Ssd vs hdd for new pro

i ordered a new macbook a week and a half ago and today i spoke with an apple rep who happily helped me exchange it for a new MBP 13". i originally ordered my computer with the 128GB SSD. i love the speed of the SSD and the fact that it barely heats up and since i use it on my lap more often than not. so...when i was talking to the apple rep, he said it was faster and easier for him to arrange the exchange and give me the standard 250 GB HDD. he said that it can be swapped for a third party drive if i want when i get it. my concern is this...how easily is this done, where do i get the 3rd party SSD and how can i get the OS and everything installed. i'm not the biggest computer nerd in the world, but i've done a fair bit of stuff with my old PC. sine i'm new to Mac-world i'm scared that i may screw it up or have problems with installing the SSD and i'll be stuck with a traditional HDD. i ordered the SSD for a reason and now i don't know if i should call apple back and delay delivery of my computer (and pay add'l $315) to have them put the SSD in for me or if i should just do it myself. any suggestions are appreciated. thank you.

It appears that you have misharacterized my earlier post. As I mentioned earlier, we are not talking about the installation of an HDD, but rather an SSD. I have been operating under the assumption that you were aware of the difference between the two, but perhaps that has been in error on my part.
So that we are on the same page: An SSD is a "solid state drive" that emulates an HDD by using flash memory. It has no moving parts, and typically has far superior read times then an HDD (that will vary by manufacturer). Benefits usually include, much less power consumption, speed, durability (no moving parts) and weight (lighter).
Because these drives are still in the "early adopter" stages, they are not considered standard yet, and they have been notoriously difficult to configure in the MBs as you can see by posts on the forum. In fact, only a few brands have had any success with the drives running Bootcamp, and they have been limited to high end Drives like the Intel X-25M (160 GB retails for $660).
I don't think it's appropriate for someone to imply a process is straightforward when one only needs to look at the forum to see how much difficulty users of all expertise levels have had installing an SSD. At no point do I argue that installation of a standard HDD is not relatively straightforward. I recommend you use the search option with the following search terms "SSD install" if you doubt my claims.
Again, for someone invested in the process, as I mentioned in my first post, all the hurdles that people have experienced can be eventually overcome - but my point was Elisabeth may not want to invest the time and energy that she may require to get the SSD configured properly and working given her specific situation, being a busy student.
As for my anxiety, as you called it, regarding my own computer and my issues regarding SATA configurations, there are numerous threads on this forum and others with countless posts of people who are anxious.
There is a thread, for exmaple on another popular mac forum documenting my concerns that has about 1,392 posts and counting and well over 100,000 views since the Macbook was released.

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Kappy wrote:
Although with a separate SSD and HDD you have to perform the work yourself you do gain some flexibility in your set up. However, should the urge arise there are numerous tutorial around that explain how to turn the SSD and HDD into a Fusion Drive using the same mechanism that Apple uses.
And the converse is also possible and easy: you can turn the fusion drive back into two separate drives.
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Looking for silent HDD for Macbook Pro 208 Penryn

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Hey everyone,
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jc1388,
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SSD Boot Drive for Mac Pro

Apologies in advance, I’m really not great with this sort ofstuff.
Basically, what I would like to do is add an SSD to my MacPro and use that as my boot drive. Ihave a 1TB HDD which is currently doing everything but I’d like to use thispurely to store music, videos etc.
As well as booting to Lion, I’d also like to use the SSD torun Windows 7 with VMware Fusion – presume this doesn’t cause any problems?
The plan would be to have the system software andapplications on the SSD and everything else on the HDD. Only thing I’m not sure of is where the homedirectory should go?
Does this all sound like a realistic goal? Also, will this be an relatively straightforward process? Migration Assistant?
Thanks.

