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Best Macbook Hard Drive under $200?

Just got back from Best Buy. Boatloads of the things on the shelf, $149.00.

Bought one - it will be going in the MBP tonight if I have time.

Thanks to all for pointing this out - I don't normally check the ads unless I'm specifically looking for something....

MacDann
 
warranty issue?

I was wondering if installing a new HD yourself in a MB or MBP will void your warranty? I thought I read somewhere that it didn't, but upon reading some reviews of the WD 320GB drive I found this:

"Other Thoughts: Popped this drive into my MacBook Pro. (Warning! WILL void warranty doing it on your own!) Cloned my old drive over to this new one. Runs like a dream. Makes NO noise what-so-ever, runs just as fast if not faster than my old drive (120gb 5400rpm Fujitsu). Did notice a significant increase in boot time! YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH THIS DRIVE!!!"

Thoughts?

Also, can the current model Macbook make all 320GB available or can it only use a smaller amount?
 
I just got one yesterday from Best Buy. The one thing I do notice is that the Buffer size is 2MB. I wonder if this makes a huge difference as the Scorpio had a Buffer size of 8 MB. That is the only difference I can see between the Scorpio and the Passport.
 
tekulvi said:
I just got one yesterday from Best Buy. The one thing I do notice is that the Buffer size is 2MB. I wonder if this makes a huge difference as the Scorpio had a Buffer size of 8 MB. That is the only difference I can see between the Scorpio and the Passport.
Click to expand...

How did you determine this?

I just installed mine, and I can find no mention of the buffer size at all on the drive itself --- just a bog-standard Scorpio part number: WDC WD3200BEVT-00ZCT0.

Is there a way to determine this via software? System Profiler and Disk Utility don't report it.

For what it's worth, my boot time seems much faster now, versus my previous 160GB HDD. (And no, this isn't a new OS installation --- I Carbon Copy Cloned)
 
azdude said:
How did you determine this?

I just installed mine, and I can find no mention of the buffer size at all on the drive itself --- just a bog-standard Scorpio part number: WDC WD3200BEVT-00ZCT0.

Is there a way to determine this via software? System Profiler and Disk Utility don't report it.

For what it's worth, my boot time seems much faster now, versus my previous 160GB HDD. (And no, this isn't a new OS installation --- I Carbon Copy Cloned)
Click to expand...


It said that when I went to purchase the Passport at Best Buy last night. It said on the yellow card "2Mb Buffer". It could be wrong. I won't really know until I open up the passport and see the drive information physically ( at least to get the model #). If the drive in the enclousure says "WDC WD3200BEVT-00ZCT0" then its just the Scorpio place into an enclosure. If it says something different, I need to see how a 2MB buffer is going to affect performance.
 
tekulvi said:
It said that when I went to purchase the Passport at Best Buy last night. It said on the yellow card "2Mb Buffer". It could be wrong. I won't really know until I open up the passport and see the drive information physically ( at least to get the model #). If the drive in the enclousure says "WDC WD3200BEVT-00ZCT0" then its just the Scorpio place into an enclosure. If it says something different, I need to see how a 2MB buffer is going to affect performance.
Click to expand...

Ok, at this point I'll just trust that I have a full Scorpio, as my label looks nearly identical to the one in the Tom's Hardware review, model number and all:

(http://images.tomshardware.com/2008...n_the_club/western-digital-wd3200bevt-top.jpg)
 
azdude said:
Ok, at this point I'll just trust that I have a full Scorpio, as my label looks nearly identical to the one in the Tom's Hardware review, model number and all:

(http://images.tomshardware.com/2008...n_the_club/western-digital-wd3200bevt-top.jpg)
Click to expand...

I just popped the WD Passort open....the hardware number is:

WD3200BEVT-227CT0

Now if I do a search on WD3200BEVT I can see its a scorpio. Not sure what the other numbers are "227CT0"

Man popping that open was a bitch. My fingers are raw!
 
azdude said:
Very interesting. So there definitely are slightly different models in use here.
Click to expand...

