Abbreviated as HHDD, a hybrid hard disk drive is a large-buffer computer hard
drive that uses non-volatileflash memory (also known as NVRAM) to
cache data
during normal use. Hybrid hard drives uses 128MB (or more) of high speed flash
memory, which is embedded directly on the hard drive itself, to serve as a fast
cache for booting and saving data. When booting the PC, the
operating system
loads data from the flash memory first, speeding boot-up times and it also
removes the need to quickly spin up the drive, which saves on power consumption
as well. HHDs released by both Samsung and Seagate in 2007 are also called
ReadyDrive (the name used by Microsoft) and it is a Windows Vista only
technology. The first hybrid hard disk drives were 2.5-inch drives for
notebooks.
eWeek: Is Vista Heading for a Flash Nightmare? Now is the time for IT managers to get ready for trouble. The source will be found in Windows Vista's "Ready" twins: ReadyBoost and ReadyDrive, flash-memory-based technologies that aim to improve notebook performance and boot-up times.
Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" Section Use this Webopedia knowledge section for an in-depth overview of specific technologies and occurrences in the areas of Computer Science, The Internet, and Computer Hardware and Software.
Webopedia's Quick Reference: Microsoft Windows Vista For years, computer users heard of a mysterious new operating system from Microsoft, codenamed Longhorn. In 2005, Microsoft officially removed the Longhorn codename and announced the operating System under the official name of Windows Vista.
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