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General discussion

macbook pro with SSD?

Oct 28, 2010 5:56AM PDT

so i was just wondering people's opinions on macbook pro with SSD

im thinking about getting a macbook pro but im not sure if i should get a 250 GB HDD or the 128GB SSD

it will be for college and i have a TB too (external HDD) so i dont think it will be too bad for me.. 128 does seem like a lot, and my desktop is the one that will get movies and all so yeah...

so what do you think get a macbook pro with/ without SSD

like what are the pros/cons of SSD?

also should i get the Air instead?? i dont like the air's battery life though soo yeah.. Happy

Discussion is locked

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Well
Oct 28, 2010 10:34AM PDT

Well, the primary advantages to the SSD are speed, sound, and power.

It's generally as fast as platter drives at most things, and at some tasks it will be much faster. Given HDDs are the slowest link in the overall performance chain of a computer, anything you can do to speed that up will impact the rest of the system.

SSDs are also quieter, and use a bit less energy since they don't need to power the motor that rotates the platters at 5400RPM.

They should also be less prone to failure. I work as an Apple repair tech, and HDD failures rank up there as one of the most common reasons a system comes to me. Platter based drives don't like to be bumped or jostled, and that's exactly what happens all the time with laptops.

OTOH, the reliability of SSDs is still a little in question. They are pretty close to HDDs, but it's still kind of a new tech when it comes to such large capacities. It's also quite a bit more per GB for SSD over a HDD. Out of warranty repairs on the drive alone will likely be more than the unit retailed for.

I'm not really a huge fan of the MacBook Air, though it sounds like they fixed a lot of the annoying design features of the first three generations. It's more wedge shaped now as opposed to kind of like a really flat football. They did away with the charge port on the bottom, and the stupid drop down tray for the pitiful offering of ports. The Air is aimed more at people who travel a lot, where every inch and ounce counts, and computing power isn't as big an issue. I don't think it'd be rugged enough for your average college student to be honest, unless they improved the hinges on the new model. I currently have 7 MacBook Airs at work waiting on new displays because the hinges broke. A MacBook or MacBook Pro will be much studier.

If it were me, I don't think I'd go SSD just yet. Maybe for your first system out of college. Once you get a decent paying job you can treat yourself a little.

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gotha! but what if..
Oct 28, 2010 2:53PM PDT

Jimmy Greystone thanks for the help Happy

the thing is, my dad has offered to pay for my apple (apparently he wants me to get it really badly!?!?!) so he said that he would buy one for me and my sister. im waiting for the new MACbook Pro to come out (im predicting early 2011?) but yeah,
we will see...

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macbook pro with SSD
Nov 1, 2010 9:43PM PDT

Hi prema,
I have in my MacBook Pro 17 I7 since new an SSD three month now and I'm very happy , it is fast , start and shutdown and everything comes in an instant and you don't have to worry when you drop the laptop . Is my second SSD as my Wife has my older MBP . I leaf nothing on my MBP and store everything on a external HDD and the most important files on a flashdrive.

I recommend go for it you never regret it .

Jurgen

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macbook pro with SSD
Nov 11, 2010 9:00AM PST

If I were you I would go for the macbook pro with SSD, I assure you, you will never regret choosing this model. Why do apple release so many amazing new models every now and then now it so hard to decide if you will buy the current latest model or wait for the new one to be released.