Seagate: SSD and 2 TB in 2009

Seagate’s CEO, Bill Watkins, has reaffirmed the relative interest that his company has added to SSDs in spite of the fact that the hard drive giant wagered more on hybrids, the lawsuit filed against STEC and warnings to other SSDs manufacturers.

A first model destined to the professional segment will be offered in 2009. As for more common versions, Mr. Watkins estimates that consumers aren’t willing to pay more for this type of technology and we will have to wait a couple of years for production costs to decrease until Seagate offers SSDs on this market.

For Seagate, the cost of the SSD, which is $3.58 per GB according to iSuppli, is too high and it’s of little importance that speeds are superior and power consumption is significantly less. However, it is undeniable that prices are decreasing and that there is a much bigger market than just the professional segment given the number of companies that have launched into the SSD sector.

And this is exactly why the biggest hard drive manufacturer may be so frigid. They probably have no interest in supporting a new market which is susceptible to overshadow another and older one upon which it has much influence and where the competition can be counted on one hand. An even bigger reason is that the new arrivals, which are expected to pay royalties, seem to be a length ahead. Of course, it can also just be a series of coincidences...

Otherwise, Seagate has announced the release of a hard drive with a capacity of 2 TB starting in 2009 without revealing any other details.