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Possible to install Lion on SD card? for 2012 MBA

Wicked1

Wicked1

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Apr 13, 2009
3,283
14
New Jersey
Ok so here is a stupid question, can you install Lion on an other media other than the internal 128ssd that came in my 2012 13" MBA?

I was looking at OWC 240GB ssd and it is still slightly more expensive, then I found one of my 64GB SDxc cards and thought maybe it is possible to load Mountain Lion on there, but prefer to keep Lion as my internal drive.

Has anyone done this with success? If not I may just use an external drive for my ML drive?

If you have any other ideas I am all ears :)
 
js81

js81

macrumors 65816
Dec 31, 2008
1,199
16
KY
Crazy idea: Why not take the internal SSD, a 64GB MicroSD card, and a Nifty Drive and make a MBA FUSION DRIVE? It'd work just like on the iMac/mini; SSD is faster so it gets priority, with the MicroSD as extra storage. Just a fun thought... :D
 
W

Wokis

macrumors 6502a
Jul 3, 2012
931
1,276
Stockholm, Sweden
js81 said:
Crazy idea: Why not take the internal SSD, a 64GB MicroSD card, and a Nifty Drive and make a MBA FUSION DRIVE? It'd work just like on the iMac/mini; SSD is faster so it gets priority, with the MicroSD as extra storage. Just a fun thought... :D
Click to expand...

The horror that must happen if you accidentally or otherwise suddenly remove the SD-card :)
 
blueroom

blueroom

macrumors 603
Feb 15, 2009
6,381
26
Toronto, Canada
SDHC cards are fairly slow and don't have wear leveling or caching like SSDs do. Much slower than the stock internal 4200rpm drive in older MBPs'.
 
js81

js81

macrumors 65816
Dec 31, 2008
1,199
16
KY
blueroom said:
SDHC cards are fairly slow and don't have wear leveling or caching like SSDs do. Much slower than the stock internal 4200rpm drive in older MBPs'.
Click to expand...

Best ones look to be in the 30MB/s range in read and write, so yeah, you're probably right. Probably wouldn't fusion them, but as supplemental storage, they'd probably be OK. Still researching reliability...

EDIT: Not a definitive answer, but check out the "answer" to this posting... Seems wear-leveling might actually be part of the SD equation...
 
Last edited:
W

Wokis

macrumors 6502a
Jul 3, 2012
931
1,276
Stockholm, Sweden
js81 said:
True, but that's the point of using the Nifty Drive - it's only removable with a tool. :D
Click to expand...

Oh yes I'm a backer on that project and eagerly waiting for mine. But still it feels like you shouldn't try fusion on this. Replacing the card (say once 128GB microSD gets released) would possibly lead to having to reinstall the OS.

Better just make some folders called "pictures", "music" or/and "videos" on it and leave it at some simple manual sorting :)
 
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