I wish I could find out what those last 6 digits mean. Im convinced I have some form of a Scorpio...just not sure which....and I am left with the question of the 2MB buffer.
 
There are also 2 different models of WD Passports. One is WDXMS3200TN and the other is WDME3200TN.

I wonder if each has a different version of the Scorpio in it. I know the XMS one is newer, so maybe it is the one that has a newer drive with 8MB cache and the ME has a 2MB cache?
 
smes3817 said:
There are also 2 different models of WD Passports. One is WDXMS3200TN and the other is WDME3200TN.

I wonder if each has a different version of the Scorpio in it. I know the XMS one is newer, so maybe it is the one that has a newer drive with 8MB cache and the ME has a 2MB cache?
Click to expand...

My model number is WD3200XMS-00. A search on WD3200XMS yields about 30 Russian and Polish sites.
 
Major bummer, here.

After using Carbon Copy Cloner to put my former drive contents onto the Scorpio, Time Machine now wants to back everything up again. ...there goes 100GB of my Time Machine drive for no reason.
 
A good, high capacity, lightweight external USB drive is a nice addition to the MBA and I am really digging the Western Digital Passport 320GB (Model: WDXMS3200, US$199). The passport is a perfect companion to the MBA because it’s USB 2.0 only (no need to waste money on those pesky Firewire and eSATA interfaces), lightweight (3.7 ounces/104 grams) and ships with the same snappy, 320GB, 5400RPM, SATA Scorpio mechanism that I used to have in my MacBook Pro (I reviewed “the mother of all notebook drives” on 16 Nov 2007).

This is a cut and paste from

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Apple/?p=1292#more-1292
 
At this point the only question I have is about the 2MB vs 8 MB...how does that effect performance.

And sorry to hear about your time machine. I am not sold on that just yet....some kinks Apple needs to work out on that one.
 
azdude said:
Major bummer, here.

After using Carbon Copy Cloner to put my former drive contents onto the Scorpio, Time Machine now wants to back everything up again. ...there goes 100GB of my Time Machine drive for no reason.
Click to expand...

A note to others who may encounter this issue:

Don't use Carbon Copy Cloner in the first place! Just install the blank drive, boot off your Leopard DVD, and choose Restore from Time Machine. Then, you'll just keep on trucking from that restore point.

So simple, I can't believe I overlooked it.
 
azdude said:
A note to others who may encounter this issue:

Don't use Carbon Copy Cloner in the first place! Just install the blank drive, boot off your Leopard DVD, and choose Restore from Time Machine. Then, you'll just keep on trucking from that restore point.

So simple, I can't believe I overlooked it.
Click to expand...

What if someone isnt using Time machine? Is carbon copy still a viable option?
 
tekulvi said:
I just popped the WD Passort open....the hardware number is:

WD3200BEVT-227CT0

Now if I do a search on WD3200BEVT I can see its a scorpio. Not sure what the other numbers are "227CT0"

Man popping that open was a bitch. My fingers are raw!
Click to expand...

This drive has an 8Mb buffer, according to the specifications posted on WD's web site.

MacDann
 
tekulvi said:
What if someone isnt using Time machine? Is carbon copy still a viable option?
Click to expand...

Yes, but in all honesty, I don't bother with it. I just pop the old drive in the enclosure, install Tiger/Leopard on the new one, and use the Migration Assistant to pull everything off the old drive (now in the enclosure and connected via USB) and I'm off!

MacDann
 
MacDann said:
Yes, but in all honesty, I don't bother with it. I just pop the old drive in the enclosure, install Tiger/Leopard on the new one, and use the Migration Assistant to pull everything off the old drive (now in the enclosure and connected via USB) and I'm off!

MacDann
Click to expand...

Thanks MacDann for the verification on the drive. This will be the 1st time I am attempting something like this ( I am fairly new to Apple...but I can tell you, I have NEVER been happier with a OS/Computer!. I am in the process of phasing out the 2 other PCs in my house. My next purchase will be an Imac sometime later in the year).

With regards to the MIgration assistant, is it a long process?

Does it pull over all the programs ( like Ilife, Iwork, and things I have installed)
 
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