For decades, users would buy memory chips to increase RAM memory for laptops and PC computers. Now, it's a challenge to find another business as dynamic and fast-paced as memory chips. NAND flash memory in particular is probably the most hyper-scaled technology among electronic devices such as digital cameras and PC memory.
Game-changers like 3G wireless, video game systems, SMS text messages, digital video recorders, Blackberry, iTunes, iPhone, Kindle, iPad and so on have created new markets for memory chips. So the industry is now driven both by pure technological advancements and by rapid product evolution cycles.
DRAM memory used for main memory in PCs is volatile meaning it does not store data when the power is off. Flash memory, on the other hand, is non-volatile so no power is required to maintain information that is stored in the chip. Apple Macbook Air for example can handle a drive up to 128MB and that is solid state memory. iPad has flash-based 16, 32, and 64 GB solid state drives.