If I get rid of that cup of coffee (or two or three or four), then it's MY performance that goes down...
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Apple SSD Owners Unite!
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If I get rid of that cup of coffee (or two or three or four), then it's MY performance that goes down...
Firstly, I'm very calm, I'm just speaking the truth. Secondly, that's very childish of you to directly insult me. It has nothing to do with being lazy. Yeah right, the non-lazy ones post here crying a river with stripped screws or something not fitting properly because they decided to take it upon themselves to install 3rd party add-ons. MRoogle obviously didn't turn out the amount of actual threads here, but if you want to downplay that, no worries.
Also, maybe should take a quick look at the OP again, looks like you didn't read it. The OP is asking feedback from people who bought a Mac and opted for the Apple SSD, he didn't ask for Apple SSD alternatives.
Fail to see how I directly insulted you or anyone? Is lazy now an insult? Downplaying was not my intention, just posted my observations. There aren't any recent posts regarding stripped screws, was just attempting to verify your claim (which couldn't be done).
Those problems you describe have could have easily been solved by reading the instruction manuals (For example, Apples instructions make so very easy). Suppose you could say it's lazy of them not to read them, their fault they run into problems.
BTW, line #3 of your posting is just a repeat of what you already said in line #1.
You're trying to downplay the Applecare extended warranty as if all it covers is the hard drive so your point about buying a 3rd party drive with a 3-5 year warranty is moot in this case.
That part I highlighted up top, that's certainly laughable. Many times than not there are people on here who think they know how to cook a meal because they watched a chef perform on YouTube. As I mentioned earlier, stripped screws, parts not fitting together properly after installing the hardware, many people here don't even know how to format the drive...and these are the people that KNOW how to install.
.It's more than just people that are just lazy and are willing to pay for Apple's installed hardware.
This ^
And you dont need any technical know how to install a HDD into a MacBook of any sorts. If you find it so difficult to understand the mechanics of screws, then theres thousands of easy install videos on youtube.
I'm going have to agree with this here. Its the same as buying Apple RAM. A complete ripoff.
There is no excuse for not swapping your own HD. It's insanely simple. My girlfriend could do it with absolutely no IT/Hardware experience. Its so simple, that it makes changing the oil on your car look like an engine rebuild.
On top of that, SSDs like the ones with Sandforce controllers perform circles around Apple branded ones (Toshiba) with longer warranties. You also get to keep your original Apple HD as a backup.
As I mentioned earlier, stripped screws, parts not fitting together properly after installing the hardware, many people here don't even know how to format the drive...and these are the people that KNOW how to install.
Again, all problems that can be fixed by reading manuals and having patience/common sense.
Looking at an SSD as a future purchase myself.
When I get a Mac Mini and it's time to upgrade, I'm opening it once and that's for an SSD and 8Gb RAM Kit.
Looking at the comparisons on Barefeats between the Apple SSDs and the fastest 3rd party SSD installed in an iMac, it's definitely not hype or people deliberately slating Apple's SSDs, it's simply a FACT they under perform compared with the latest 3rd party SSDs (with lower capacities, so it's still a compromise unless you store most of your files on a separate drive).
Personally, I've always had the largest, fastest drive partitioned as 60Gb OS, the rest for file storage and a second dedicated drive for audio recording.
Add an SSD and the only change is partitioning the recording drive to 100Gb Audio and the rest file storage.
Here's the link to the Barefeats article and some numbers:-
http://www.barefeats.com/imac10d.html
Small Random Read:
OWC SSD 143Mb/s vs Apple SSD 100Mb/s
Small Random Write:
OWC SSD 156Mb/s vs Apple SSD 88Mb/s
7200 RPM Hard Drives were in the 20 - 34Mb/s range
Large Sequential Read:
OWC SSD 271Mb/s vs Apple SSD 204Mb/s
Large Sequential Write:
OWC SSD 264Mb/s vs Apple SSD 167Mb/s
7200 RPM Hard Drives were in the 119 - 122Mb/s range
When I get a Mac Mini and it's time to upgrade, I'm opening it once and that's for an SSD and 8Gb RAM Kit.
Looking at the comparisons on Barefeats between the Apple SSDs and the fastest 3rd party SSD installed in an iMac, it's definitely not hype or people deliberately slating Apple's SSDs, it's simply a FACT they under perform compared with the latest 3rd party SSDs (with lower capacities, so it's still a compromise unless you store most of your files on a separate drive).
Personally, I've always had the largest, fastest drive partitioned as 60Gb OS, the rest for file storage and a second dedicated drive for audio recording.
