What's your opinion about solid-state drives today?

Right now I'm typing this via Lubuntu running off a 32G USB Stick and root is only using 37% of it, so it will be faster with an SSD and likely more storage (for root even though I don't need it now). I'll still run a CHD as major storage in Terabytes (3T TOSHIBA is what I'm using now). Just need to pick a fast reliable SSD.

I have been using SSD's for some time now; mostly in stand alone units. (of course, most run Linux or FreeBSD)
I do run them with my server, as well. The only down side I find is the Read/Write times are not as fast as the
spec's say. Aside from that, they are ultra convenient. (anyone remember the days when "handle with extreme care"
was the watchword?) I still prefer the mechanical drives, but I can see the day when SSD's will be the norm.

I adopted the SSD after most of the early growing pains had been solved. That being said, most of those problems were related to buggy controllers and firmware and not the technology itself. I got ahold of an early Patriot PS-100 unit that was slower than a traditional HDD. I thought something was wrong with it but later found out that this drive was a complete dud with Windows 7 or newer. Things were new then and had not been perfected. All my main computers have been upgraded to use SSDs exclusively and I plan to update my others to SSD's as funds permit. My plan is to upgrade the SSDs in my main units to something bigger/better and migrate my current ones to the other systems.

Although there are certain brands I would avoid all together, I think that most are reasonably reliable, especially compared to a mechanical HDD. Sure, you may get better reliability and performance from higher priced units, but even the cheaper slower units promise long lives at this time.

There are a couple disadvantages to SSDs although most users will never experience any of these drawbacks. Unlike HDDs which can be written to as many times as you want, SSDs have a limited number of write cycles, generally between 1500-5000 for consumer units. That being said, I have always wanted to see a comparison of how long a traditional hard drive can write before failing from mechanical wear and tear. The average user will never wear out an SSD drive so this isn't a huge concern for most.

Another issue is that SSD flash will lose charge if the drive isn't powered on very often. Earlier studies showed this to occur somewhere around 10-30 years so that isn't a huge issue for most. I wouldn't use an SSD for long term backup for this reason and the fact that this would be a waste of such technology. I use whatever USB powered HDD backup is cheapest at the time for this purpose.

Overall I feel that the SSD is a quantum leap in computer storage and the benefits FAR outweigh the cons.

Conor

If you can keep them cool and steady enough, spinning disc drives will store more for less and last longer. That is why they will be around for a long time, especially in datacenters. However, if you want them to move and fit tight spaces, then SSDs are far better.

Time is money, and SSDs are usually much faster for end systems. I have two desktops and a laptop with SSDs that boot and load programs remarkably faster than any disc drive (even hybrid). SDD cost are coming down faster, too. I recently disassembled a few 3.5" HDDs. They have wonderful machining and some pricey components (e.g., copper servos, neodymium magnets) that are not getting any cheaper.

Of course, today's 1TB SSD will cost $100 in three years. But that has always been true for storage.

SSD's are very much needed to day for a much faster performance & boot. The main problem today is the price. These drives are great & I install them often but they are not real cheap. Prices are coming down slowly but need to come down more too. We tell our customers to make sure there is a good warranty like 3 to 5 years before you buy one. And to make sure all data is backed up in case it crashes which most people do not do. I do recommend SSD drives very highly when the price is right.

Yes SSDs are amazing devices and they are definitely going to become thee boot device of choice. But as a data recovery expert for the last 25 years I am aware of some issues everyone should know.

1. SSDs do fail, perhaps not as often as HDDs, but when they do fail it can be catastrophic, especially if you don't have a backup. http://www.memofixdatarecovery.com/blog/index.php/hard-drive-substitutes-or-data-losers/

2. Not all SSDs are reliable! There are many many documented model with major firmware issues that can lock up access to your SSD with no warning. http://www.memofixdatarecovery.com/blog/index.php/warning-usb-flash-devices-fail/

3. When an SSD fails the data is very difficult to recover and if it can be recovered, cost will be at least double that of a hard drive. This is because there are so many different manufactures doing so many different things and even models by the same manufacture can have striking differences in how the distribute and encode the data across the various memory chips. Many SSDs also use compression/encryption techniques to save space and consequently even reading the raw memory contents will not recover use-able data.

4. If you copy data to an SSD ( or USB Flash Stick) and leave it in your drawer without being powered up for a year or so, your data will likely disappear as the transistor gates slowly leak open and all data bits turn into zeroes or ones.

5. Unlike a hard drive, if you delete a file or do a quick format, your data will not likely be recoverable. http://www.memofixdatarecovery.com/blog/index.php/deleted-ssd-files-gone-forever/

So in conclusion, SSDs are fantastic but don't fall for the false sense of security that if you use an SSD (or Flash stick) that your data is somehow safer.

No moving part, assembled by robots, and made of sand?

Until the price per GB at the 1TB level comes down and is comparable to CHD then SSD's are useless to me. My CHD boots Windows fast enough and has fast enought read/write times at 10,000 RPM. All of the other advantages SSD's have over CHD's are not that big a concern for me.