SimpleTech's 2GB Type I ATA PC Card

Solid state storage capacities are on the rise and it seems like they should be moving from their traditional role in "ruggedized" shock-proof apps into other areas. I say this mainly because we're seeing so many of the little devils that these rugged applications don't seem like they have nearly the market size of, say, personal computer and network backup devices. SimpleTech is one of many companies working to increase the capacity of these devices and this week they announced that they are now producing Type I ATA PC cards in capacities up to 2GB. In fact, SimpleTech seems to agree with me on the expanding market for flash storage by saying that it thinks these things would be ideal for expanding storage in portable PCs or handheld devices, for transferring data between portable units, and for low-power storage solutions for embedded industrial applications including telecommunications and networking equipment, avionics and medical instrumentation. (OK, so I read the announcement before I wrote that intro, but I've been thinking along those lines for months. Really.) Limited availability of the new ATA PC cards is expected in mid- to late September, with full availability anticipated in October. SimpleTech is also now offering a Flash Disk Module in a miniaturized form factor with an IDE interface. They are offered with 40-pin or 44-pin IDE connectors in densities up to 512MB or in 144-pin SoDIMMs in densities up to 2GB. Samples of the 40-pin and 44-pin IDE modules are anticipated in late September, with production planned for October. Samples of 144-pin SoDIMMs are expected in late October, with production to begin in November.