Would it be possible to install a second SDD HDD in the WWAN slot?

given that one can add bluetooth, ram and larger ssd to the linux variant, im glad i had not gotten a netbook yet. funky keyboard or not, i suspect ill order a dell mini at some point.

I can’t comment at all on the type of SSD, but it looks like folks at notebookreview.com (http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=4578) have benchmarked it and it runs about about as fast as the SSD in the ASUS 4G (about as half as fast as a 5400 rpm HDD):

“For those interested in the speed of the 8GB SSD, hdparm benchmarks the SSD buffered read speed at 26.91MB/sec. For comparison, the 4GB SSD in the ASUS Eee PC 4G performs at 21.78 MB/sec. Meanwhile, a Lenovo ThinkPad T60 with a fast 7200rpm Seagate hard drive has a buffered read speed of 54.62 MB/sec and a Toshiba Tecra A9 with standard 5400rpm hard drive has a buffered read speed of 44.87 MB/sec.”

wow… that’s completely crazy. So you’re saying that it isn’t a STEC controller next to the Flash media but an SST controller? You just confused the hell out of me

I’m 100% certain. Imagine the picture of the STEC I posted above. Instead of 2 flash modules and the controller with the STEC logo, the card in the Dell has 2 flash modules and a controller with the SST logo / product number.

Like I said, we’ll keep digging to sort it out.

here’s the spec on that controller: “The SST55VD020 high-performance ATA Flash Disk Controller offers sustained read and write performance up to 30 MByte/sec.”

That’s way off on the read speed, although STEC’s website shows its SSD for UMPC at a read speed of 55Mb/sec. Anyways, something doesn’t make sense here. Are you 100% that the SST controller is on the SSD model itself? Are you sure it’s not somewhere else on the motherboard?

I do have a picture that I was sent from LAPTOP Mag while researching this with them over e-mail today. I’m not going to publish it without their OK, as it’s their picture. Until I get permission, you’ll have to trust me. Believe me, I didn’t make up the 55VD020 part number.

I agree with you in that it’s confusing. We’ll keep digging for more info of course. Since their unit is pre-production perhaps there was a little cobbling of some components?!? If that’s even possible… your point is well taken: why mix and match, if that’s indeed the case.

do you have a picture with a close up of the drive showing the SST controller? I guess I’m really confused now… the whole point of sourcing a drive from STEC is to get the better read/write speeds from their controller. Why in the world would an SST controller be in the SSD?

The controller chip is marked 55VD020, which is SST’s ATA flash controller.

http://www.sst.com/products.xhtml/embedded_controllers/55/SST55VD020

also, I don’t see a PCI interface offering from STEC… there must be a SATA to PCI bridge somewhere in there

Are you sure you don’t mean a controller from STEC? How can the drive itself be branded STEC without the controller itself being STEC’s? Unless the controller you’re referring to controls something other than the SSD flash.. because the SSD definitely has a STEC ASIC in there..can’t be SST IMO.

Looks like I’m a good guesser then. Interestingly, the flash module uses a controller from SST.

yep, you can see the module here:

http://jkkmobile.blogspot.com/2008/09/dell-mini-9-gets-reviewed-and-upgraded.html

I think it was good move from them.. same as on new Eee PCS

I also like the 3G card slot…