SSDs to account for 33% of computer storage market in 2017

The total worldwide shipments is expected to increase from 31 million units to 227 million units in the space of five years, forcing down the percentage of the market devoted to hard disk drives; from 94% in 2012, hard disk drives are expected to take up just 64% of the total market in five years. The explosive growth over this period equates to around 48%, and will put the SSD on the map as a promising substitute for hard disk drives.

The rise in the number of SSDs being shipped across the globe has already begun; measuring in at just 6% of the computer storage solutions market in 2012, the demand for ultrabooks and other super-slim laptop models over the next few years is expected to drive demand considerably. Touchscreen displays are becoming more prominent, and the upcoming Haswell processor created by Intel is set to revolutionise thin computers for consumers. These units demand powerful, versatile and compact drives. Combine this with the price of NAND flash memory drastically decreasing, and the conditions are perfect for a surge in SSDs.

SSDs carry out essentially the same function as a conventional hard drive, but with one vital difference: they have no mechanical or moving parts. Where hard disk drives function by using magnetic fields and spinning parts, an SSD uses a flash memory chip which is similar to the memory within a USB drive. This innovation drastically reduces read and write times, and also has the added advantage of never wearing out; the moving parts within a hard disk drive can wear and diminish in effectiveness over time, but the lack of moving parts in SSDs mean that they can function at a higher level for a sustained period of time.

However, the future dominance of the SSD is not all bad news for the trust hard disk drive. They are still far cheaper in price than their high-tech competitors, and they generally have much higher storage densities when compared to the majority of SSDs. In situations where large volumes of data need to be stored, a hard disk drive is a more suitable option. Hybrid disk drives are also becoming an option; these units combine the benefits of both hard disk drives and SSDs in order to make the most of each technology. Fast read and write times and no defragmenting necessary combines with high storage capacity to create a very cost-effective PC storage solution for the mass market.