Intel To Stock SSDs In Best Buy Retail Locations
Intel's in the SSD market. Did you know that? Unless you're a hardcore tech enthusiast, there's a chance that you may not. Most people associate Intel with microprocessors and little else, even though the company is busy at work in a number of alternate markets. Like the solid state market.
Intel has been producing SSD drives for awhile now, with the drives receiving general approval across the web. But as we said, actually finding an Intel-branded SSD has been a chore. They aren't just laying around like the hard drives in Walmart, Best Buy and other retail outlets. For most, they're a well kept secret. But now, Intel's changing things, and they're opening themselves up to the world by setting up a new sales partnership with Best Buy.
Starting today, consumers will be able to find Intel SSDs in 800 Best Buy locations nationwide and on Best Buy's website. It may not sound like a big deal to the average Tech Head, but it's rather significant in the grand scheme of things. This pushes the SSD in front of the general public in a big way, and it could definitely have an impact on adoption and future lowered pricing. Intel's SSDs will range from $129.99 to $229.99, with the X25-M being the star of the show. Is this the big retail break SSDs have needed? Let's all hope so.
Intel has been producing SSD drives for awhile now, with the drives receiving general approval across the web. But as we said, actually finding an Intel-branded SSD has been a chore. They aren't just laying around like the hard drives in Walmart, Best Buy and other retail outlets. For most, they're a well kept secret. But now, Intel's changing things, and they're opening themselves up to the world by setting up a new sales partnership with Best Buy.
Starting today, consumers will be able to find Intel SSDs in 800 Best Buy locations nationwide and on Best Buy's website. It may not sound like a big deal to the average Tech Head, but it's rather significant in the grand scheme of things. This pushes the SSD in front of the general public in a big way, and it could definitely have an impact on adoption and future lowered pricing. Intel's SSDs will range from $129.99 to $229.99, with the X25-M being the star of the show. Is this the big retail break SSDs have needed? Let's all hope so.
Super-Charge Your Notebook or Desktop PC: Intel® Solid-State Drives Now Available at Best Buy*
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
* Intel® Solid-State Drives to be sold in 800 Best Buy* stores nationwide.
* Move by tech retail giant will make SSDs more mainstream.
* Users can purchase an Intel® SSD and upgrade their new or existing notebook or desktop PC for a noticeably faster computer.
* SSD pricing will vary by capacity, ranging from $129.99 to $229.99
SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 22, 2010 – Intel Corporation announced today that its award-winning Intel® Solid-State Drives (SSDs) are now available in 800 Best Buy* stores across the country and on BestBuy.com.
SSDs can replace or complement a traditional hard drive in a notebook or desktop PC and deliver noticeably faster computer performance when booting up, opening files and running software applications. With no moving parts, these SSDs deliver greater reliability and consume less power than conventional hard disk drives (HDDs). During the past decade, HDD speed has only improved 1.3 times, while Intel's processor speeds have improved more than 200 times1. This has caused a system bottleneck that SSDs can help solve. HDDs use a mechanical arm and spinning platter, which can sometimes result in a hard disk crash. An SSD uses flash memory chips and is 100 percent solid state with no moving parts. This makes an SSD extremely rugged, reliable and energy efficient. The biggest benefit is in performance, where an Intel SSD delivers up to 56 percent improvement* in system responsiveness for gamers, multimedia enthusiasts or anyone desiring to get more performance out of their new or existing notebook or desktop computer1.
"We think solid-state drives will become increasingly popular as people realize how much faster they can boot up and run their favorite software or work-intensive applications," said Jason Bonfig, vice president of Computing at Best Buy. "Our customers are looking for the latest and greatest in technology and entertainment experiences. Now they can purchase an Intel SSD and add it to a new or existing computer for a makeover that will improve their computing or gaming experience."
The Intel® X25-M Mainstream SSD has 80 gigabytes (GB) of storage space, which can store applications and data or hold approximately 20,000 songs or 70,000 photos. The Intel X25-M can serve as a replacement for a hard drive in a notebook or desktop and has a Best Buy price of $229.99. The 40GB Intel® X25-V Value SSD is priced at $129.99. It is most effectively used as a "boot drive" in a desktop PC where the current hard disk drive is used for storing data, while the value SSD gives a boost to system performance by storing the operating system and gaming, or other important applications, for much faster access and boot up.
"When you upgrade to an Intel Solid-State Drive, you see a dramatic improvement in your computing experience," said Pete Hazen, director of marketing for Intel NAND Solutions Group. "We've already shipped more than a million SSDs and consumers are realizing that SSDs aren't just an alternate means of storage, but a performance enhancement that brings a new level of responsiveness to their computer. With Best Buy selling Intel SSDs, we hope more people will begin to experience the dramatic effect of solid-state drive computing."
