Hewlett-Packard is going to introduce a new version of the Compaq DC8700 desktop today, this one offering a 16 GB solid-state drive from SanDisk as an option.

Can anybody say: Who cares?

Sure, solid-state drives are the wave of the future. No moving parts. More reliability. Power saving.

But, 16 GB? If you install Windows Vista and even just a bare minimum of everyday-use software, you’ll practically fill this thing up.

According to the story on CNET,

"This is not a mainstream product," said Kirk Godkin, HP’s senior product manager for business PCs. The option is aimed at commercial customers, like those in the hospitality industry, who have limited space and run a single application repeatedly.

HP, of course, is the company that tries to make everything as cheap and affordable as possible. The 16 GB SSD drive will cost about $300. That’s quite high for such a puny amount of storage. But, it is a lot cheaper than the $999 add-on price for the 64 GB SSD drive in Apple’s new Macbook Air.

It’ll be nice when SSD drives become more mainstream. That way you won’t have to choose between SSD and feeding your family for the next year.