Microsoft To Reportedly Require SSDs For New PCs' Boot Drives Soon

[plat]

Content source

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/06/analyst-claims-microsoft-is-pushing-to-require-ssds-in-new-windows-pcs/

Trendfocus analyst John Chen claims that Microsoft initially tried to make the change in 2022, but that resistance from manufacturers meant "it has been pushed out to sometime next year." Microsoft and the PC manufacturers are still negotiating the timeline and possible exceptions, "but things are still in flux."

A cursory check of Dell's and HP's websites plus new desktop listings on Newegg suggests that an SSD requirement would primarily hit two market segments for US PC buyers. One is the very bottom-end of the consumer desktop market, where a handful of Inspiron and Pavilion systems still ship without SSDs. The other is the business desktop market, where Optiplex, Vostro, and ProDesk systems include HDDs in base models. As Chen notes, the requirement could also hit harder in more price-sensitive "developing markets" outside the US.

Alternate source Tom's Hardware

 

[bellgamin]

Thank goodness for Linux.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

Thank goodness for Linux.

Tried linux once, it was a terrible experience. Maybe I didn't give it enough time but after about 30 minutes I couldn't uninstall it fast enough.

 

[bellgamin]

I had a similar experience with Windows ME. BTW, DC, which Linux distro did you try?

 

[Sorrento]

Can't understand why anyone would use a rust spinner as a boot drive anymore, I'm unusually with MS on this one

 

[rain2reign]

The problem is usually the enterprise side. They have these huge ass racks and massive amounts of them, and they compartmentalize them in hundreds of "machines" to be used by their employees remotely. Even though the gap is getting closer, conventional HDD's are still cheaper and more bang-for-you-buck than SSD's are in terms of Gigabyte per Dollar/Euro(/etc...). Making them easier and more cost-effective to replace en masse.

Not to mention the niche target audience that prefers storage space over speed. That group could not care less about speed and has all the patience in the world, especially so on a budget. For example, I can get a 1TB 2.5" SSD (SATA) for around €80 euros all-in with VAT (21%) and delivery costs, however, for the same price I could also get a 4-6 TB HDD. Makes a big difference for those on a low budget.

 

[SeriousHoax]

It's somewhat of a clickbaity title which many people will just read without reading the article and go crazy.

Microsoft plans to make PC makers ship solid-state boot drives in all Windows PCs starting in 2023 or 2024.

Microsoft is not forcing users to upgrade, it's forcing PC makers to ship their PCs with SSD. So it's obviously a good thing.

 

[rain2reign]

Very true, I read it elsewhere on other news outlets too. Doesn't change my opinion, though, because in practice this will raise the average price of low-end and (tight-)budget audience. SSD's may become cheaper, however, manufacturers will just account for that loss in the price. Like my previous example, 80 Euros for two products in the same sector, making the budget comparable SSD nearly 4x more expensive in that perspective.

Manufacturers have tried to pull this trick off in that budget segment a couple of years ago. And made quite a bit of financial losses for not taking into account the price per gigabyte and manufacturing cost difference in the price.

 

[SpiderWeb]

So I guess Microsoft has realized that anyone who wants stability and no HDD data corruption is already using linux and not Windows. There has never been a greater enemy to HDDs than Windows itself, blaming the storage technology instead of their clunky, slow, unsecured, Frankenstein monster of an operating system built on a kernel designed in 1994. I had Linux OSs boot on HDD in 8 sec and go into hibernation within a short period of time. The problem has always been Windows and having everyone switch to freaking NVMe won't change the fact that you can't just use a faster storage technology to gloss over the fact that Windows is extremely inefficient compared to the other operation systems out there including previous Windows versions.

 

[Brahman]

So I guess Microsoft has realized that anyone who wants stability and no HDD data corruption is already using linux and not Windows. There has never been a greater enemy to HDDs than Windows itself, blaming the storage technology instead of their clunky, slow, unsecured, Frankenstein monster of an operating system built on a kernel designed in 1994. I had Linux OSs boot on HDD in 8 sec and go into hibernation within a short period of time. The problem has always been Windows and having everyone switch to freaking NVMe won't change the fact that you can't just use a faster storage technology to gloss over the fact that Windows is extremely inefficient compared to the other operation systems out there including previous Windows versions.

windows still is slow to boot than any other linux distro, so many junk and clutter loads on boot with windows.

 

[Wontkins]

I hate Microsoft for a lot of reasons but I don't know if I could master a Linux OS, as I'm a novice at best and besides that I'm old.

 

[EascapenMatrix]

windows still is slow to boot than any other linux distro, so many junk and clutter loads on boot with windows.

For me , It is just opposite , whenever I try to boot my fedora and mint . I found it boots slow than windows installed on the same device as dual setup . Also , I always faced that my system crashes and I had to reboot it , while using any other distro other than fedora . Debain distros(the worst , in this regards) , it still shows linux lack good driver support till now .

 

[Brahman]

I hate Microsoft for a lot of reasons but I don't know if I could master a Linux OS, as I'm a novice at best and besides that I'm old.

If you can install a windows os by yourself, you can. It's that easy. There are a lot of explanatory YouTube videos out there that can guide you on Linux.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

I had a similar experience with Windows ME. BTW, DC, which Linux distro did you try?

Sorry, don't remember, it was a few years ago.

 

[monkeylove]

I remember trying Ubuntu several years ago. It asked for an update, and I did so. After that, it stopped displaying. I found the solution using Google, but in the third or fourth page of results, and it a set of instructions given in a forum that I had to follow.

 

[L0ckJaw]

Finally get rid of the old HDD. I encourage this decision !

 

[rain2reign]

I remember trying Ubuntu several years ago. It asked for an update, and I did so. After that, it stopped displaying. I found the solution using Google, but in the third or fourth page of results, and it a set of instructions given in a forum that I had to follow.

I know it's a bit off-topic...
My experience has not been stellar either, maybe I was just unlucky. I tried Linux for the first time a very long time ago, when you had nearly a dozen ways to install a browser... It was very archaic. However, what kept me away from there was not the software/game(s) compatibility, not the various communities, but documentation. Even the most beginner-friendly documentation, which stated to be written for new-linux users, were still written with knowing a basic amount of Linux knowledge already in mind (which I wanted to learn... I mean that's why I tried to read it right?).


Not to mention that no matter which community I looked for help, they were nothing but discriminating or brutally vocal. I mean i can still ignore people, that wasn't an issue for me. But I wanted to know and understand what I'm doing and not just copy-paste said line and fixed. That didn't sit well at the time and went back to Windows. I have been playing around in a VM (VirtualBox) for a few weeks now, though. Hoping it's different now.