MBP 15.4 / 2.93ghz / 256SSD / 4GB

[macmusiko]

Hi all.... just considering purchasing the MBP 2.93 with the 256 SSD. Is this SSD as good or better than a 5400rpm/7200rpm drive. Primarily for use with logic studio. Any known issue?

All replies appreciated...Thanks

Neal

 

[cwa107]

Although SSDs excel at read speeds, they are notoriously slow for writing data - particularly the MLC variety, which tend to be cheaper than SLC drives. In my opinion, considering the price differential, it's probably better to go with a standard hard drive. You can always upgrade to an SSD later as prices drop and the technology matures.

 

[macmusiko]

cwa107 thanks for that.... because i would be recording audio to an external drive (7200rpm) anyways, i imagine overall performance with the ssd would make the system much more powerful then? Does ssd make any difference to battery lifespan? thanks again..

 

[cwa107]

cwa107 thanks for that.... because i would be recording audio to an external drive (7200rpm) anyways, i imagine overall performance with the ssd would make the system much more powerful then? Does ssd make any difference to battery lifespan? thanks again..

Although I haven't seen any specific comparisons, just based on the fact that the SSD has no moving parts, it should consume significantly less power than a 7200rpm drive. Either way, with the integrated battery, you're looking at well above industry average run-time. Apple estimates 8 hours with the with standard hard drive, although I'd imagine real world would yield closer to 6-7 hours.

But again, I have to stress that SSD technology is in its infancy as a storage medium. SSDs have shorter lifespans and the technology is improving at a rapid pace. So, by this time next year, that same SSD drive you're paying a $650 premium for will likely be half the price.

 

[XJ-linux]

I really enjoy my SSD. However, Apple seems to charge a rather unnecessarily premium for a SSD. I'd see if the 7200rpm HDD works for your applications first. You can always upgrade to a SSD later on for far less than Apple charges. That said, I recently installed a 128GB SSD on my MBP and couldn't be more happy with it. From pressing the power button to usable desktop is around 15 seconds. None of my applications take more than 1 "hop" on the dock to launch. Also, oddly enough, I seem to be using about 1/3rd less RAM as well. That's a real head scratcher for me. Good luck!