SanDisk has launched a 32 GB replacable solid state disk (SSD) drive for notebook computers. The drive is 1.8-inch thick. SSD drives are similar to the flash drives that many of us carry around on a daily basis, but these drives are a lot larger.

SSD drives are expected to be the future of data storage because it cotains no moving parts which will protect the data better than the hard drives used today. Large SSD drives have been used by the military, telecom and areospace, but the advancement of technology has made SSDs more viable for companies.

The reading speed of an SSD drive is also better than that of the hard drive. SanDisk released the following numbers. It would take a notebook computer running Windows vista only 35 seconds to boot. The drive can also read at 62 MB per second - 100 times faster than a hard drive.

SSD drives also offer power saving features: It uses 0.4 watts compared to 1 watt. This helps to extend the lifetime of your battery greatly.

However, the convenience will cost you a bit. It is estimated that having an SSD drive will add $600 to the total price. However, as the cost to produce the drives becomes cheaper so will the price.

The drives will be showcased at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.