"The demand for high-quality media consumption on the move is likely to get a serious boost as a result of the iCloud and other competing services (already present or likely to follow). This will indeed increase the demand for some basic minimum local storage -- for instant access when not connected to the Web."

This will indeed increase the demand for some basic minimum local storage -- for instant access when not connected to the Web."

What the heck does that mean when the context of the write up is centered around ...

The company expects NAND flash consumption to increase 10 times by 2014 primarily driven by smartphones and tablets.

?.....lol

"While the shift to the cloud will likely hurt hard-disk-drive sales as users store less data on hard drives locally, SanDisk's storage hardware will benefit as NAND-based flash is used primarily in smartphones and media tablets, which tend to rely heavily on cloudstorage. The cloud shift will also hasten adoption of solid state drives (which use NAND-based flash) in PCs as speed and portability requirements replace sheer volume as the top priority among consumers."

Really?

genrb1....I've read it a few times and it sums up, IMO, to no rime or reason...cloud computing , or storage on the net shrinks local storage no matter what type media. Where there is a difference between cloud computing and cloud storage.

I've had a Google "cloud" account for some time now. You can implement application issues, such as live interactive spread sheet files, word processor files, graphics...etc... or simply store all kinds of miscellaneous support files. There's a difference between the two, one is computing on the net, the other is simple storage on the net.....It's all interactive with whomever you wish to have access to your account and what level of activity you allow of the files. An office if you will.

I equate "cloud" to the application and interactive issues only, not the storage considerations. You can store files in many places on the net, no big deal....Photo bucket, box.net, Yahoo come to mind.

To be different, storage considerations, particularly audio / video, would have to have interactive considerations and not a typical down load....a defined ability to stream files in both directions to and from compatible CE device, and if there's an ability to edit ....etc, the collaborative interactive considerations would be incredible.

If one thinks "cloud" they have to think interactive and collaborative.....not storage.

For CE devices Flash will be there and theirs going to have to be an easy interaction with that as well.

doni