November’s dramatic flooding in Thailand hit the hard disk market hard with all of the world’s major manufacturers warning that the widespread disruption to their manufacturing processes would invariably lead to a hike in prices as demand outstripped supply. But, just over two months later, memory specialists, Data Memory Systems have announced price cuts across their range of hard drives.

In the same week that Micron’s president announced that computer memory prices were at an all time low, computer users have been given a further boost by reductions across a number of premium brand internal and external hard drives.

As the second largest producer of hard drives in the world, the disruption to manufacturing in Thailand led to a 20-40% increase in device pricing – a raise which was passed on to suppliers and consumers around the world. The floods also caused a shortage of supply, which also pushed prices up.

Data Memory Systems have now taken the first steps to reducing this trend with significant price reductions across several hard drives, including the

1TB Samsung Spinpoint M8 SATA 3Gb/s 2.5" 5400rpm 8MB Buffer Internal Hard Drive (HN-M101MBB). With a 1TB formatted capacity and 8GB cache, the hard drive is fully compatible with Windows 7 and now priced at just $124.00.

Older IDE notebook hard drives are also falling, with the Western Digital Scorpio 80GB EIDE Hard Drive (8MBs Cache - 5400 RPM) just $95.00. Fast and efficient, WD Scorpio is one of the best hard drive upgrade options for notebook PCs. With built in WD ShockGuard to protect from bumps and an ultra quiet spin, it is suitable for a multitude of devices including notebooks, tablet PCs and GPS units.

To browse the whole range of Data Memory Systems hard drives and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

USB Flash Drives from Data Memory Systems

Data from the Consumer Expenditure Survey (CE) program at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that around 75% of American households own a computer. Add to this, the dependence on computers in the office environment, laptops for school and even dedicated laptops for meetings and travel and it’s easy to see why USB Flash Drives are now more popular than ever.

USB Flash Drives are based on NAND type flash memory, which was originally designed for the writing and erasing of data as an alternative to the magnetic disk. With the capacity to hold very large volumes of data within a convenient, pocket-sized capsule, the USB flash drive has seen popularity soar with students, businesspeople and across companies of all sizes and industries within recent years. Data Memory Systems, a premier supplier of Apple and PC memory solutions, have a huge range of USB flash drives and memory sticks to suit the needs of home and workplace, and all at fantastically low prices.

The Transcend 4GB USB Value Series is a functional, affordable and fashionable way to store and transport files. The capless design with a sliding USB connector is stylish and offers effortless extension of the USB connector, whilst the black and white checkerboard pattern on the exterior is chic, urban and classic. The tiny 7g device has 4GB capacity and there are also models available with 8GB and 16GB, for those who rely entirely on their USB device.

For a flash of colour along with effective portable storage, the USB Flash Drives by Transcend JetFlash 530 are perfect. Starting at just 2GB and going all the way up to a huge 64GB, the key drives are convenient and innovative, as well as being visually appealing. There is the potential to purchase drives of different sizes to colour code whatever is saved on there; for example, using the 32GB white and purple model to store larger music or video files, and the smaller 2GB orange and white model to store documents and notes. Drives need never be mixed up again with the attractive slider colours and the handy devices are compatible with all major models of computer due to their plug and play capabilities. Prices start at just $7.50 for the 2GB model.

More sensitive and confidential files are better stored on a Transcend 4GB JetFlash 200 Secure Series model, renowned for its strong 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption which secures all data and makes it impossible for nosy co-workers, hackers or potential identity thieves to get a glimpse of the files within. The USB flash drive comes with exclusive JetFlash SecureDrive Software included, which prompts password protection for extra security over those important files. As with many of Data Memory Systems’ products, the drive comes with a lifetime warranty and is available to purchase from just $12.70.

To find out more about USB Flash Drives, PC and Apple memory from Data Memory Systems and to buy online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

US Developers Pioneer Future Of Computer Memory

Developers in North Carolina are researching a new form of computer memory which could eventually lead to faster-starting, more user-friendly computers. The “unified” memory device is being developed at North Carolina State University, and involves taking the advantages from the two most common types of memory and attempting to combine them. The team believes it could form the foundation of a computer which starts immediately.

In their current state, computers rely on two forms of memory: volatile and non-volatile. An example of volatile memory is RAM memory, which stores data in a way that can be read and written quickly and easily but loses the data when the power is switched off. RAM is the area used to store programs which are running. Non-volatile technology is the opposite. It comes in forms such as the USB dongle and flash memory cards; these devices are able to store information for long periods of time without any power source, but they take a little longer to access as the data written to them is slightly more permanent than the data written to RAM memory. The pioneering memory device created by Dr Paul Franzon is attempting to combine the speed of RAM, whilst being able to switch to a more permanent and persistent method of storing data.

In technical terms, the device is known as a double floating-gate field effect transistor. Dr Franzon has found a way to store the data as a charge, with a special control gate to enable the data which has been stored there to be accessed much more quickly. The memory devices of today use a single gate, but adding another has meant that transfers can reach speeds of 15 nanoseconds – comparable to RAM speeds.

The device could form the basis of light-speed computers for decades to come but is still undergoing testing at the moment. Data Memory Systems, a foremost US supplier of PC and Apple memory solutions, have a huge selection of memory upgrades to keep computers at their fastest speeds whilst consumers wait for these rapid start-up times. From flash drives to external hard drives, from memory cards to USB drives, Data Memory Systems has everything any business or individual could want in regards to the state of their computer memory, and all at convenient, low prices.

To keep up to date with computer memory technology and to buy Apple and PC memory upgrades securely online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com

How do you know it’s time for an upgrade?

Upgrading a computer’s memory is the most cost-effective and simple way of giving it a performance boost. But how do you know when to upgrade? Computers with more RAM can work more efficiently as more information can be stored in the physical memory, where retrieval speeds are in the nanoseconds; they don’t need to delve into hard disk drive as often, where it can take milliseconds or even longer to access information. The most obvious and specific way to check up on a computer’s RAM memory is to view the performance settings of the computer, usually found in Windows’ Control Panel or Mac’s System Preferences. Of course, if the counter is hovering low, more RAM is needed to give the computer memory a boost.

Other tell-tale signs of a computer in need of a memory upgrade are if it takes much longer than usual to carry out simple processes, or if the computer or laptop runs much more slowly when more windows are open. Graphics may become slower or fragmented, especially if the user is accessing a game with complicated scenery or multiple characters. The hard disk drive may become audible as it works to carry out tasks it used to do within milliseconds. Once physical memory runs out, the computer will start to store memory in the hard drive and the strain of constantly accessing this information can cause computers to freeze or crash; if the computer is continuously loaded with data it can’t handle, it could one day fail to start up at all.

Data Memory Systems are one of the foremost US providers of both Apple and PC Memory and have a huge range of memory solutions to upgrade any PC or Mac. They supply a huge range of memory formats to both domestic and commercial customers, who are sure to find the type of memory which best suits their needs at prices which won’t bust the budget.

Basic DDR PC2100 Memory with 184 pins starts at just $11.00 for 128MB, with a lifetime guarantee from Data Memory Systems. All major brands are available, with Dell memory, HP memory and Compaq memory all extensively stocked online. Data Memory Systems also have a wide range of flash memory, printer memory and USB drives available to truly meet all customers’ memory needs.

To keep up to date with computer memory technology and to buy Apple and PC memory upgrades securely online, visit http://www.datamemorysystems.com