When Apple released the MacBook Air this year, I was disappointed at the size and the price of the solid-state drive (SSD) in the high-end version.

However, Samsung has just released details for a full 256GB, which it says is “the world’s fastest and largest capacity 2.5-inch, MLC-based SSD with SATA II Interface.” Sequential read speed of 200 MBps and sequential write speeds 160 MBps, put it in the same speed range of more nimble single-level cell SSDs. This drive will use Multi Level Cell (MLC) storage, is typically slower than a Single Level Cell drive but stacks multiple bits of data per cell to reduce the overall cost of the disk.  Samsung is currently work on a 1.8 inch version of the disk as well.

Available in Sept. with mass production starting by end of the year, which means the price will drop.  Does this make it worth the price to pick up a MacBook Air.  No, but it will help in bringing the price to something more widely accepted in the future, and will most certainly help increase capacity on iPhones, and drop their prices.