Definition: solid state

Non mechanical. Solid state refers to electronic circuits composed of transistors, resistors, capacitors and other components, which may be discrete, single devices, or millions of them can be created in a single chip. For example, microprocessors and memories are all solid state. In a solid state device, there is no mechanical action, although an unbelievable amount of electromagnetic action takes place within.

A computer has solid state and non-solid state parts. The solid state components are the motherboard, chips, screen, camera and optical mouse, while the hard drive, CD/DVD drive, fans, keyboard, microphone and speakers have mechanical components.

Faster and More Reliable Storage
For data storage, solid state devices are faster and more reliable than mechanical drives that spin disk platters, but they are more expensive. Although the cost of solid state disks is dropping all the time, the cost/performance ratio of magnetic disks continues to improve as well. See SSD, solid state battery and transistor radio.

Solid State Logic in the Mid-1960s

The three transistors in this solid state module (top removed) used in IBM's System/360 computers were advanced technology in the mid-1960s. (Image courtesy of IBM.)

All Solid State

A USB drive comprises a controller chip, quartz crystal (large silver component), some discrete resistors and capacitors (R's and C's) and a flash memory chip (bottom). The clear plastic is an LED. See USB drive.

Solid State in the 1960s

As transistor-based electronics, such as this jukebox, were making inroads, terms such as "solid state" and "integrated circuit" were hot buzzwords in the 1960s.

Ahead of Its Time

Predicting the demise of the hard drive, this message was cut out of a mouse pad from the 1990s. Although, solid state drives (SSDs) continue to replace spinning platters, disk storage capacities are also increasing dramatically. See SSD and hard disk.