So in effect, lets just say your SSD drive fails. As you are currently setup, can you boot from your secondary drive to your backed up OSX, or do you have to have restore that backup image to a new hard drive?
My whole rational of keeping the home dir separate (disk) from the boot dir is that I can switch among any number of boot drives any time I want to. For example, as a hypothetical case*, I use 10.6.5, and I want to update to 10.6.6, 10.6.7, or 10.6.8, I just do it to my ssd. Now I can still boot from my 10.6.5 backup, say for the sake of comparison to some weird behavior I see on the update, without a blink of the eye. I'm still using my same (common) home dir because it is not involved with the update. If I want to go "back" I can restore the ssd from my 10.6.5 backup.
Of course I would actually do it the other way and boot and update from the backup leaving the ssd alone (don't want to write to it any more than I have to). Only if I was satisfied with the new OS on the backup would I then update my ssd.
The point of all this is keeping the home dir off the boot dir allows you to "flit", "jump", switch, whatever, to different OSs (or backups of the same OS) at will. Your home dir is none the wiser unless the OS dramatically changes or screws things up (so that's why this technique may or may not work across major OS revisions -- Snow Leopard to Lion for example, but its great with a single OS sequence).
While everyone always debates the pros and cons of keeping the home dir separate from the boot dir, what always seems to get lost or not mentioned is the benefit of being able to switch among the OSs when they are separate.
So all of this was a long way of answering your question -- no you don't have to backup to the original boot drive before using it. Just boot from the backup. Your home dir couldn't care less.
* For me going to 10.6.6, .7., .8 is hypothetical since I use 10.6.5 and have no current plans of updating beyond that (can you say "app store"? -- don't want it my machine -- and I won't debate any comments on this -- its my personal decision. And besides this is off topic.).

Living with a small SSD Boot Drive on New Pro??? Migration?

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You should try your cyrrent system and clone the OS to a 250GB SSD and 2-3TB data drive
The difference is nothing but remarjabke znd easy to do.
The 2600xt really should have been retured already and confivurd your system with 16GB RAM or more
Might be able to get more out if your Mac and get another year or more
Using one drive only is never a good idea.
System - data - projects - media - scratch - time machine
And putting scratch and system on multiple SSDs and on PCIE controller card
And then a GTX 680 or AMD Mac 7950 graphic card
The nMP is faster but it still needs work and yiurs isn't dead

Not sure where to place my SSD and HDD. Macbook Pro mid 2010, 2,4GHz intel core 2 duo.

I have a mid 2010 Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo,
10gb of Ram...looking to max it at 16 even though apple says 8gb.
I upgraded to a Travelstar 1tb HDD 7200rpm max 6gb/s and waiting for my data doubler from OWC.
I am also hoping to buy an SSD. But Where should I place the HDD and SSD?
I read a forum saying that since my MBP is 2010, my HDD should stay in the main bay, and the SSD in the optical drive due to gb/s or somthing?
Can anyone clarify?
I thought SSD would be better in the main bay and HDD in the optical.
I am thinking of getting the Samsung pro SSD 120gb? or the 228gb?
Thank you

For best performance place the "system disk" in the internal slot and the second disk in the optical bay. I assume your SSD will be your system disk.

HDD for MacBook Pro?

Hi,
I'm getting a used MacBook Pro (15''), late 2008 or early 2009… the one before this last one, but w/o HDD due to some sensitive information’s on it, so I will need a new HDD and my questions are:
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2) Is there any limitation on »volume«… 250, 320, 500…GB?
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Faganel,
1. I haven't heard of any vibration issues with 7200 RPM drives, you can save a little money with 5400 RPM drives and if you aren't doing a lot of disk intensive work they're great.
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I'm concerned about filling up the drive fast so I'm thinking I'll:
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2): rrun current project on the machine and archive all the associated folders for the project to my drobo when I'm done with the project.
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The equipment you require depends on the type of editing you need to do.
If you are making family and holiday type films or otherwise comparatively simple ones with no more than 2 or 3 tracks of video, an hour or so of footage and no urgent deadlines, you will probably find that the computer on its own will cope quite well.
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If you find the computer alone does everything you require in your chosen time-frame, that's all you need.
If you stock up on everything you might want and then find you don't need it, you will have wasted a load of cash.
Over the years, on these forums I have seen people advise others to get the top of the range MacPros, max them out and buy every other conceivable performance accessory when all the enquirer wanted was something to edit his family videos on.
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X201 upgrade to ssd = pay $50 for new windows key!!! Shame

A bit of a rant but hope some of you can learn from my mistake.
x201 oem hd was going out so i replaced a new ssd, sounds simple right?
Downloaded windows 7 home premium and entered the key on the bottom of my notebook and windows says the key is invalid.
Chat with microsoft and they said it is an oem version of windows and therefor I needed to speak to lenovo
Spoke to Lenovo, had a nice person on the phone, and they said:
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- I explained x201 has no cd drive, and never did receive any disc
- lenovo rep says "well you will need to buy a cdrom drive to usb, and also buy a recovery disc from us. If you had asked for a disc while you were in waranty we would have sent it free. But unfortunately now its $50. Sorry I'm sure we knew we didn't send the discs on purpose but thats what they have been doing"
Really bad tactics from Lenevo here.
1. I now need to pay $50 for what I already paid for!
2. Customer didn't really know they only got half of windows
3. Customer paid for full windows?
And to think I just brought the company some more thinkpad notebooks.. maybe its time to take my business elsewhere. Shame for such pettiness as they do build solid machines, even though I have had a bit of trouble with mine.

