MBP for a New College Student - 128 SSD or 750 Serial ATA Drive?

Hi, I'd like to start by thanking anyone who will take the time to answer my questions and have the patients to work with me. Also, I appologize if this thread is a repeat of another, I have searched and googled extensively, and have not found a thread that answers all of my questions. Lastly, I also appologize if I have posted in the wrong section, if you could please direct me to the correct section.
So, I have just graduated high school and am entering college next week, and decided to purchase a Mac. While I have long been an iPhone user, I am new to Mac's, and am relitively clueless about computer hardware. When I purchase my computer, I plan on using it atleast 4 years, and maybe longer depending on my financial status entering graduate school. I don't plan on doing anything super extensive with my Mac, basic student needs, music, some pictures and hard core web browsing. I used to be big into PC games, but don't see myself going back, and do enjoy graphic designs with Photoshop and Illustrator.
What I had in mind was the upgraded 13" MacBook Pro
2.9GHz Dual-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM — 2x4GB
Does this seem fitting for what I had described? Then, my main question is the 128GB SSD worth the 500GB decrease in memory? I will always be on the move with my computer, I bring my current PC everywhere, and plan on using it in most classes. How big of an advantage is it to have no moving parts? I cannot afford more anything more than the 128GB SSD, but if I get the 2.5 GHz MBP, I can afford a 256GB SSD.
Thanks again for any and all help.

I wouldn't buy the Apple SSD - they simply want too much for it. Just buy the least expensive hard drive that is sold and upgrade the SSD to a 256 or 512GB yourself. It's a very simple procedure and you only need two screwdrivers to accomplish the installation. Apple wants, I think, $1000 for a 512GB SSD and you can get one for about $400 and install it yourself. 128GB just won't be enough - 256GB might be just right for you.
You should also purchase an external drive for backups. I use Time Machine and have been quite happy with it -- it's saved my arse on two occassions.
Good luck - call back with any questions.
Clinton

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Is 128gb enough for a new college student?

New Macbook Pro with Retina looks great. Love the flash memory on my Air but was wondering if it makes sense to purchase the pro with 500gb drive over the new model with 128gb flash?
Son will be a freshman in college and needs a notebook computer. is 128 enough?
Thanks

In the case of a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro Retina with ‘limited’ storage on the SSD, this distinction becomes more important in that in an ever rapidly increasing file-size world, you keep vital large media files, pics, video, PDF collections, music off your SSD and archived on external storage, for sake of the necessary room for your system to have free space to operate, store future applications and general workspace. You should never be put in the position of considering “deleting things” on your macbook SSD in order to ‘make space’.
Professionals who create and import very large amounts of data have almost no change in the available space on their computers internal HD because they are constantly archiving data to arrays of external or networked HD.
Or in the case of the consumer this means you keep folders for large imported or created data and you ritually offload and archive this data for safekeeping, not only to safeguard the data in case your macbook has a HD crash, or gets stolen, but importantly in keeping the ‘breathing room’ open for your computer to operate, expand, create files, add applications, for your APPS to create temp files, and for general operation.
Your HD or SSD is not a "storage place" for lots of big data.......vids, pics, audio. etc.

Is it possible to upgrade from 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm to ssd on the new 13" 2012 macbook pro?

is it possible to upgrade from 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm to ssd on the new 13" 2012 macbook pro?

New non-retina 15" MBP, I just replaced the 500 gb HD with a Samsung 830 256 gb SSD from Amazon, $255 for the kit (includes a USB cable). Wow. What a difference. Yes, there was a learning curve for some of it, but was so worth it. Let me know if I can help. I'm using the 500 gb in 2 partitions - one for a clone of the SSD, and one for Time Machine.

I recently added my old mac hard drive to a new macbook with an SSD as my main OSX drive. I am having trouble with permissions in viewing my old hard drive. What is the best way to get complete access to my old hd installed in my new Macbook?

I recently added my old mac hard drive to a new macbook with an SSD as my main OSX drive. I am having trouble with permissions in viewing my old hard drive, when I save a permission when I reboot the full access is changed again . What is the best way to get complete access to my old hd installed in my new Macbook?

