[Messiahtosh]

I am contemplating buying my "dream Mac" and getting a MacBook Pro with a 256 GB SSD instead of going with a traditional HD. Is that a good move, for longevity's sake, or is it not worth it? I am more concerned with increased performance and longevity/stability than I am price.

Thoughts?

[hmurchison]

SSD for the win!

I frequently read that once someone computes on a SSD based Mac they don't want to go back to spinning platters. I'll find out when I get a Macbook Air upon the next refresh.

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by hmurchison SSD for the win! I frequently read that once someone computes on a SSD based Mac they don't want to go back to spinning platters. I'll find out when I get a Macbook Air upon the next refresh.

I currently have an Air, and I have to admit that it's seemingly weak 1.4 GHz processor doesn't really bug me very often; minus the rare video rendering scenario. For most things, it's been fantastic. I just don't want the Air anymore.

I have an iPad 2 for "small scale portability" and I'll get a MacBook Pro as my main computer, since it is just much faster. I don't see a need for an iMac, since it is not portable if I need it to be, and is not that much less expensive that I really care to worry about the savings.

[chucker]

I/O is a big bottleneck on laptops, so an HDD-based MacBook Pro will feel slower in many cases than your MacBook Air. On the other hand, its CPU will be a lot, lot faster.

I'm really not sure what you're asking beyond that, given your apparently contradictory statements:

Originally Posted by Messiahtosh I currently have an Air, and I have to admit that it's seemingly weak 1.4 GHz processor doesn't really bug me very often [..] I'll get a MacBook Pro as my main computer, since it is just much faster.

[hmurchison]

My plan is to get an 11" Air with Thunderbolt (hoping)

Then a small iPad2 (16GB)

And then next year an Ivy Bridge iMac 27.

When i'm hope I'm use the 27" iMac monitor if I want to utilize the Air and my video and audio stuff will be done on the iMac. The iPad will be for times when I just prefer a touch UI

[Maciej]

All signs point to yes.

Are you thinking BTO with SSD or go third party?

[screensaver400]

A better option might be an aftermarket SSD. Choose carefully, since some work better than others. Right now I'd look at the Intel 320 series. Not the fastest, but still really darn fast, and will likely prove to be super reliable (as the X25m G2, it's predecessor, was). You'll be able to get a 300 GB drive for $100 less than you'd pay for Apple's 256 GB unit--and the Intel unit will probably be faster and more reliable.

OCZ tends to win speed contests, but are also the least reliable. The Intel 510 is targeted at power users, but uses a third-party controller. I'm not sure the reliability will be the same as Intel's home grown drives.

I've got a $75 64GB Kingston drive in my MBP, plus a 500GB Momentus XT in the optical drive bay. It's a good system--my OS and applications fit with about 15GB of leftover space, providing the highly responsive experience that make SSDs great, but I also get the huge storage of a HDD. Not bad for <$200.

[Messiahtosh]

I don't fool around with the 3rd party stuff, even if it would cost less. I just want things to be done simply and for me, so that it arrives as a finished product.

[Messiahtosh]

Originally Posted by chucker I/O is a big bottleneck on laptops, so an HDD-based MacBook Pro will feel slower in many cases than your MacBook Air. On the other hand, its CPU will be a lot, lot faster. I'm really not sure what you're asking beyond that, given your apparently contradictory statements:

It isn't contradictory. The Air's speed isn't a bother to me, it's just nothing special. I want a "dream Mac" that has everything I need and everything I don't need.

[Robo]

So your six-month-old MacBook Air's performance "isn't a bother" but you're still getting a MacBook Pro just for the hell of it?

Must be nice.

[torifile]

The SSD in my MBA makes my Core i7 920 3.2 Ghz CPU 6 gigs DDR3 RAM hackintosh feel slow at times.

[FFL]

Yes, if performance is important to you, it's well worth it. The SSD has replaced maxing out RAM as "the single best upgrade you can give your Mac".

[Maciej]

Originally Posted by FFL Yes, if performance if important to you, it's well worth it. The SSD has replaced maxing out RAM as "the single best upgrade you can give your Mac".

So true. I've been railing about this for a while, if it's max performance you seek SSD is the path. (Although it isn't as cheap as RAM.)

[HezMah19]

Originally Posted by FFL Yes, if performance if important to you, it's well worth it. The SSD has replaced maxing out RAM as "the single best upgrade you can give your Mac".

This. If your looking to bump performance up in any easy and significant way, get an SSD. Just ordered myself a new MacBook Pro and an Intel 320 Series 120GB SSD after playing around with a 2007 White MacBook Core 2 Duo that flogged my Hackintosh in how fast it feels...

The MacBook had a 2Ghz Core 2 Duo with 1GB of RAM and a Kingston 30GB SSD.
Hackintosh Core 2 Quad, 4GB RAM on a RAID 0 2TB Boot Volume.

I grabbed the intel for the ridiculously low Failure rate (about .5% Compared to OCZ aprox 3%) and 5 year warranty.

Apple SSD's tend to be Rebranded Toshiba's if you want to look at some benchmarks.

[screensaver400]

I believe some Apple SSDs are Samsung, too. Distinctly mid-range performers, and not worth the price IMHO.

[Matsu]

I'm thinking of keeping an old 2.13Ghz C2D MBP (3GB RAM, 128MB video) in service for photo editing, so I can focus on buying a few more bits of camera equipment. I recently added a 500GB USB3 HDD to move projects back and forth, obviously USB2 only on the mac, but I might add an ExpressCard34 USB3 card to speed that up. I had the drive and the case was very cheap. - equivalent 2.5" FW800/USB2 cases cost $50-80, but none were in stock anywhere.

Here's my question: Will an SSD upgrade help my old machine cope with CS5, and how much of an improvement am I looking at? Right now, I have the stock 128GB drive. I was going to put it into the MBP, but wasn't sure whether I would be upgrading machines. With my full CS5 suite loaded, I have about 75GB of free space, and everything else on the external.

I have a 128GB Intel SSD drive that was given to me. I was thinking about buying an iMac and then adding the SSD to the iMac, but I'm going to hold off in favor of some new camera equipment instead.

Open to any advice. I have an external display hooked up to the MBP.