SUMMARY: Today we begin our investigation into the relatively new and future orientated Serial ATA interface for our personal computing storage needs and discuss the benefits, as well as disadvantages, compared to the aging Parallel ATA standard which we’ve been using for around 15 years now.
With all the great things about SATA, there is one minor detail that could be an issue for a person looking to migrate away from PATA completely; there are no SATA optical drives, yet!
That means there are a select few who aren't feeling the need for change. They have no real reason to change, though, as optical drives don't use nearly the entire bandwidth of PATA.
Even with that in mind, a switch to SATA for optical drives should start occurring if the companies who make them are truly ready for the future of computing. There is nothing more compelling than the coming trends in technology that will displace what is today's standard for computers. These companies should really take notice or they could create a significant break in the ever-evolving personal computer by refusing to budge.
Conclusion
Serial ATA is here and it’s ready. Companies guarantee its future-proof and, despite being better than its Parallel ancestors, it’s much simpler to handle. The price is right and the economy seems to be heading in the right direction for a successful replacement of Parallel ATA.
There isn't much more an industry could ask for in changing what it calls a standard. Only time will tell. As for the enterprise, Serial ATA has a definite future and we'll go deep into that with the follow up to this overview in a few weeks.
I must add a BIG THANKS to my friend and colleague Adam Lechowicz who did some editing and gave me some ideas.
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