6 ms·

It both shock and disgusts me how few laptops sold have SSDs in them. Even today only the very top end and very bottom end ships with SSDs (Netbooks, and Macboo

It both shock and disgusts me how few laptops sold have SSDs in them. Even today only the very top end and very bottom end ships with SSDs (Netbooks, and Macbook Pros respectively). Everything in the middle is purely HDD even with SSDs offered widely for the same amount of money if you're willing to lose storage (e.g. 256 GB SSD == 1 TB HDDs). Come on Asus, Dell, and similar. Start offering SSDs across your entire range. I should get the choice of either a smaller/faster SSD or larger/slower HDD. It isn't a premium feature and hasn't been for a long time.

kmfrk 14y ago
The next generation of consoles - at least the PS4 - presumably come with a mechanical harddrive. That honestly surprised and disappointed me a bit, but I'll wait a few years, until I take the plunge anyway. At that point, they hopefully come with SSDs by default.
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  Which is odd as you can install an SSD in the PS3 just fine and while it only offers a minor speed improvement (slow SATA connection) it still works.
Osmium 14y ago
All Apple notebooks have SSDs now, not just the Pros, and they start at $999 -- not cheap, but not just the "very top end" either...
corresation 14y ago
It actually disgusts you? I think you might want to spend your emotions more cautiously. I don't quite understand the argument you're really making (a less polite way is to say that you sound unreasonably entitled). "Asus, Dell, and similar" aren't making SSDs. They're buying them. And yes, it is and remains a premium feature.
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  Entitled? I want to give them money and get a product in return. But the market isn't supplying the product I want. I can buy it through other supply channels but this small handful of companies are intentionally sitting in innovative new technology so they can sell you it at a massive markup in a limited range of their "premium" products. For example, just look at the Chromebook. Clearly it is possible to supply at a reasonable price, but yet a MORE expensive, Dell, Asus, or similar wont.
  - d23 14y ago
    Why do you think that is? Could the implementation maybe, possibly... be harder than you think?
    - TheLegace 14y ago
      Well it's really not that hard. I mean there are engineers building Mars rovers operating millions of miles away. We can't figure out a durable, light, performance and cost effective laptop yet. But as oppose to complaining, I have plans to make the laptop of my dreams(my start-up project 2 months from now).
      - alexsb92 14y ago
        How would the laptop of your dreams be like? In a year or so it will be time to start thinking about getting a new one.
        TheLegace 14y ago
        I actually have thought of a strategy for that as well ;). The other thing, maybe it might be time to slow down this planned obsolescence garbage and replace it with a more sustainable model. It's one of the reasons I hope to expect the laptop take off.
    - UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
      Externally HDDs and SSDs are identical. Not sure what "implementation" you're referring to. They'd just order SSDs from the exact same manufacturers that they're buying HDDs from. They put them in the same holes and attach them to the same connectors and Windows detects them just the same.
jlarocco 14y ago
I haven't looked at Asus or Dell, but I've been shopping around for a laptop lately, and almost every one I've looked at has had the option to have SSD or a regular hard drive. Few ship with them by default, but from what I've seen it's a really common option.
malandrew 14y ago
Until less educated consumers value SSDs over an e-peen number like raw hard disk capacity, this is not going to change. If you don't know the virtues of SSDs, you'd choose the laptop with more space for your personal photos, videos and music.
- smackfu 14y ago
  A lot of those consumers are buying $400 or $500 laptops. An SSD would probably add $100 directly to the bottom line, unfortunately.
- mhurron 14y ago
  Since people like storing stuff, capacity is often more important than boot speed. I prefer capacity.
  - UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
    SSDs offer a massively improved computing experience. Boot speed is only a tiny part of that. It is very hard to quantify exactly why SSDs are so good. You just have to use one for a while and only then try going back to a HDD based system, you'll notice immediately and it will drive you up the wall. It is just 5ms here, 5ms there, you tab between this and that, and there is lag, you click this and there is lag, etc. With SSDs it is fluid and smooth. It is like comparing an iPhone to an Android 2.xx device. You could just feel that it wasn't as fluid and smooth and it bugged you. PS - Yes, Android 4.0 is as fluid and smooth as iPhones. It was just the first example I could think of.
    - mhurron 14y ago
      >You just have to use one for a while and only then try going back to a HDD based system, you'll notice immediately and it will drive you up the wall. I use one every day, work provided laptop has a SSD. It's not that big of a difference. The capacity/price on the other hand is a big difference.
  - Cacti 14y ago
    It's speed in general, not just boot speed.
taude 14y ago
But you're on Hacker News, surely you're only a couple clicks away from throwing your own SSD into your new laptop? That's what I did when I bought a band new non-retina MB Pro a few months ago.
malkia 14y ago
My wife stores a lot of pictures on the HDD. Not a heavy I/O user, but storage one. As such it made sense to buy her a macbook with 1TB of HDD, instead of 256GB for the same money (actually I think it was more expensive).
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  Should have had her buy a cheap 1 TB external caddy at Amazon for $50. Makes much more sense than ruining a perfectly good laptop (and paying for the privilege).
  - mhurron 14y ago
    This is hilarious. "Just buy this other thing and other thing that needs more power and you have to plug in externally and add a a pound or two to your laptop bag instead of getting the internal part that does exactly what you need because I think you 'ruined' your purchase." I just replaced the HDD in my MacBook with ANOTHER HDD. Did I just ruin your day?
    - UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
      She doesn't need to carry all of her pictures around 24/7. Plus two pounds is a very unrealistic estimate, closer to 0.5 pounds. Your laptop is ruined because essentially you've chosen to replace one of the largest performance improvements since I've been using computers with more capacity which is light, cheap, and easily obtainable externally. It is like intentionally replacing your laptop with one from five years ago just because that offered more capacity, it is crazy...
    - DanBC 14y ago
      You need an external[1] as well as the internal; so you may as well get a cheap huge external (where capacity is important) and a fast internal (where speed is noticeable).
      - mhurron 14y ago

kmfrk 14y ago

The next generation of consoles - at least the PS4 - presumably come with a mechanical harddrive. That honestly surprised and disappointed me a bit, but I'll wait a few years, until I take the plunge anyway. At that point, they hopefully come with SSDs by default.

UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
Which is odd as you can install an SSD in the PS3 just fine and while it only offers a minor speed improvement (slow SATA connection) it still works.

Osmium 14y ago

All Apple notebooks have SSDs now, not just the Pros, and they start at $999 -- not cheap, but not just the "very top end" either...

corresation 14y ago

It actually disgusts you? I think you might want to spend your emotions more cautiously. I don't quite understand the argument you're really making (a less polite way is to say that you sound unreasonably entitled). "Asus, Dell, and similar" aren't making SSDs. They're buying them. And yes, it is and remains a premium feature.

UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
Entitled? I want to give them money and get a product in return. But the market isn't supplying the product I want. I can buy it through other supply channels but this small handful of companies are intentionally sitting in innovative new technology so they can sell you it at a massive markup in a limited range of their "premium" products. For example, just look at the Chromebook. Clearly it is possible to supply at a reasonable price, but yet a MORE expensive, Dell, Asus, or similar wont.
- d23 14y ago
  Why do you think that is? Could the implementation maybe, possibly... be harder than you think?
  - TheLegace 14y ago
    Well it's really not that hard. I mean there are engineers building Mars rovers operating millions of miles away. We can't figure out a durable, light, performance and cost effective laptop yet. But as oppose to complaining, I have plans to make the laptop of my dreams(my start-up project 2 months from now).
    - alexsb92 14y ago
      How would the laptop of your dreams be like? In a year or so it will be time to start thinking about getting a new one.
      - TheLegace 14y ago
        I actually have thought of a strategy for that as well ;). The other thing, maybe it might be time to slow down this planned obsolescence garbage and replace it with a more sustainable model. It's one of the reasons I hope to expect the laptop take off.
  - UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
    Externally HDDs and SSDs are identical. Not sure what "implementation" you're referring to. They'd just order SSDs from the exact same manufacturers that they're buying HDDs from. They put them in the same holes and attach them to the same connectors and Windows detects them just the same.

jlarocco 14y ago

I haven't looked at Asus or Dell, but I've been shopping around for a laptop lately, and almost every one I've looked at has had the option to have SSD or a regular hard drive. Few ship with them by default, but from what I've seen it's a really common option.

malandrew 14y ago

Until less educated consumers value SSDs over an e-peen number like raw hard disk capacity, this is not going to change. If you don't know the virtues of SSDs, you'd choose the laptop with more space for your personal photos, videos and music.

smackfu 14y ago
A lot of those consumers are buying $400 or $500 laptops. An SSD would probably add $100 directly to the bottom line, unfortunately.
mhurron 14y ago
Since people like storing stuff, capacity is often more important than boot speed. I prefer capacity.
- UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
  SSDs offer a massively improved computing experience. Boot speed is only a tiny part of that. It is very hard to quantify exactly why SSDs are so good. You just have to use one for a while and only then try going back to a HDD based system, you'll notice immediately and it will drive you up the wall. It is just 5ms here, 5ms there, you tab between this and that, and there is lag, you click this and there is lag, etc. With SSDs it is fluid and smooth. It is like comparing an iPhone to an Android 2.xx device. You could just feel that it wasn't as fluid and smooth and it bugged you. PS - Yes, Android 4.0 is as fluid and smooth as iPhones. It was just the first example I could think of.
  - mhurron 14y ago
    >You just have to use one for a while and only then try going back to a HDD based system, you'll notice immediately and it will drive you up the wall. I use one every day, work provided laptop has a SSD. It's not that big of a difference. The capacity/price on the other hand is a big difference.
- Cacti 14y ago
  It's speed in general, not just boot speed.

taude 14y ago

But you're on Hacker News, surely you're only a couple clicks away from throwing your own SSD into your new laptop? That's what I did when I bought a band new non-retina MB Pro a few months ago.

malkia 14y ago

My wife stores a lot of pictures on the HDD. Not a heavy I/O user, but storage one. As such it made sense to buy her a macbook with 1TB of HDD, instead of 256GB for the same money (actually I think it was more expensive).

UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
Should have had her buy a cheap 1 TB external caddy at Amazon for $50. Makes much more sense than ruining a perfectly good laptop (and paying for the privilege).
- mhurron 14y ago
  This is hilarious. "Just buy this other thing and other thing that needs more power and you have to plug in externally and add a a pound or two to your laptop bag instead of getting the internal part that does exactly what you need because I think you 'ruined' your purchase." I just replaced the HDD in my MacBook with ANOTHER HDD. Did I just ruin your day?
  - UnoriginalGuy 14y ago
    She doesn't need to carry all of her pictures around 24/7. Plus two pounds is a very unrealistic estimate, closer to 0.5 pounds. Your laptop is ruined because essentially you've chosen to replace one of the largest performance improvements since I've been using computers with more capacity which is light, cheap, and easily obtainable externally. It is like intentionally replacing your laptop with one from five years ago just because that offered more capacity, it is crazy...
  - DanBC 14y ago
    You need an external[1] as well as the internal; so you may as well get a cheap huge external (where capacity is important) and a fast internal (where speed is noticeable).
    - mhurron 14y ago