Lexar Media has announced a new line of Crucial solid state drives (SSD) that use flash memory technology and promise higher reliability, speed and durability than traditional magnetic hard drives.

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January 4, 2008: Lexar Media has announced a new line of Crucial solid state drives (SSD) that use flash memory technology and promise higher reliability, speed and durability than traditional magnetic hard drives.
Available in 32GB and 64GB capacities, Crucial SSDs come in a standard 2.5-inch form factor measuring 100.2 x 69.85 x 9.5 mm, which is compatible with notebook PCs. The drive weighs only 82 grams. An external storage kit (SK01) is available to integrate the SSD into a desktop PC and allow it to act as a portable USB storage device. The kit includes a 2.5-inch USB 2.0 external enclosure, 3.5-inch SATA 3.0Gb/s hot-swappable drive bay plus a 5.25-inch drive bay bracket. In systems where hot-swapping is supported, the SSD can be removed from the desktop drive bay without powering down the computer.

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SSD drives have no spin-up time, seek time or rotational latency. Crucial drives support data transfer speeds of up to 3Gb/s, read speeds of up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 45MB/s. Their rugged, shock-and vibration-resistant, temperature-tolerant design can withstand extreme operating environments. Product release is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008. Full details can be found at www.crucial.com/ssd.