with Sony wasting time on this??

No one wants a Sony branded phsion SSD today, Samsung, Intel and Crucial are all you need.
 
Weird time to enter the market, SSD prices are only going to go down from now on. Unless they think they can keep prices up and sell them to PS4 owners.
 
I would get it if they used their own components... but it looks like they buy everything from suppliers and just put it together
 
Elandyll said:
Sounds like a move to bring down the cost of SSDs for their own products (PS4s, but also cameras I imagine) down the line, and eventually get a somewhat affordable 512Gb and possibly 1Tb versions I guess?

Smart, as I don't imagine they'd really be trying to compete in that sector, as the article notes.
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Could be, for the eventual PS4 slim and maybe even down the line for PS5.
 
Next console should have at least a 120gb SSD for the OS and one or two games you play the most, and then a 1TB 7200rpm hard drive, doing that console boot up would take a instant and you could easily move your games from hard disk to SSD and viceversa depends on which ones are you willing to play or not.
Of course a console with just a big SSD would be better, but realistically they couldn't do that or the price would be too high, even in 2/3 years from now, when i guess the next console will enter their final designing stage and be released
 
Like many have said just on principal because of Vita memory card prices. Respectfully Sony , kiss my ass.


My opinion could change IF price and speed/reliability are all in line.
 
wachie said:
From Anandtech - http://anandtech.com/show/10014/sony-enters-ssd-market-slw-m

Long shot but ala 12GB PS3, a super-slim PS4 with embedded flash drive and expandable external storage via USB?
Click to expand...
Is this product because Sony bought the Toshiba plant that makes video sensors and maybe Flash memory?

Sony has announced that it's buying Toshiba's image sensor business for 19 billion yen ($155 million). Plans to do so were first rumored in October, but Sony has now confirmed the price, with the transfer of Toshiba's fabrication plant, equipment, and employees set to be completed within the fiscal year ending March 31st, 2016. The facilities will operate under Sony's new wholly owned subsidiary, the Sony Semiconductor Corporation, which will be dedicated primarily to the production of image sensors. (Although Toshiba's facilities also manufacture memory controllers as well.)
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Sony is buying back the plant they sold Toshiba in 2008. It makes the PS3 camera.

4K Cell phones and cameras are going to need much memory and/or cloud synced storage using LTE.

Sony Acquires Altair Semiconductor, Israeli Innovator of LTE Modem Chip Technology for IoT communications.
 
Durante said:
I read this a while ago on some tech site, and I really don't understand it. The SSD market is insanely competitive, and to do well you either need very low cost or extremely high performance/reliability. You won't get either by buying both memory and controllers from third-party manufacturers.

Anyway, shouldn't it be in the Off Topic forum?
Click to expand...

It's going to sold as PS4 storage. /j
Sata 2 bottleneck, here we come!
 
I just hope this means official SSD support for PS4, though I'm sure it won't mean that. I'd buy Sony branded SSD that has greater effect on PS4 load times in an instant.

For PC use though? Uh, I have Samsung, and I've heard Phison is not that great controller.
 
Packaging an existing controller and NAND. Not overly exciting as it will be pretty similar to anything else with that controller.

Kind of like "Radeon" branded memory
 
They are certainly no stranger to high-priced memory.

Vita memory cards.

Audiophile-quality SD cards....

>.>
 
hopefully with a proprietary interface only compatible with ps4 and vaio computers and twice the price of competing SSD manufacturers. come on sony, it know its in you to make it happen.
 
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