We had the chance to briefly talk to Asus tonight, prior to CES' full opening in the morning. One thing we learned from Asus is that the company is preparing to launch what it claims is the world's first 512 GB SSD ultra-portable.
The new laptop is dubbed the S121 and is an Atom based ultra-portable. The killer feature though, is clearly the capacity of its 512 GB SSD, which is significantly more than most mainstream SSD drives. Currently, laptops that have SSD options at the time of purchase, range from 60 GB to 128 GB--but 128 GB options are extremely expensive. However, avid users are able to find more affordable options online to upgrade their laptops after the fact.
Asus refused to reveal the manufacturer of the 512 GB SSD that's in the S121, but from what we know, Toshiba is currently the only company that has announced a 512 GB 2.5 inch SSD--which it too claimed, is a world's first.
Although we were excited, we had to ask Asus the price point of the S121. According to Asus, the new unit will be priced at $1649.
With a sweet price point, and monstrous SSD to boot, Asus is helping to push SSD drives mainstream. The key segment for SSDs to penetrate well is the mobility market. With unmatched durability and speed, laptops will embrace SSDs much more quickly than on the desktop. Hybrid SSD and HDD setups will be the mainstay for desktops for several years to come.
