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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Is an SSD in a new mAcBook Pro a bad choice?

B

Bob Renalds

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I need a New macbook pro for some remote work. I have a 256GB SSD in my PC and I love it. I was thinking about one for the Maxbook.

Read ties are much faster on an SSD but write times are slower than a fast HD. Will this actually penalize me when rendering?

Thanks.
 
Speeds depend on which SSD you get. The 256GB unit that Apple is using (Micron, I think) seems to be pretty fast for both read and write. The Corsair 256GB SSD is also a good choice and it can be purchased from other online vendors for about the same price that Apple charges for the upgrade when you order.

If you can justify the expense and 256GB is enough, then it's a nice thing to have. OTOH, 256GB can be a bit restrictive. I find it to be when I'm traveling and don't have the time, space or power to plug in that external HDD if I need to work on something.

You may want to take a look at what Silverado is offering. They are an Apple VAR and can configure one for you with some different options and I think they can extend AppleCare to 5 years too.

I bought a new 17" a couple months ago, but went with the 500GB 7200rpm HDD. It was a better fit for my needs.
 
if you might be using it with an SI2K as well, like in a back pack to do that POV business mounting it on the helmet of a fella doing downhill mountain biking or motocross then defo
 
For Every Digital Loader I meet, I express My Importance of an SSD for the Operating System. Here's a short list

• Never once had a IN/OUT Crash
• I can open EVERY program on my computer in less than 6 seconds (I mean all at the same time)
• Boot up time is 70% faster
• Applications respond 4x faster
• Higher Bandwidth and _H Proxies can be played from Desktop in FCP Timeline
• HEAT is 70% less than a normal HDD (HDD HEAT not CPU)
• Power consumption is Halved (4 Hours on a 2007 15" Macbook Pro Brand new Battery, Brightness at 1, no DVD DRIVE) Was 2 1/2 Hours,
• Always responsive immediately after waking from sleep (whenever I actually think its a good idea to put a computer sleep)
• MD5 checksums are much faster, than when the Operating system is on a normal Laptop HDD.
• Rendering is faster, (The computer is no longer restricted by lower bandwidth, Applications can operate much more quickly)

The only disadvantage is the size and the Cost, I've been using Patriot Torx 220 MB/s Read, 170 MB/s Write. I have a rule, If its on a set, the OS is on an SSD. You never know whats going to happen, or where you'll end up.

Both my Desktop DIT system is on an SSD, and my backup laptop. Its nice to have the speed, but the Solid State is VERY appealing for any computer that moves constantly.
 
Thanks, I think I will go that route. Now...... will there be a quad core released this month? I hate buying new machines close to rumored upgrade dates.....
 
Just before you guys go thinking that an SSD is bullet proof, remember they can crash or become corrupt just like a mechanical HDD.

They are not vulnerable to motion or shock as a HDD is. However their performance degrades over time and so does their reliability. I've crashed and burned up several SSDs over the past two years. In all fairness, the ones I'm currently running have been solid and reliable. Most of the ones that burn up are in workstation situations and tested in RAID configurations to see if they could handle it. I have not burned up a SSD that is used as a single drive or system drive. But it could happen and will happen to any SSD after enough use.

When on set or out in the field, an SSD for the OS drive is still not good enough, IMO. I always have a backup drive image I can boot and operate from.

SSDs are the near future of storage, especially for mobile computers. All things considered, I would have put an SSD in my new Macbook had there been a fast and reliable one available with over 400GB of capacity.
 
Theres an Alpha software being developed, called BeastClone that will create a lightweight USB Boot Thumb stick with only the basic software (R3D Data manager / terminal / Red Alert / Excel / etc...) in the event of a OS Failure. So you could have multiple USB Sticks that merely have the ability to perform any tasks that you would normally need to do in an emergency situation where you dont have time for a re-install. My Hackpro's dont need this software because any HFS+ formatted disk (USB stick, CF Card, SD Card or HDD) has an EFI partition where I install the bootloader. So in Theory a HackPro can be more reliable being that PC's will boot from whatever partition on whatever disk that is connected. This software gives that ability to the MacPro in a very nice and easy interface that strips down your OS and you select desired Apps.

I have not tested it much since It only works in Snow Leopard, but it has a nice little interface where you just drag desired Apps into a window and then click create USB Boot Stick. This software is for Real Mac's, I'm just making that comparison to show its ability and purpose. I see it being used more with laptops, I can hide 3-4 SSD's in a desktop computer for Backup so I wouldn't need the software as much on the Desktop side.
 
Currently on a job where I've borrowed a friend's unibody, and I have to position it certain ways (or apply pressure in different areas) to keep the hdd from buzzing...apparently he's asked people at Apple about the phenomenon and they say it's not only been his computer...aside from the annoyance factor, it kinda makes you wonder about the reliability and longevity of a spinning drive that is almost constantly subjected to vibrations that it causes...
 
Mostly what I'm trying to gain is recovery after an accident during transportation, thats when a desktop is the most vulnernable. Thats my Main concern for the necessity of an SSD, I had an incident with my pickup truck and I messed up my 19" Rack from having to slam on the brakes to avoid a near accident. From then on I will only have an SSD in these types of systems.
 
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