Micron Technology has announced a new solid-state drive (SSD) that broadens Micron’s client product portfolio to serve the ultrabook category (and perhaps MacBook Airs?).  It’s based on the architecture of Micron’s RealSSD C400 drives.
 
The C400 mSATA drive is designed to work in ultrathin, high-performance SSD-based systems and can also act as a cache drive in dual-drive systems. SSD-caching systems have both a hard-disk drive and a low-capacity SSD. These systems use software to automatically identify the most frequently used files and programs and then access those files from the SSD, providing greater performance than a hard-disk drive, but at a lower price point than a stand-alone SSD.
 
The mSATA form factor is an emerging standard that allows ultrathin notebook manufacturers to integrate a high-capacity SSD in a space that’s about one-third of the size of a standard business card (3cm x 5cm).
 
The RealSSD C400 mSATA SSD ships in capacities ranging from 32GB to 256GB with a SATA 6 gigabits per second (Gb/s) interface. The drive is currently in production and is available through Micron’s distribution network. A Crucial-branded version will be available to consumers this calendar quarter through select global channel partners and at http://www.crucial.com .