All in one PCs are proving popular with several brands moving to take on Apple in the 27″ market. Now manufacturers are set to cut power output with the introduction of new drives despite experts claiming it will cut access speeds.
Manufacturers are set to achieve lower power consumption following the introduction of a chic 2.5″ storage alternative to to the 3.5-inch hard disk drive.
Worldwide shipments of 2.5-inch HDDs to all-in-one PCs are expected to reach a million units in 2013, up from virtually zero this year, according to an IHS iSuppli Storage Space Market Brief.
Shipments then will increase to three million units the following year and rise steadily until they hit some seven million units in 2016. The HDD market for all-in-one PCs will continue to be dominated by 3.5-inch disks, with shipments by 2016 estimated at 31 million units, but growth will be much slower for the segment during the same period than for 2.5-inch drives.
Two disadvantages of the 2.5-inch HDD are speed and price. Most 2.5-inch drives typically run at 5,400 revolutions per minute (rpm), compared to 7,200-rpm for the 3.5-inch. The 2.5-inch also sells at slightly higher prices than the 3.5-inch as a whole, although the gap in price can be narrowed if 2.5-inch volumes become significant.
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