4 ms·

I'm using one of the 120GB Samsung SSDs that Apple ships stock in the MacBook Pro. It's definitely faster for things like program startup, etc. (many things sta

by cpr 17y ago

I'm using one of the 120GB Samsung SSDs that Apple ships stock in the MacBook Pro. It's definitely faster for things like program startup, etc. (many things start in less than one dock "bounce"), but otherwise not so clear. Sure wish Apple would ship the Intel drives. Perhaps they can't get a low enough price on them. Or, alternately, that Samsung would get with the program and do the kind of controller work required to make these things go faster. (Whatever Intel's doing--see the anandtech.com massive article.) Or, perhaps both Apple and Samsung could get together and implement the critical TRIM command (see http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3631&p=8 http://www.anandtech.com/storage/showdoc.aspx?i=3631&p=8).

pieter 17y ago
The first generation of the Intel SSD's contained halogens so Apple couldn't use them. The new ones are halogen-free, so it might be they show up in future revisions of the MBP.
- jbellis 17y ago
  That's retarded. Stop kissing up to Greenpeace and give me my SSD, Apple. :(
  - gohnjanotis 17y ago
    Yeah, really! They should provide options to ship with the best SSD options available, even if it has to come at a premium price. They need to let the market decide.
    - deleted 17y ago
      [deleted]
    - raganwald 17y ago
      Yes, and while they're at it, why not offer a MacBook with Windows instead of OS X? Why not offer a subscription music service? Why do they insist on making premium products? Why not make one of everything like Dell and let the market decide?
      - jbellis 17y ago
        Obviously offering one of everything isn't what Apple does. Offering the _best_ of everything is. So shipping a crappy SSD is dumb. (Personally I strongly suspect it's because they can get closer to that 100% hardware markup they love on a lower-end model, than because it's greener. But I'm sure "green" sounds better.)
        raganwald 17y ago
        I think "best" is part of the perception they market, but the reality is that they off er a variety of products that don't suck. Sometimes that comes across as "high end" because of how many other bag-sucking PCs are marketed as "cheap." But seriously, when was the last time an Apple computer has the fastest CPU? Or the largest laptop screen. Or anything with a card reader. Or blue ray... Just pointing out that they are entirely willing to avoid the absolute top of the line and have done so consistently. Maybe it's a margin thing as you say, I don't know...
  - solutionyogi 17y ago
    Why the downvote? What's wrong with the idea of giving consumers a choice on how 'green' they want to be? [Don't get me started on the whole 'green' bullshit.]
    - jodrellblank 17y ago
      "give me my SSD" In what sense is the SSD you haven't paid for that they do not offer, 'yours'?
    - Confusion 17y ago
      Because Apple has decided it is part of their image to be 'green' and a consequence of that is that they cannot use things like halogen-containing SSD's. Apple doesn't consist of hippies; they have a brand name to uphold. It's a trade-off and calling that 'retarded' means you completely missed their rational reasons for not using halogen-containing SSD's.
    - selven 17y ago
      Because being ungreen hurts everyone. Giving customers a choice on how safe they are, however, is a completely different issue.
  - trunnell 17y ago
    It's not retarded. You make a false assumption that halogen-free directives are about being green. It's as much about safety as anything else: For some applications there is a concern that halogenated plastic materials will release corrosive and toxic gases if ignited in a fire. The corrosive element of these gases has the potential to damage electronics wherever the smoke travels, and the toxic element can be potentially hazardous to persons if they cannot easily evacuate from the area. Applications where corrosion potential is of particular concern include communications data centers and phone switching stations with large amounts of expensive electronics. As a case in point the fire called “the worst disaster in telecommunications history” occurred on May 8th 1988 in a Hinsdale, IL Central Office facility for Illinois Bell. The fire cut local service to 35,000 suburban Chicago phone customers and was estimated to have cost many millions of dollars in recovery cost. In the after effects of the fire the central processor of the phone switch, which was not directly involved in the fire, had to be replaced reportedly due to the effects of acid corrosion. The toxicity of smoke is of highest concern within enclosed spaces where means of escape by persons are limited; examples include mass transit rail cars, ships, and Offshore Oil and Gas platforms. There have been several tragic fires that have occurred involving transit vehicles over recent years that have brought heightened concern to this issue. In a February 2003 incident, news reports of a fire involving two trains in a Daegu, South Korea subway station told of how toxic fumes and heavy black smoke prevented firefighters from making a quick rescue of those trapped. 120 were killed and many others injured in that incident. http://www.gocsc.com/uploads/white_papers/E47B142616A84C3F90BD14CD010B7FD5.pdf http://www.gocsc.com/uploads/white_papers/E47B142616A84C3F90...
Tuna-Fish 17y ago
Why are you waiting for apple to ship it? Just go to a store, buy one, and install it to your laptop. It's not exactly hard, even if you are not a hw geek.
- n-named 17y ago
  $900(or so) vs. $300 I paid apple for theirs, which still gives me a significant benefit compared to a non ssd.
- ahlatimer 17y ago
  Replacing the HDD in a pre-unibody MBP isn't exactly easy, either. You have to take off the whole top case just to get at the drive. That one action voids the warranty, and if you don't do it properly, you can bend the case or damage components or connections.

