In a report, IC Insights said it ''believes that flash capital spending, though nearly doubling in 2010, will still be well below what is necessary to keep pace with global demand. With unit demand increasing and a minimal amount of new facilities and upgrades planned, conditions are setting up for average selling prices to move higher for the next several years. This market trend could be a burden to OEMs, but a blessing to flash suppliers who have seen only steep price declines the past several years.'
That is the most important paragraph in the piece. Micron in particular is, historically, good--very good--at releasing PR well ahead of real accomplishments and production.
For example,
Last August, IMFT announced a new three-bit-per-cell, NAND flash memory technology using its 34nm lithography process. the advancement represented an 11% reduction in NAND flash size. however, because of reliability issues, IMFT chose to discontinue production of a three-bit MLC NAND flash product, Kilbuck said.
techhotspot.co.cc
Either Sandisk is blowing smoke when they say that their own x3 and x4 flash is equivalent to 2-bit in the apps they are using it in, or IMFT still has some technical issues to work out.
We'll have to wait and see exactly when IMFT actually rolls out 2x. |
