The 32GB flash drive was recently sent to Toms Hardware for evaluation, and while the drive is not quite fast enough to handle server loads that a SCSI drive may handle, the technology is maturing.

In terms of reliability, solid state drives should be far superior, since there are no moving parts. SCSI and SATA drives are notorious for failing under heavy load after relatively short time periods, resulting in costly replacements and repairs under warranty for many file hosting and storage companies such as FileFactory. If solid state drives can reach the levels of performance that SCSI drives currently enjoy, we could see a massive shift towards the new technology. In the mean time, the drives will still continue to be used for specialist applications where the solid state medium is preferred.