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We first learned about Crucial prepping SSD’s in both a 32GB and 64GB size back in early January, but at the time we were yet to learn about any pricing or a time frame for an actual release. Well it turns out the drives are now shipping and although they would make a nice upgrade for alot of notebooks on the market, their price is going to be a barrier for many folks.

The 32GB model is retailing for $800, while the 64GB is a whopping $1,500. Its a shame because the drives are the notebook-sized 2.5-inch, which means, assuming you were comfortable enough to open up your notebook, would make a perfect replacement or upgrade drive.

While the whole SSD craze is relatively new, its fair to say that with time, just like any other new technology the price will quickly fall to a more reasonable level. One thing is for sure though, given the price of the drives from Crucial, the $1,000 MacBook Air upgrade option seems cheap, or at least fairly priced.

Via [Wired]

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Crucial is expected to begin offering a 32GB and 64GB solid state drive as early as the first quarter of 2008. Lexar Media has just announced the two drives, they will be 2.5-inch drives and sold as replacement drives for notebooks.

While the solid state drives are a great option, they are a lot more durable as compared to a regular drive which means you can expect better overall performance and increased battery life when in a notebook. The main downfall as of now, is that storage is currently limited and these many not be the best option for some.

In addition to the drives, Lexar also plans to release an external 2.5-inch enclosure kit that will offer USB 2.0. Which could turn those drives into a nice and durable portable drive. No word yet on expected pricing.

Via [Macworld]

• More storage for the Eee PC
• UMID shows off their latest “dictionary-sized” Mobile Internet Device
• DataTraveler 100 4GB Flash Drive on sale at Newegg for $7.99