SSDs have been around for quite some time. The first that I've found is Texas Memory. Not quite 1977, but not flash
either,although they've been doing so for a couple of years.
http://www.ramsan.com/company/history
---- Original message ----
>Date: Wed, 06 Apr 2011 20:56:16 -0600
>From: pgsql-performance-owner@postgresql.org (on behalf of David Boreham <david_list@boreham.org>)
>Subject: Re: [PERFORM] Intel SSDs that may not suck
>To: pgsql-performance@postgresql.org
>
>Had to say a quick thanks to Greg and the others who have posted
>detailed test results on SSDs here.
>For those of us watching for the inflection point where we can begin the
>transition from mechanical to solid state storage, this data and
>experience is invaluable. Thanks for sharing it.
>
>A short story while I'm posting : my Dad taught electronics engineering
>and would often visit the local factories with groups of students. I
>remember in particular after a visit to a disk drive manufacturer
>(Burroughs), in 1977 he came home telling me that he'd asked the plant
>manager what their plan was once solid state storage made their products
>obsolete. The manager looked at him like he was form another planet...
>
>So I've been waiting patiently 34 years for this hopefully
>soon-to-arrive moment ;)
>
>
>
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