Toshiba notebook unveils 128GB solid state laptops

Toshiba upped the Dynabook SS RX's capacity with a 128GB SSD.

Credit: Toshiba

Toshiba has announced a model of its Dynabook SS RX notebook including a 128GB solid-state drive (SSD), making it twice the size of the SSD offered on latest notebooks from its competitors: the MacBook Air and the Lenovo X300.

Currently, the laptop is only available in Japan, with 128GB SSD being an option, while the standard is an 80GB SSD. Other specs include a 1.2-gigahertz Core 2 Duo U7600 processor and 2GB of RAM. Toshiba promises a battery life of just over six hours.

Longer battery life is one of the principal benefits of using solid-state drives, as well as faster boot times and reduced weight allowing notebook makers to thin down their laptops. In addition, the lack of moving parts makes an SSDs more rugged.

However SSDs are considerably more expensive than conventional hard drives. They can double the price of a notebook, and have the potential to wear out quicker than conventional drives.

Despite this, all the top hard drive makers are gearing up to produce larger volumes of SSDs. A Samsung spokesperson said the company -- currently ranked fourth in total hard drives shipped worldwide -- expects the market share of SSDs to increase from one percent to 27 percent over the next three years.