A recent update from data storage industry analyst firm Trendfocus reports that OEMs have revealed that Microsoft is pressuring them to abandon conventional hard drives as their primary device storage and use SSD. The deadline for the change is set for 2023.
Interestingly, these actions by Microsoft come without any prior SSD requirement for it installation of Windows 11.
Η latest list of Microsoft hardware requirements wants a "64 GB or larger storage device" for Windows 11, without mentioning SSD as a minimum requirement for a standard installation.
However, Microsoft states that two functions, DirectStorage and Windows Subsystem for Android, they do require an SSD, but you do not need to use these features. It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post.
This move will force OEMs to adopt SSDs instead of HDDs at boot volumes, which makes a lot of sense in terms of better performance. Many laptops and desktops already come with an SSD for the boot drive, and some use a secondary HDD to store large files. However, some cheaper models, especially in emerging / emerging markets, still use HDDs even at boot.
As always, the problem with switching all systems to SSD comes at a cost:
Trendfocus Vice President John Chen says replacing a 1 TB hard drive requires switching to a low-cost 256 GB SSD, which OEMs do not consider to be sufficient capacity for most users. On the contrary, using a 512 GB SSD would make the machines much more expensive.
OEMs, of course, are trying to save time and are asking Microsoft to give room to emerging markets by 2024. But nothing is certain at this time.
Source: Tom's Hardware