Add an SSD and the only change is partitioning the recording drive to 100Gb Audio and the rest file storage.
Here's the link to the Barefeats article and some numbers:-
http://www.barefeats.com/imac10d.html
Small Random Read:
OWC SSD 143Mb/s vs Apple SSD 100Mb/s
Small Random Write:
OWC SSD 156Mb/s vs Apple SSD 88Mb/s
7200 RPM Hard Drives were in the 20 - 34Mb/s range
Large Sequential Read:
OWC SSD 271Mb/s vs Apple SSD 204Mb/s
Large Sequential Write:
OWC SSD 264Mb/s vs Apple SSD 167Mb/s
7200 RPM Hard Drives were in the 119 - 122Mb/s range
No problem, if those are your views, again you're not sticking to the thread topic. The OP is not asking for the information you're trying to jam down our throats. BTW, you did insult me, if you don't think calling me lazy (especially when I didn't insult you) is insulting then you need to learn better manners.
You seemed insulting yourself, "Some people here are just picky ass nerds", hence my original "calm down" post. All I did was point out that your claim about lots of stripped screw threads couldn't be verified. Also, that Apples SSDs are quite overpriced and subpar (especially when you consider that you have to pay an additional $350 to get a worth-while warranty from Apple).
Also, I never directly called you lazy, was meant as a generalization. Honestly, I've just never thought of lazy to be an insult, it's news to me. My apologies.
HLdan,
I see that in the United States, where everything tends to be surprisingly cheap, that may be the case, but I can't get Apple to ship me a Mac from the US, and their SSD's here start at $1k. So a 3rd party international reseller such as OWC is WAY better.
I see that in the United States, where everything tends to be surprisingly cheap, that may be the case, but I can't get Apple to ship me a Mac from the US, and their SSD's here start at $1k. So a 3rd party international reseller such as OWC is WAY better.
Haha
This thread is ridiculous! Seriously, your boasting that you overpaid for an SSD drive? Do you burn your money on purpose or just for entertainment? Might as well buy their ram too, only $800 overpriced and is identical if not sub par to the generic sticks on the market.
Common sense unite! (Now I see why Stewart is really have that rally)
This thread is ridiculous! Seriously, your boasting that you overpaid for an SSD drive? Do you burn your money on purpose or just for entertainment? Might as well buy their ram too, only $800 overpriced and is identical if not sub par to the generic sticks on the market.
Common sense unite! (Now I see why Stewart is really have that rally)
Thank you very much for your apology, honestly. But check out YOUR post and MINE that you quoted. You said "if YOU'RE lazy", I said, "Some people". Yours was a direct insult which is against the forum rules, mine was a generalization which is not. Not only that, I was the one that said that I bought 2 Apple notebooks and paid extra for Apple's SSD. It doesn't matter what you think, it's how people perceive it, I perceived being called lazy as an insult. I can't see it as a compliment, could you?
In all fairness none of my posts said that installing a 3rd party SSD was a bad idea and that they weren't "better". The OP wanted to know current user's experiences with Apple's SSD's which unfortunately some posters here are conveniently turning this topic into an Apple SSD vs. 3rd Party SSD which is not the forum topic, henceforth creates a conflict.
Orange™;11090971 said:
Some people might be laughing at you for buying what's known to be an overpriced notebook.
Some people might be laughing at you for buying what's known to be an overpriced notebook.
Theres a difference. The MBP offers many things that other laptops don't have.
An Apple supplied SSD offers nothing that a third party can't accomplish.
The same is said about a Mac vs. a PC. People say there's nothing you can do on a Mac that can't be done on a PC. You're argument fails here.
It's not overpriced. There's something called opportunity cost. Apple installs it for you and pre-loads the OS and apps so you can get right to work. Installing an SSD by myself takes time (not like 24 hours or something but still it's not super quick) to replace the drive and install the OS and apps. Some people have work to do and a couple of hours means hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of down time. This isn't the case for me personally but I do know a few people where a couple of hours matters a lot. In the long run, the extra cost of an SSD from Apple is negligible for most people. If it doesn't apply to you, then do whatever you like. But don't be ignorant and believe that Apple is intentionally trying to screw you over and that your situation is the same as everybody else. It isn't.
