Serial ATA what is it?

Hello:

Can anyone please tell the what the difference and advantages between parallel and serial ATA? I know it's kind of new and I've seen it advertised.

Thanks so Much
rjshenal

 

In one sentence.
Very Small cables so there is less clutter in your case.

The speed is not outrunning IDE yet but it's comming.

 

Often abbreviated SATA or S-ATA, an evolution of the Parallel ATA physical storage interface. Serial ATA is a serial link -- a single cable with a minimum of four wires creates a point-to-point connection between devices. Transfer rates for Serial ATA begin at 150MBps. One of the main design advantages of Serial ATA is that the thinner serial cables facilitate more efficient airflow inside a form factor and also allow for smaller chassis designs. In contrast, IDE cables used in parallel ATA systems are bulkier than Serial ATA cables and can only extend to 40cm long, while Serial ATA cables can extend up to one meter.
Serial ATA supports all ATA and ATAPI devices.