by cpr 17y ago

pieter 17y ago

The first generation of the Intel SSD's contained halogens so Apple couldn't use them. The new ones are halogen-free, so it might be they show up in future revisions of the MBP.

jbellis 17y ago
That's retarded. Stop kissing up to Greenpeace and give me my SSD, Apple. :(
- gohnjanotis 17y ago
  Yeah, really! They should provide options to ship with the best SSD options available, even if it has to come at a premium price. They need to let the market decide.
  - deleted 17y ago
    [deleted]
  - raganwald 17y ago
    Yes, and while they're at it, why not offer a MacBook with Windows instead of OS X? Why not offer a subscription music service? Why do they insist on making premium products? Why not make one of everything like Dell and let the market decide?
    - jbellis 17y ago
      Obviously offering one of everything isn't what Apple does. Offering the _best_ of everything is. So shipping a crappy SSD is dumb. (Personally I strongly suspect it's because they can get closer to that 100% hardware markup they love on a lower-end model, than because it's greener. But I'm sure "green" sounds better.)
      - raganwald 17y ago
        I think "best" is part of the perception they market, but the reality is that they off er a variety of products that don't suck. Sometimes that comes across as "high end" because of how many other bag-sucking PCs are marketed as "cheap." But seriously, when was the last time an Apple computer has the fastest CPU? Or the largest laptop screen. Or anything with a card reader. Or blue ray... Just pointing out that they are entirely willing to avoid the absolute top of the line and have done so consistently. Maybe it's a margin thing as you say, I don't know...
- solutionyogi 17y ago
  Why the downvote? What's wrong with the idea of giving consumers a choice on how 'green' they want to be? [Don't get me started on the whole 'green' bullshit.]
  - jodrellblank 17y ago
    "give me my SSD" In what sense is the SSD you haven't paid for that they do not offer, 'yours'?
  - Confusion 17y ago
    Because Apple has decided it is part of their image to be 'green' and a consequence of that is that they cannot use things like halogen-containing SSD's. Apple doesn't consist of hippies; they have a brand name to uphold. It's a trade-off and calling that 'retarded' means you completely missed their rational reasons for not using halogen-containing SSD's.
  - selven 17y ago
    Because being ungreen hurts everyone. Giving customers a choice on how safe they are, however, is a completely different issue.
- trunnell 17y ago
  It's not retarded. You make a false assumption that halogen-free directives are about being green. It's as much about safety as anything else: For some applications there is a concern that halogenated plastic materials will release corrosive and toxic gases if ignited in a fire. The corrosive element of these gases has the potential to damage electronics wherever the smoke travels, and the toxic element can be potentially hazardous to persons if they cannot easily evacuate from the area. Applications where corrosion potential is of particular concern include communications data centers and phone switching stations with large amounts of expensive electronics. As a case in point the fire called “the worst disaster in telecommunications history” occurred on May 8th 1988 in a Hinsdale, IL Central Office facility for Illinois Bell. The fire cut local service to 35,000 suburban Chicago phone customers and was estimated to have cost many millions of dollars in recovery cost. In the after effects of the fire the central processor of the phone switch, which was not directly involved in the fire, had to be replaced reportedly due to the effects of acid corrosion. The toxicity of smoke is of highest concern within enclosed spaces where means of escape by persons are limited; examples include mass transit rail cars, ships, and Offshore Oil and Gas platforms. There have been several tragic fires that have occurred involving transit vehicles over recent years that have brought heightened concern to this issue. In a February 2003 incident, news reports of a fire involving two trains in a Daegu, South Korea subway station told of how toxic fumes and heavy black smoke prevented firefighters from making a quick rescue of those trapped. 120 were killed and many others injured in that incident. http://www.gocsc.com/uploads/white_papers/E47B142616A84C3F90BD14CD010B7FD5.pdf http://www.gocsc.com/uploads/white_papers/E47B142616A84C3F90...

Tuna-Fish 17y ago

Why are you waiting for apple to ship it? Just go to a store, buy one, and install it to your laptop. It's not exactly hard, even if you are not a hw geek.

n-named 17y ago
$900(or so) vs. $300 I paid apple for theirs, which still gives me a significant benefit compared to a non ssd.
ahlatimer 17y ago
Replacing the HDD in a pre-unibody MBP isn't exactly easy, either. You have to take off the whole top case just to get at the drive. That one action voids the warranty, and if you don't do it properly, you can bend the case or damage components or connections.