Intel's solid state drives, criticized for being more expensive than those from Toshiba and Samsung, are dropping in price.
The 160 GB version of Intel's X25-M line, intended for notebooks and clients, was cut from $945 to $765, while the 80 GB version dropped from $595 to $390. The X25-E line, aimed at enterprise and servers, dropped from $695 to $415 for the 32 GB version, but remains unchanged at $795 for the 64 GB model.
An Intel representative told ZDNet UK that the SSDs have moved to a "full production ramp," lowering the cost of making them. That savings, in turn, is passed along to customers.
Particularly with the 80 GB X25-M model, the price drops bring Intel closer to its competitors. However, this won't last once the other companies enter full production runs.
Consider, for example, that Toshiba's 64 GB solid state drive costs $220 in its sample production phase, but the company plans to mass produce all of its SSD models in the second quarter of this year. If Toshiba drops its prices in the 20 percent to 40 percent range after mass production, as Intel is doing, then the lower storage end of its SSD offerings could end up in the range of $150.
That price still doesn't hold a candle to HDD, but it could be enough to attract some new buyers.
