[MPR]

Yes they will, and the trend is already occurring. HDD sales are plummeting as SSD scales skyrocket. In a few years HDDs will be relegated to the obsolete computer technology graveyard along with floppy disk drives.

Sorce: Statistica

Currently SSD and high-performance HDD prices are comparible for units under 2 TB.

Western Digital 1TB WD Black Performance Mobile Hard Drive - 7200 RPM $55

Crucial MX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD $62

2 TB HDDs are less expensive, especially if you can find one on clearance, which you usually currently can as manufacturers sell off their old stock.

This is a heck of a deal!
Western Digital 2TB WD Black Performance Internal Hard Drive HDD - 7200 RPM $80

Crucial MX500 2TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5 Inch Internal SSD $132

But how long will SSDs last compared to HDDs?

If your HDD is only moderately used, it can last for well over a decade. However, if HDDs are heavily used the average lifespan is seven years. Modern SSDs should last for at least 10 years. As the the technological lifespan of a computer is generally from five to eight years your SSD will outlive the usefulness of your computer.

 

[MPR]

If the trend continues, 2026 will be the year that HDD and SSD prices converge. Not unironically, this will also be close to the year that HDD sales revert back to 1990s levels. Microsoft has advised OEMs to stop using HDDs in new computer systems, starting this year.

 

[Corday]

HDs will soon go the way of UNIVAC ½" tapes.

 

[MPR]

HDs will soon go the way of UNIVAC ½" tapes.

When I first started grad school we still punched our data into cards and physically took them to the computing center for analysis. Every statistical test required a week's turnaround. We thought we were in hog heaven when the college installed a terminal in the department. You still had to issue a command to the computing center for someone to physically go to the tape stacks to retrieve and mount the right tape for you though.