Possible to install Lion on SD card? for 2012 MBA

Wicked1 · Dec 3, 2012, 12:12 PM

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

flatfoot · Dec 4, 2012, 03:27 AM

SD cards are too slow for use as a system drive. Better use one for data.

js81 · Dec 4, 2012, 07:33 AM

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...

Wokis · Dec 4, 2012, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by js81

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...

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

js81 · Dec 4, 2012, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wokis

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

True, but that's the point of using the Nifty Drive - it's only removable with a tool.

blueroom · Dec 4, 2012, 10:53 AM

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 · 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueroom

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'.

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...

Wokis · Dec 5, 2012, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by js81

True, but that's the point of using the Nifty Drive - it's only removable with a tool.

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

Dec 3, 2012, 12:12 PM	#1
Wicked1 macrumors 68030 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: New Jersey	Possible to install Lion on SD card? for 2012 MBA 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 __________________ iPhone 5 16GB Black 2012 MacBook Pro 13" 2.5/4GB/240GB SSD
	0

Dec 4, 2012, 03:27 AM	#2
flatfoot macrumors 6502a Join Date: Aug 2009	SD cards are too slow for use as a system drive. Better use one for data. __________________ Power Mac G5-i7 i7-870@3.52GHz, 8GB CL8 1600MHz RAM, GeForce 9600GT, 2x64GB MBA SSD RAID0, 8TB RAID0, backup: 7.25TB via HighPoint RR2314 MBA 2010 1.4 C2D, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD iPod touch 4G 32GB
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Dec 4, 2012, 07:33 AM	#3
js81 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: 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... __________________ Late-09 Mac mini server
	0

Dec 4, 2012, 10:53 AM	#6
blueroom macrumors 601 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: 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'. __________________ My iOS devices are not jailbroken. Bill My Blog
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