I don't get the fuss with solid state drives. Everybody worships them as if they were better. I doubt they are any more reliable than HDDs,
I've had three HDs quit on me, and my thumbdrive that went through the washing machine still works. Kinda like a VHS tape vs a DVD, there are different failure modes.
Still, from what I understand the most probable failures by far for SSDs are write failures - the problem is detected immediately. You're more likely to lose data with a HD developing read errors.
sure they use a bit less power, but HDDs can be read and written to forever
The MTBF for a realistically used flash drive is at or higher MTBF for HDs. The less power becomes real important for portable devices, whether they be MP3 players or laptops.
Sure, that HD can sit on a shelf in a fairly controlled climate for decades without failing, but so can't flash drives.
have way bigger capacity. For a device like a net appliance, I don't see why you'd want a flash drive whatsoever.
A ways back, it made slashdot, production of the smallest HD form factor ceased, flash had become cheaper. A net appliance would be EXACTLY the reason to have flash over a hd - hard drives today are actually only economical in larger storage, and a 'net appliance' only needs a few GB(realistically).