I am going to stick an oar in here because this is misunderstood by many, including myself until recently.
I know the tech support person told you that what you get is a half version of windows, that is not entirely true. And just so that you know, this is a Microsoft thing so it affects all OEM's not just Lenovo.
When you purchase a new computer with Windows installed on to it, you are buying a full copy of the software. What you are not buying is tech support from Microsoft. The OEM has to provide Windows Tech Support for you. Most people never really find out what this means because the computer runs fine, or when it stops running fine, they run out and purchase a new computer.
You have a copy of Windows licensed by Lenovo. So any media used to repair your computer has to come from Lenovo. The download program that Microsoft has now is only for versions of Windows purchased in a retail box, or from their online retailer DigitalRiver. Because your copy of Windows is Licensed by Lenovo to be installed on Lenovo computers, any tech support or repair downloads have to come thru Lenovo. You can download every version if Windows and it will not accept the key on the computer. For your key to work you need to get a copy of Windows from Lenovo.
I know this sucks but it is a licensing issue. As I said, it is the same way at Dell, IBM, Gateway, and any other company that builds systems for resale. Many small shops that buy builders licenses are also affected.
But there is a possible way out for you, bananaman mentioned it. Clone the drive. Or if you created recovery media, you can use it as well, but the drive you install it on will have to be the exact same size as the one that came with the computer.
Hoov
Microsoft MVP - Consumer Security
SpywareHammer.com

HDD for macbook pro 5,5

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All you need be concerned about are:
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The drive cannot be higher than 12.5 mm to fit.
Stick to the 500 GB XT hybrid. Some users have problems with the larger versions.
Visit OWC where you can find tutorials, tools, and drives.

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Short answer: No, you don't need to format it.

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What is the most compatible SSD 256 GB for Macbook Pro Mid-2012 originally installed with a 750-5600rpm hdd?

That is just nonsense. PC Centric vendors carry the same SSDs that work in all computers, Mac-Win PC-Linux PC.
No new drive made to be put inside a computer come specifically for Mac or Windows or Linux for that matter. They are RAW drives and need to be partitioned and formatted for the type of computer they are being install into and the OS that hardware will be running.
So to the OP buy whatever floats your boat from any computer parts reseller you choose to deal with. Without worry if it will work in your Mac computer, it will. Some are better than other, some are faster than others and some are much mopre expensive that other for no good reason.
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John Galt wrote:
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Internal Hard drive for macBook pro 13 inch.

Hello everybody :")
How are you? I hope that everyone is fine.
I have come today i need your opinion and your advice to me about my (HDD)
i need to buy new HD for my book pro .
Can you answer my questions and give me advice
frist i will write for you my MBP information :
MacBook Pro 13 inch - 4 GB memory - the old HD is 320 GB 5400 rpm - Processor i5 dual core .
made in 2010
* note :Almost i'm not interested in (SSD) because the price is expensive SSD to storage capacity that can i give it .
               HDD was excellent with me .
-What are the types of HDD which advise me?
- what best HDD for macbook pro ? ( toshiba or WD )
- how I choose from among types of HDD ?
-How do I know what types are compatible with my device? Is there site or previous experience advise can help me !
What your opinion about this kind:
Seagate Momentus XT 750 GB 7200RPM
are good for my MBP ?
I care about the quality, performance and more than speed.
Thank you in advance
I hope to help me soon

Di.grad
toshiba 1.tb and 7200 RPM ?
Those are same as use by Apple in the non-retina macbook Pro, Ive got piles of them, only a Hitachi is better.
Toshiba HD are a hair noisy even by Toshiba own admission, but no big deal.
I would NEVER buy from OWC merely for the reasons that their prices are miserable.
Here you go,   $65
http://www.ebay.com/itm/TOSHIBA-MQ01ABD100-1TB-5400-RPM-8MB-Cache-2-5-SATA-3-0Gb -s-Internal-Notebook-/121107538930?pt=US_Internal_Hard_Disk_Drives&hash=item1c32 9263f2
same as used by APPLE in their own.

Ssd vs hdd for new pro

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