Some MacBook Airs Shipping with Faster SSDs

it'd be silly to buy a MBA without waiting to see what the sandy bridge refresh anyways

I've got the faster SSD.
Well, that's a bonus for not waiting for the SB update.

When are the new ones being release?

If you find yourself getting that inevitable feeling of "ugh, I wish I waited until after the stealth-bump" that comes whenever Apple does minor mid-cycle upgrades like this... Don't get too worried. SSD benchmarking is kind of silly, and in real-world use you'd be really hard pressed to tell which MacBook Air had the faster SSD in it if you were using them side by side. I mean I guess if all you used your MacBook Air for was massive sustained file transfers then yeah, you might notice something in a blind side by side test... But if that's all you use your MacBook Air for, why are you using a MacBook air?!

The major performance boost comes from going from a traditional spinning HD to a SSD, not hopping from a SSD to a slightly faster benchmarking SSD.

Regardless, it's cool that Apple is moving forward with faster memory.

I wonder if this will drive Toshiba to bump the spec on the SSD they're supplying?

It could be though, that Apple is paying a Premium (i.e. losing some money) and buying more expensive Samsung SSDs just to keep the supply chain full. Perhaps this is a result of the Japanese infrastructure disruption from last month's horrible quake and tsunami...

I'm really looking forward to SSD's coming down in price across the whole line. I want SSD in my next iMac, but I don't want to pay $600 extra for it.

Oh, and Holbie's been a member since 2002... So maybe cut him/her a break for a little harmless internet humor.

Hodapp said:

If you find yourself getting that inevitable feeling of "ugh, I wish I waited until after the stealth-bump" that comes whenever Apple does minor mid-cycle upgrades like this... Don't get too worried. SSD benchmarking is kind of silly, and in real-world use you'd be really hard pressed to tell which MacBook Air had the faster SSD in it if you were using them side by side. I mean I guess if all you used your MacBook Air for was massive sustained file transfers then yeah, you might notice something in a blind side by side test... But if that's all you use your MacBook Air for, why are you using a MacBook air?!

The major performance boost comes from going from a traditional spinning HD to a SSD, not hopping from a SSD to a slightly faster benchmarking SSD.

Regardless, it's cool that Apple is moving forward with faster memory.

Click to expand...

Admittedly, you are correct, going from spinning HD to an SSD is a big difference. However, when you have used as many SSDs as I have, a 50MB/s increase in read speed is noticeable. Not all the time, but when that extra speed is needed, it is there for you.

I wonder if they changed to Samsung because of the Japan earthquake? Maybe the Samsung ones are more expensive, but more available, of course.

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shartypants said:

I wonder if they changed to Samsung because of the Japan earthquake? Maybe the Samsung ones are more expensive, but more available, of course.

Click to expand...

I'm not sure why everybody thinks this new drive costs Apple more money. I wouldn't be surprised if it is less expensive. Apple does a lot of business with Samsung and there is a good possibility that they have invested some of those billions to secure supplies from Samsung.

Apple is just to tight to take a hit cost wise to give the customer a modest speed boost.

Interesting. I wonder if it is location-based.

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Interesting - I'll have to check what my MBA has inside it

Battlefield Fan said:

it'd be silly to buy a MBA without waiting to see what the sandy bridge refresh anyways

Click to expand...

Nope.

1)C2D should always be enough for a second machine. Even if you got a better processor, you lose - HARD - on the graphics processor. More emphasis should be put on that.

2) 320m is vastly superior to Intel integrated graphics. SB update would be a STEP BACKWARDS in the graphics dept. No Ivy Bridge? NO CARE. Not even debatable.

3) Again, no ivy bridge, no care. Graphics > Processor. If this is a primary machine, shame on you for looking at it to begin with (mainly referring to the 11").

Just bought an 11" model and I hope it has the best stuff available.

Kilamite said:

They just annoy me. What is the point in saying, "first"? The post should be deleted, seeing as it causes the discussion to go off on a tangent.

Reason it is annoying is because it such an old thing to do (really, who does it anymore?) and just brings the level of the forum community down.

Imagine if every post here had "FIRST!" underneath it. Top tech blogs like Engadget don't tolerate that sort of trolling, and neither should MacRumors.

Click to expand...

Fair point, I found the Macbook G5 comments boring and repetitive, yet others seemed to find them funny.

"First" still made me chuckle though....

Wonder if they have updated the SSDs they provide for other CTO Macs.

jamesryanbell said:

Nope.

1)C2D should always be enough for a second machine. Even if you got a better processor, you lose - HARD - on the graphics processor. More emphasis should be put on that.

2) 320m is vastly superior to Intel integrated graphics. SB update would be a STEP BACKWARDS in the graphics dept. No Ivy Bridge? NO CARE. Not even debatable.

