eMMC storage

[mgmueller]

Sorry, hardware related, not re. reading.
But maybe someone can explain to me:
Most bargain Windows 8 tablets (Asus VivoTab Smart, Dell Latitude 10, ...) seem to have eMMC storage.
So far my understanding was, eMMC and SSD are different types of storage.
Now Dell explained to me, their Latitude 10 would have eMMC SSD storage...
So, does this mean "SSD" only is the general term? As opposed to HD? And eMMC is a "subtype" of SSD?

And: Is eMMC "cheap" and outdated?
If so: Does this even make sense? What's the savings with eMMC for 64GB? 20 Euro?

And what would be the faster/more expensive alternative to eMMC?
What's the storage type "quality tablets" are using?

[Yolina]

Think of eMMC as a type of memory card rather than a hard drive in the traditional sense - they don't have loads of storage space. The integrated memory in things like smartphones is an eMMC chip.

[mgmueller]

Originally Posted by Yolina

Think of eMMC as a type of memory card rather than a hard drive in the traditional sense - they don't have loads of storage space. The integrated memory in things like smartphones is an eMMC chip.

Thanks.
But what does this mean performance-wise?
Is eMMC slower than SSD? If so: Recognizably slower?

[mgmueller]

In http://forum.tabletpcreview.com/dell...-11-print.html I just found:
a.) "Clover Trail does not support SSD"
and
b.) "It's an eMMC SSD, not a SATA SSD".

If a.) is true (is it?), all Atom tablets would have eMMC? Is the term "SSD" still correct then? Or is it misleading or even wrong?

What does b.) mean? SATA is the interface, right? So it's not about storage type, but about interface = controller? So, does this mean the speed of the memory theoretically would be the same but the type of controller is some bottleneck?

[Yolina]

IIRC with eMMC the controller is integrated in the chip. it's small and light which is why it's used in a lot of toys

[twobits]

Originally Posted by mgmueller

So far my understanding was, eMMC and SSD are different types of storage.
Now Dell explained to me, their Latitude 10 would have eMMC SSD storage...
So, does this mean "SSD" only is the general term? As opposed to HD? And eMMC is a "subtype" of SSD?

And: Is eMMC "cheap" and outdated?
If so: Does this even make sense? What's the savings with eMMC for 64GB? 20 Euro?

And what would be the faster/more expensive alternative to eMMC?
What's the storage type "quality tablets" are using?

eMMC stands for EmbeddedMultiMediaCard. A given one can be cheap and outdated, but the term/concept itself tells you nothing of the cost and performance levels of the chip used. What you are asking would be the same as asking if RAM was outdated for example.


SSD is Solid State Drive, and uses Block I/O tech to let it be used in place of a disk drive in a system. Typically it also would share the interface to be able to plug in right in place of a drive. SSD also tells you nothinng of the underlying specs of the product. Just that it uses solid state memory.

I think Dell has told you something that is a bit wrong. They seem to be assuming they can call a eMMC hardware solution an SSD one because they likely have implemented it to look like a drive at the system software level.
Though it could also mean that they have an SSD in it that is build using eMMC.