I just noticed that Bit Micro has a web page discussing the issues of SSD Longevity…

In a recent article on write endurance published in STORAGEsearch.com, editor Zsolt Kerekes provided theoretical computations on the longevity of solid state flash drives deployed in enterprise server applications. His test solid state drive had the following specifications: total capacity of 64GB, sustained write speed of 80MBps and a write endurance rating of 2 million cycles. By assuming that data is written in big blocks and there is perfect implementation of wear leveling techniques, Kerekes estimates disk endurance at 1.6 billion seconds, which translates to 50.74 years.
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“I’ve assumed perfect cache operation – and sequential writes – because otherwise you don’t get the maximum write speed. Conversely if you aren’t writing at the maximum speed – then the disk will last longer……. And as there is no wear-out or endurance limit on read operations – the implication is to increase the operating life by the read to write ratio.”

While I have only included snippets from the web page, the current crop of SSD drives certainly can last a significantly longer period that the previous generations.  I have heard estimates ranging from 12 Years to decades…  I believe the larger issue is the case around the SSD, not the hardware itself…

Take a look at BitMicro’s Debunking Misconceptions in SSD Longevity page, and feel free to include your comments…