Tech Q&A: The merits of swapping a PC's hard drive for an SSD memory

The choice between a hard drive and a solid-state one is one of the key decisions for a computer buyer. — Dreamstime/TNS

Q: I'm interested in getting an SSD (solid-state drive) with computer-chip memory to replace a mechanical hard disk drive. What are the main differences between SSDs and hard drives?

—Nick Jakubowsky, St. Paul, Minnesota