Open the Get Info window for the old drive. Click the Lock icon on the bottom of that window and type in your password. In the permissions area click the Plus sign ( + ) and Add your Username to it and set it to Read & Write. Close that window. you should now have full access to all the files.

Does anyone know where I can buy a 750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm for the new mac mini??

There is a mac mini teardown for the new model at this site: http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/Mac-Mini-Mid-2011-Teardown/6131/1. Here it says that the user can easily upgrade their own mac mini hard drive, but does any place sell a 750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm for mac mini that you know of???
Thanks in advance.

My source for hard drives has, for years, been newegg.com. They have good selection, good prices, and speedy delivery. Also, a broad selection of user comments. You can find their 2.5" laptop 750GB serial ATA 7200RPM drives at http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007605%2060003059 9%20600003340&IsNodeId=1&name=7200%20RPM

128gb SSD vs. 320gb serial ATA drive at 5400 rpm

I don't know much about hard drive space. I plan on purchasing a new MacBook for college, but I don't know what kind of hard drive space is better. Can someone explain what SSD is and what the serial ATA drive is. Any kind of help will be greatly appreciated.

SSD is a sold-state drive, i.e., the memory is of the kind you might find in a thumb drive or in the iPhone. The advantage is that it is not prone to the kind of failure that normal, spinning hard drives are. They are not eternal, however, and will die eventually anyway.
Traditional spinning HDs are more vulnerable to damage due to mishandling the computer, for example, and bearings occasionally wear out. But more space is much cheaper on a traditional drive.
For my money, I would buy the cheaper traditional drive, a backup drive, and the extended AppleCare. I think you'd still spend less than upgrading to the solid-state memory.

Replacing a Serial ATA Drive with a SSD HD

Does anyone know if its difficult to replace a Serial ATA Drive with a SSD? And if possible and not difficult, which specs should this SSD have?

if you buy your SSD as a kit, it comes with sata to usb connector.
if you buy your SSD as a bare drive then go out and buy an usb external enclosure.
Before you install your new drive, turn your computer on with your old drive, hook up your new drive via external enclosure to your usb port.
Launch Disk Utility, erase/format your new drive with MAC OS Extended Journaled.
Open Carbon Copy ( free download if you don't have it) and start to clone your drive, a pop up will come up saying you haven't created a recovery partition, follow the instructions in Carbon Copy then proceed to clone your drive after.
Once that's done, open the back of your MB, take out the old drive, install your new ssd, then turn it on. You're back in business.
As for your old drive, put it in the external enclosure and use it as a back up drive.

750gb serial ATA drive vs. 128gb SSD

Hey I'm looking to buy a 13 in. macbook pro and I don't know the difference between the 750gb serial ATA drive and the SSD. I know the SSD will make the computer operate faster, but that's pretty much it. Any information on these two would be greatly appreciated.

I was in the same position a month ago. Its basically a pro and con list.
SDD is much more expensive, to upgrade from a 500gb HDD to a 512GB SSD is $1000 dollars!!!
SDD is more energy efficient, so you will get about an extra half hour of battery life(on average). It is faster to load from, and it has no moving parts so is supposed to be have longer life.
I however went with a 750GB 7200rpm HDD as I didn't want to worry about running out of space. I use a lot of photos and videos and I didn't want to have to worry about bringing external hard drives around with me.
Right now I don't think the SSD is necessary for your average person. My 15" is flying with my HDD and I am very happy with my choice!
Hope this helps

1TB Serial ATA Drive vs 512GB SSD

what is the major differences between 1TB Serial ATA Drive and 512GB SSD when chooseing your mac book pro,because i dont understand why you have to pay more money for less memory,can anyone explain as im going to purchase 1 in the next week and $900 is alot of money...

Yes - but as mende1 points out, it would be much less expensive to go ahead and buy the 1TB unit, put your own 512GB SSD in it (around $400), and buy an enclosure for your 'old' 1TB HD to use for backup purposes.
But an SSD is much, much faster than a spinning platter hard disk drive.
Clinton

Can you upgrade a MacBookPro hard drive from a "750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm" to a Solid State Drive easily? The info seems to say that it's as easy as plugging the new drive into a drive slot?