3) Again, no ivy bridge, no care. Graphics > Processor. If this is a primary machine, shame on you for looking at it to begin with (mainly referring to the 11").

Click to expand...

Agreed, people continue to ignore that little fact when asking for SB.

I've been using my C2D Macbook for nearly 3 years, and it's been the Nvidia chip what's allowed me the odd game of Portal. Thank god I waited the extra year it took apple to replace that Intel POS with a decent graphics processor.

I was on the verge of buying an Air, what had stopped me so far was the removal of the backlit keys, and the hope that Nvidia and INTEL would reach an agreement that would allow Nvidia to make chipsets with proper graphics on them, but it looks like this gen of MB and MBA will be the last to be able to run games for a long while...

Maybe I should just get myself a maxed our MBA 13 before they get spoiled...

Kilamite said:

Wonder if they have updated the SSDs they provide for other CTO Macs.

Click to expand...

At least the SSDs in 2011 MBPs are Toshibas (same controller as in the Toshiba in MBA) from what I have seen.

Just got a new MacBook Air Monday, and for my SSD, it says:

Model: APPLE SSD TS128C

Guess I have "old, slower" one, in my "new, fastest" Air. The irony bomb hit the target. Honestly I can't really tell. As far as laptops go, this is ironically the fastest "feeling" laptop I've ever had. I use it for coding at work, connected to an external display, and I beat the guy next to me on his iMac when it comes to getting stuff done like opening up a remote share, getting a file, navigating, changing code, save it, back to Safari to test it.

Crazy new world, these SSD's allow.

jamesryanbell said:

Nope.

1)C2D should always be enough for a second machine. Even if you got a better processor, you lose - HARD - on the graphics processor. More emphasis should be put on that.

2) 320m is vastly superior to Intel integrated graphics. SB update would be a STEP BACKWARDS in the graphics dept. No Ivy Bridge? NO CARE. Not even debatable.

3) Again, no ivy bridge, no care. Graphics > Processor. If this is a primary machine, shame on you for looking at it to begin with (mainly referring to the 11").

Click to expand...

Wow, 3 bullet points just to let us all know that your opinion is that graphics performance is the reason that we should not wait? +1 succinct.

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I would love a SSD in my MacBook pro but likewise I'll wait until prices drop me thinks.

Battlefield Fan said:

it'd be silly to buy a MBA without waiting to see what the sandy bridge refresh anyways

Click to expand...

Yeah Core 2 is sounding insulting to even non-techies by now.

I don't want any Nvidia/ATI thing in there - just a 2nd gen i5/i7 and Sandy Bridge graphics.

Speaking of which can anyone with a Sandy Bridge 13" Macbook Pro comment on how does the sole Intel HD Graphics 3000 do?

Turns out I have the faster one. I don't know if there's a noticeable difference, but what I have is fast as hell.

SM128C in a CTO 11 inch Air from December. Looks like this isn't "new", just the discovery of it is.

the speeds quoted are for sustained sequential read/writes.

Unless you do a lot of large file transfers I'd be more concerned about random read/read of small files. This is what your ssd will be doing more of. I bet the difference is pretty much nil or hopefully is. Even if there is a small difference you won't notice. The new faster drive could in theory actually be slower w random read/write.

I happen to have a nook color that I run android with on a sd card. Everyone kept saying get class 6, get a class 10. When you get down to it you are better off with a class 2 or 4 sandisk sd due to faster performance on random read/writes and a better experience using the class 2 or 4 vs the others because of that fact.

ymmv, but i wouldn't sweat it if you just picked up a new air and it doesn't have this newly reported drive. I certainly wouldn't bother taking it back to apple store as others have reported doing-waste of time (Except in very rare circumstances)

Hodapp said:

If you find yourself getting that inevitable feeling of "ugh, I wish I waited until after the stealth-bump" that comes whenever Apple does minor mid-cycle upgrades like this... Don't get too worried. SSD benchmarking is kind of silly, and in real-world use you'd be really hard pressed to tell which MacBook Air had the faster SSD in it if you were using them side by side. I mean I guess if all you used your MacBook Air for was massive sustained file transfers then yeah, you might notice something in a blind side by side test... But if that's all you use your MacBook Air for, why are you using a MacBook air?!

The major performance boost comes from going from a traditional spinning HD to a SSD, not hopping from a SSD to a slightly faster benchmarking SSD.

Regardless, it's cool that Apple is moving forward with faster memory.

Click to expand...

I agree 100%. The only thing I'd consider is would the already blazing boot times be improved at all by these new faster disks by maybe even the smallest fraction? I'd be interested to see some speed tests if anyone has done them yet.