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ExpressCard SSD for VMWare/Parallels image

M

mrrippey

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 7, 2009
242
0
Hey gang,

going to pick up a Pro sometime very soon and thinking about my optimal config: Intel 80GB SSD, internal 320GB in optibay like situation and an SSD ExpressCard.

Since I am going to be running virtualization, I wonder if getting one of these cards (32GB card or something) would be quick or would it make more sense to get a bigger SSD (like OCZ)? I am just weary about the 'issues' I see with OCZ drives (can't update firmware easily)
 
Bill Gates

Bill Gates

macrumors 68030
Jun 21, 2006
2,500
14
127.0.0.1
An SSD ExpressCard would work fine in that situation. Just be sure to buy one that connects to the internal PCI-E bus as opposed to the USB bus, which would be dreadfully slow.
 
Spanky Deluxe

Spanky Deluxe

macrumors demi-god
Mar 17, 2005
5,282
1,745
London, UK
Bill Gates said:
An SSD ExpressCard would work fine in that situation. Just be sure to buy one that connects to the internal PCI-E bus as opposed to the USB bus, which would be dreadfully slow.
Click to expand...

OCZ's drives connect via USB.

OCZ Slate SSD acts simply as a USB mass storage device, going about its business about as fast as the highest performing USB 2.0 flash drives on the market.
Click to expand...

I really wish Intel would offer an ExpressCard solution. It strikes me that in a MacBook Pro this would be the ideal setup. An 80gb Expresscard SSD as your boot partition and a 500gb 7200rpm 2.5" drive as your data drive.
 
M

mrrippey

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 7, 2009
242
0
in regards to internal SSD's, seems that Intel are the fastest ones but costly.

OCZ are apparently very good (and cheaper) but some are having issues upgrading firmware (newer macbook pro).

FileMate have some ExpressCard SSD's and 2 of them are the USB crappy connected ones and the other two are the PCI fast connected ones (and more expensive, biggest was 48GB for $175, 24GB was about $110 or so)

I think once I get my uMBP, I will get the Intel x25 and move the internal drive to the superdrive slot so I will have two internals with total 400GB storage and put the Win7 image on the Expresscard (i will get the 48GB one). This way I can keep all my apps on the 80GB SSD, data, music and pics on the 320GB internal and Win7 on the ExpressCard SSD.

Hopefully things will be very fast :) Since I will always be plugged in (at work and at home) battery life is not too much of a concern; this will be my primary computer however.

:D
 
MacModMachine

MacModMachine

macrumors 68020
Apr 3, 2009
2,476
392
Canada
Spanky Deluxe said:
Sorry, I meant OCZ's ExpressCard SSDs are all USB.
Click to expand...

indeed they are,

filemate makes 2 expresscard ones that connect directly to the bus

24gb and 48gb

i have the 48g and it is very fast, i run a paralells xp pro image of it to program pocketpc apps through visual studio . net and it is very fast for me.
 
R

revs

macrumors 6502
Jun 2, 2008
444
375
UK
Another vote for the FileMate 48GB - running my whole system off it, and its very vast for an ExpressCard!
 
J

John89

macrumors regular
Dec 23, 2008
247
0
Scotland
another +1 on the Filemate ExpressCard SSD.

I use it for Parallels too, and its very fast. I use Windows 7, and the Performance score is 7.2!!! :D

I think actual speed is 115mb/s read and 65mb/s write.

I really wish you could use these these things for the bootcamp partion! Apple need to sort bootcamp with a proper BIOS so you can select it as a startup disk.

Sorry to change subject, but does anyone know whats coming in bootcamp 3.0?
 
M

mrrippey

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 7, 2009
242
0
well I guess this thread is moot since the new 13" and 15" MacBook Pro has a SD card and not ExpressCard.

I will just have an internal 120SSD and internal 250HDD (in cd tray) and load my non essential apps on the HDD and OS and core apps on SSD

I will order my new 15" MacBook this week :D
 
T

tm.chen

macrumors member
Apr 14, 2009
68
0
John89 said:
How are you running your whole system off it? Do you mean OSX or Windows Bootcamp?
Click to expand...

Has anyone experienced stuttering with the expresscard drives? I just got a reply from the manufacturer that it is using a jmicron controller. Now I am worried that I have just paid 175 that cant do what I want it to do. :(
 
UltraNEO*

UltraNEO*

macrumors 601
Jun 16, 2007
4,057
15
近畿日本
mrrippey said:
well I guess this thread is moot since the new 13" and 15" MacBook Pro has a SD card and not ExpressCard.

I will just have an internal 120SSD and internal 250HDD (in cd tray) and load my non essential apps on the HDD and OS and core apps on SSD

I will order my new 15" MacBook this week :D
Click to expand...

I was gonna say.. "13 & 15 don't have ExpressCard slot" I wonder why Apple has dropped this feature? I think the SD only slot is a downgrade from the previous config... At least having the expresscard slot allowed users to choose what they use it for, now it's only SD cards? or is there a converter coming?
 
A

azza1310

macrumors newbie
Aug 9, 2009
6
0
has anyone tried installing boot camp on an expresscard SSD? i know you can install boot camp on a usb 2.0 external drive and esata external drive with an expresscard esata adaptor but i never seen or heard of any one using an expresscard SSD and boot camp.
 
I

iktome

macrumors newbie
Aug 11, 2009
2
0
No Windows 7 for Filemate Ultra Expresscard 48GB

I purchased the Filemate ultra 48GB expresscard ssd with the purpose of using it as a bootable partition for windows 7.

I could not get the windows 7 rc installer to see the drive for installation no mater what driver I provided. I even tried the latest one from Jmicron's website.

The mac can see the drive fine, boot camp sees it when I hold option at boot, but I cannot get windows 7 to use the drive as the device manager complains about not being able to use the device. I am hoping this is a windows 7 driver issue.

Let me know if anyone is able to get Windows 7 to successfully see this drive. Even if it is not being booted from it.

**Fingers crossed**
 
S

steffi

macrumors 6502a
Jun 7, 2003
862
12
Do I assume that if you're using an expresscard for your VM that your main drive isn't an SSD?

I mean if somebody has a 160 gb X-25M then there is little need for an expresscard SSD unless you want it to be portable from machine to machine.

MacModMachine said:
indeed they are,

filemate makes 2 expresscard ones that connect directly to the bus

24gb and 48gb

i have the 48g and it is very fast, i run a paralells xp pro image of it to program pocketpc apps through visual studio . net and it is very fast for me.
Click to expand...
 
pknoot

pknoot

macrumors newbie
Apr 7, 2009
27
0
Northern California
iktome said:
The mac can see the drive fine, boot camp sees it when I hold option at boot, but I cannot get windows 7 to use the drive as the device manager complains about not being able to use the device. I am hoping this is a windows 7 driver issue.
Click to expand...

I have the exact same hardware and same issue; it appears to be a resource conflict with the SATA controller. If this were XP, I would know how to reassign the IRQ; does anyone know how to change these in Win 7?
 
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