Solid performer
With its solid-state design, flash memory leaves the other digital audio alternatives--CDs and hard-disk drives--in the dust.
Hank Lai, Senior Technical Marketing Engineer, Samsung Semiconductor -- CommVerge, 11/1/2002
Flash memory, with its small form-factor, high performance, and solid-state design, is unsurpassed as the storage medium of choice for digital audio players. This is especially true in the case of portable MP3 players, where consumers demand smaller, lighter designs with increased memory capacity.
Flash memory is unrivaled for its ability to be seamlessly integrated into a variety of wireless handheld devices. A single NAND-based flash memory device measures barely one inch square, is approximately 1/32 of an inch thick, and is almost weightless. With flash, designers can create an MP3 player barely larger than the memory device itself. This small form factor also makes flash a good fit for incorporation into PDAs, smartphones, and digital cameras, without adding unnecessary weight or bulk.
With its solid-state design, flash memory leaves the other digital audio alternatives--CDs and hard disk drives (HDDs)--in the dust. CDs and HDDs are mechanical and prone to skipping. Hard disks can crash. Portable CD players offer the convenience of a familiar medium, but are too large and heavy for outdoor enthusiasts.
In addition, flash's solid-state nature provides a smooth listening experience, uninterrupted by vibrations from running, walking, driving, and the perils of everyday life.
Still, a few digital-audio manufacturers focus exclusively on hard-disk memory, offering products that contain up to 40 Gbytes of memory storage. While HDDs are still necessary for bigger digital-audio storage applications, they are at a disadvantage for portable devices. Hard disk drives are large and heavy, they generate noise and heat, and their high power consumption rapidly drains battery life.
In addition, flash memory's storage capacity triumphs over HDDs because the availability of interchangeable memory cards provides digital-audio users with infinite storage options. In addition, the total system cost of a portable flash-based system is at cost parity with portable systems based on hard disk drives.
NAND flash also features a "refresh interface," which provides faster write/erase speeds than hard-disk drives. This option is very appealing to MP3 users, who demand maximum speed and performance to quickly build and erase playlists.
With its small form factor, solid-state design, and easy integration into a variety of handheld electronic devices, flash is the storage medium of choice for digital audio. As digital-audio players continue along their evolutionary path to become multifunctional, smaller, and lighter, flash memory will continue to gain momentum in the digital convergence era.