I am about to buy a new MacBook Pro, but want to try out the Serial Drive 7200rpm before taking the plunge to use the SSD....Can you upgrade a MacBookPro hard drive from a "750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm" to a Solid State Drive easily? The info seems to say that it's as easy as plugging the new drive into a drive slot?

shldr2thewheel wrote:
Fmaharg wrote:
I am about to buy a new MacBook Pro, but want to try out the Serial Drive 7200rpm before taking the plunge to use the SSD....Can you upgrade a MacBookPro hard drive from a "750GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm" to a Solid State Drive easily?
Yes
Fmaharg wrote:
The info seems to say that it's as easy as plugging the new drive into a drive slot?
It's easy, but not that easy. You need to copy all the info from the drive currently in the mac to the new one before you install the new SSD. You can do this by downloading cloning software (I use CarbonCopyCloner because it's free)
Not to be picky but CCC is donationware, if you use it because of its quality you should send a little bit of money in appreciation, and as a bonus you get to turn the banner off.

Is it possible to install a ssd in my 2013 imac 27 inch that currently has a serial ATA drive?

Is it possible to install a SSD in my 2013 imac 27 inch that currently has a serial ATA drive?

Not only possible, but well documented as well:
http://www.everymac.com/systems/apple/imac/imac-aluminum-tapered-edge-faq/how-to -upgrade-imac-hard-drive-aluminum-2012-2013.html

Should I trade in my MBP for the new MacBook?

I bought an MBP when they first came out so I have a 1.83 chipset.
Since the new Mac Books now have the same chipset but even faster, should I dump my MBP and get the new MacBook?
I use it mostly on the road for email and MS Office. I would not mind the smaller screen.
Wouldn't I notice some speed in web surfing or should I just stay with what I have. I know I will lose money on the MBP, but I am confident I will get enough to pay for the new MacBook.
Any advice about the pros and cons would be appreciated.

If it's a matter of finances then you'll probably end up losing more money in the long run. The reason is that by selling now you will be selling your MBP in the period where you lose, just like a car, the most. If you are happy with it you might as well hang on to it for the 3 years or so you planned on having it for. It's not as if the same thing isn't going to happen in 6-12 months time if you do decide to change.
Additionally, it's not as if your MBP got slower because a faster MB/MBP got released. Your requirements aren't on the bleeding edge so don't fret over it. You didn't buy Cinderalla's horse and carriage.

New college student promotion?

I bought a MacBook Pro for college with the student pricing exactly a week ago. Today, they started the college student promotion. For this promotion, you need to buy a qualifying product with the student pricing to receive a free App Store/iTunes gift card. Is there any way for me to take part this even though I have already purchased the product?

Ask Apple Customer Relations (800) 767-2775

Can I exchange my five-day-old MBP for the newer model?

Hi,
Friday before last I ordered a new 13" MacBook Pro, and I received it in the mail last Thursday. I've been using it and I love it. However, today Apple released the new MBP's with slightly better processors and graphics. The one I already have is still in near-perfect condition, as I've only had it for five days. Would I be able to send it back to Apple and exchange it for the newer model? If so, would it cost me anything... and would the increased performance be noticeable enough to be worth the cost and trouble?
Aside from web browsing and other general stuff, I use my MacBook for design programs like Adobe Creative Suite. If I do end up being able to do some kind of exchange, I'll almost certainly go for the 2.4 GHz 13".
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Update: Sorry, I didn't see the other similar threads. I should have looked first.
Apparently it's possible, since I'm under the two-week limit, but how do I go about the business? Whom should I email/call?

Possible to re-use G5 serial-ata drives in a new Mac Pro?

I am getting ready to retire a Power Mac G5 Quad and am wondering whether I can take its two serial-ata internal hard drives and install directly into two of the empty slots I have in a new Mac Pro? Any issues that I should be aware of?
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Brymer

FWIW and just in case, guide to migrating.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=435350
And the Quad G5 seemed to be the only G5 that could actually use GPT format (probably preparing for transition to the Mac Pro I'd guess). Was also able to use NCQ and some other SATA II (2.5) features and specs.

MBP for a New College Student - 128 SSD or 750 Serial ATA Drive?

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