In addition to Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt, the next generation of MacBook Airs may also receive faster Flash storage, according to a new report from Japanese Mac blog Macotakara.
Citing someone within an “Asian electronics component company,” Apple is looking at a new NAND component that offers up to 400MBps transfer speeds for its next generation of MacBook Airs. Currently, the MacBook Air uses a Samsung-built SSD component, with read speeds of up to 261.1MBps and write speeds up to 209MBps.
These new SSD units are not only faster, but also smaller. This could allow Apple to offer even better battery life or a thinner chassis on the already thin Air.
The SSD allows the MacBook Air to feel far faster than their older Core2Duo processors would normally allow. The 1.8-inch iPod-class hard drives used in the old MacBook Airs are very slow in comparison with SSD-equipped machines.
Rumors have it that the new Airs are right around the corner and will be shipping with OS X Lion out of the box.
Via: AppleInsider
Source: Macotakara