Let me try to clear some things up here:
If you cannot install a hard drive into a computer, you probably can't get out of bed in the morning. Are you kidding me with the "installing a hard drive is difficult" angle? Get the hell out of here. If you can brush your teeth, you have the dexterity to install a hard drive. Anyone with half a brain can install a hard drive. Put it this way, I am TERRIBLE with handiwork, I haven't been inside a Home Depot in the last 5+ years, and, embarrassingly, I have trouble hammering a nail straight on. Yet I can install a hard drive. The whole "you don't have to install a hard drive if you buy the Apple one" is complete bs.
For those complaining about the time it takes, again, get the hell out of here. It takes 15 minutes to swap hard drives, and that's if you stop for a 5 minute snack in the middle. And as far as reinstalling OSX, it takes 30 minutes, usually less. Let's overestimate and call it 45. So in an hour, I can swap hard drives, install OSX, and get a quick snack in, not to mention that while OSX installs you can do whatever you want.
If you don't have an hour of your life to spend on this, then you are probably too busy to use a computer in the first place. Which is no one.
Buying from Apple gives people a false sense of security, which, hey, if it makes you feel better, so be it. Your life, your money. I have no problem with that. But trying to justify it as a true sense of security with anything other than purely psychological advantages is just plain wrong. Buying from Apple is both financially and performance-wise a very silly decision.
If you cannot install a hard drive into a computer, you probably can't get out of bed in the morning. Are you kidding me with the "installing a hard drive is difficult" angle? Get the hell out of here. If you can brush your teeth, you have the dexterity to install a hard drive. Anyone with half a brain can install a hard drive. Put it this way, I am TERRIBLE with handiwork, I haven't been inside a Home Depot in the last 5+ years, and, embarrassingly, I have trouble hammering a nail straight on. Yet I can install a hard drive. The whole "you don't have to install a hard drive if you buy the Apple one" is complete bs.
For those complaining about the time it takes, again, get the hell out of here. It takes 15 minutes to swap hard drives, and that's if you stop for a 5 minute snack in the middle. And as far as reinstalling OSX, it takes 30 minutes, usually less. Let's overestimate and call it 45. So in an hour, I can swap hard drives, install OSX, and get a quick snack in, not to mention that while OSX installs you can do whatever you want.
If you don't have an hour of your life to spend on this, then you are probably too busy to use a computer in the first place. Which is no one.
Buying from Apple gives people a false sense of security, which, hey, if it makes you feel better, so be it. Your life, your money. I have no problem with that. But trying to justify it as a true sense of security with anything other than purely psychological advantages is just plain wrong. Buying from Apple is both financially and performance-wise a very silly decision.
Couldn't agree more on this. OCZ gives me 3 years of warranty on their SSD, Apple gives me one year. Oh, and Apple is definitely no saint when it comes to replacing parts, Applecare is far from ideal. People saying otherwise should try using it for their own experience, it generally sucks. Apple only mass-replaces parts that would otherwise instigate a lawsuit. In most other cases, it's a terrible experience for us users to get them to replace a broken part, as they will claim it's your fault that it broke/fits within Apple requirements for the part/blablablaetc.
Theres plenty of things you can do on a Mac that you can't do on a PC. For example, running OSX.
Is this thread's sole purpose to confort oneself aftering making a bad purchasing decision and need to not feel remorse?
Certainly looks like it.
So, comparing the cost of the Apple and OWC SSD's:
128GB Apple SSD - $200
120GB OWC SSD - $300
256GB Apple SSD - $650
240GB OWC SSD - $600
Got the OWC prices here: http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/Se...opularity|1&Ne=5000&N=4294967255+6403&Ntt=ssd
If you go with after market 3rd party drive, you get the extra 500GB HD, worth about $70.
So, I don't understand how the Apple drives are such a ripoff. I understand that the specs are slightly better with the OWC drives, but cost-wise they don't seem far off, and in the 120GB range, Apple is cheaper. What am I missing?
128GB Apple SSD - $200
120GB OWC SSD - $300
256GB Apple SSD - $650
240GB OWC SSD - $600
Got the OWC prices here: http://eshop.macsales.com/Search/Se...opularity|1&Ne=5000&N=4294967255+6403&Ntt=ssd
If you go with after market 3rd party drive, you get the extra 500GB HD, worth about $70.
So, I don't understand how the Apple drives are such a ripoff. I understand that the specs are slightly better with the OWC drives, but cost-wise they don't seem far off, and in the 120GB range, Apple is cheaper. What am I missing?
You're not missing much, if anything at all. BUT, the price reasoning you considered only applies to customers in the United States, if buying from Apple, whereas OWC prices remain unchanged worldwide. Even with all the taxes and shipping a 120GB OWC SSD will still be WAY cheaper than an Apple one here.