New Z to offer ultra-fast "Quad SSD" in RAID 0 configuration, backlit keyboard...

http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/sony-vaio-z-to-offer-ultra-fast-quad-ssd-in-raid-0-configurati/

My question is "why" do we need such a fast SSD configuration. I guess things are fast enough for me now (I have Dual RAID 0 SSDs) but hey, more speed is nice. I wonder what they will charge for this?

As for the back-lit keys... nice, it it works well. I have seen some "fails" at making this work well and look nice.

 

I think the Z series will definitely be redesigned to accommodate all of the recent changes we've heard.

 

Definitely an overall but I would guess retaining the basic look and feel which is great already.

 

The Z is pushing the envelop when it comes to having MAX performance that is similar to desktop replacement units, while retaining the ultra-portableness and lightness of a 13" form factor.

Seems like I found my next laptop, even though it is going to put a deep dent in my wallet !

 

Let me guess. It's going to cost you $5000 to get Z with that kind of configuration.

 

battery life must suck

 

If the Z actually has a backlit keyboard... that would be the cherry on the top that secures my decision to get one, since I use the notebook in the dark a lot (and yes I can touch type just fine, and actual typing in the dark is okay, but it's near impossible to quickly find certain "specific" keys when you want them such as F-Keys, or screen brightness, or mute...)

I'd still likely get it without that, but that would just be too much to turn down.

Now SSDs? I'd be happy to afford a single regular SSD on the Z, never mind a quad that's probably going to cost 4X more than it should.

 

It's not like Sony is redefining the physical limits of what's possible by approaching and exceeding the limits, so they're not really pushing the envelope.

As for quad RAID0 SSD, that's just producing a DSW laptop. If they really wanted usefulness, RAID 10 would have been a more logical choice. You still get up to 4x read speed, but won't be left with an unusable hunk of machinery if any drive fails. And fail, they will. By doubling the number of drives, you quadruple the risk of any one of them failing by a certain time. By quadrupling the drives, the risk is thus 16 times larger.

 

Chances of SSD failure are almost close to 0. multiply 0 with any number and you still get a zero

 

Well, we just need to have someone crazy and rich enough to put 4 SLC SSD in this quad RAID configuration to see how fast and how reliable this thing really can be. On the other hand, Sony really should give the user more choice in terms of what RAID they want to use.

 

Um, no. The current crop of SSDs have a MTBF which is only about 6 times as high as consumer mechanical platter HDDs, and barely higher than server class HDDs. Really.
Given that the rate of stability decreases with the square of the number of drives, a quad striped SSD solution will be less reliable than a single consumer HDD.