Boot from 2 different external FW SSDs?

[7enderbender]

Hello Mac experts,

Still considering the Mac route for my next desktop. This could be a 27" iMac or a Mac Mini, not sure yet as both have advantages and disadvantages for what I'm doing.

In either case I had been thinking to install (or have installed) a SSD for the system and applications. While thinking this through and doing some reading I figured I might as well keep the internal drive for data and use external SSD drives via F/W800 for the system and applications (Photoshop, Lightroom, Cubase or ProTools).

Is it possible to use an external SSD this way and for permanent use? Will the iMac/Mac Mini just boot or do you have to tell it each time?

And if this works could I then go ahead and build two different systems that way? For example one audio-only system and one photo editing system -or a Mac "creative" sytem and a Win XP work-related environment? I know that boot camp etc will do the latter as well but this would also turn this into a portable system, right?

Obviously this may all change once new iMacs and/or Mac Minis are released depending on what features will be added or may go away...

Thanks

 

[flatfoot]

Booting off of a FW800 attached drive doesn't make sense performance-wise.

Maximum theoretical throughput of FW800 is 100MB/s. Just about any mechanical drive is faster than that, like the internal drive of an iMac or a mini.
Using an SSD that way defeats its purpose (speed) completely.

You'd have to use Thunderbolt.

 

[HumanImac]

your best option is something like a Seagate GoFlex Thunderbolt port and SSD.

if you went with this route, depending on the SSD you could achieve speeds of 400Mb/s+.

My stats using the GoFlex Adapter;

 

[dany74m]

Booting off of a FW800 attached drive doesn't make sense performance-wise.

Maximum theoretical throughput of FW800 is 100MB/s. Just about any mechanical drive is faster than that, like the internal drive of an iMac or a mini.
Using an SSD that way defeats its purpose (speed) completely.

You'd have to use Thunderbolt.

Aboslutely true. I did some test with an ssd via FW800, and the performance are similar to the internal HD.

Not worthed, go with Thunderbolt and goflex.

 

[philipma1957]

Hello Mac experts,

Still considering the Mac route for my next desktop. This could be a 27" iMac or a Mac Mini, not sure yet as both have advantages and disadvantages for what I'm doing.

In either case I had been thinking to install (or have installed) a SSD for the system and applications. While thinking this through and doing some reading I figured I might as well keep the internal drive for data and use external SSD drives via F/W800 for the system and applications (Photoshop, Lightroom, Cubase or ProTools).

Is it possible to use an external SSD this way and for permanent use? Will the iMac/Mac Mini just boot or do you have to tell it each time?

And if this works could I then go ahead and build two different systems that way? For example one audio-only system and one photo editing system -or a Mac "creative" sytem and a Win XP work-related environment? I know that boot camp etc will do the latter as well but this would also turn this into a portable system, right?

Obviously this may all change once new iMacs and/or Mac Minis are released depending on what features will be added or may go away...

Thanks

you can do what you want but I suggest buying a lacie little big disk thunderbolt. from this ebay seller



http://www.ebay.com/itm/LaCie-9000106-R-1TB-Little-Big-Disk-Thunderbolt-Refurbished-/261068582316?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc8e66dac#ht_1673wt_1064


cost is 235 pull the enclosed hdds sell them on ebay for about 50 each cost is 135 or so for the enclosure. now put 2 ssd's inside.

run them as JBOD

just a bunch of disks. you will have 2 boot drives for your mac some how to info


http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1280118

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1424181

 

[7enderbender]

you can do what you want but I suggest buying a lacie little big disk thunderbolt. from this ebay seller



http://www.ebay.com/itm/LaCie-9000106-R-1TB-Little-Big-Disk-Thunderbolt-Refurbished-/261068582316?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cc8e66dac#ht_1673wt_1064


cost is 235 pull the enclosed hdds sell them on ebay for about 50 each cost is 135 or so for the enclosure. now put 2 ssd's inside.

run them as JBOD

just a bunch of disks. you will have 2 boot drives for your mac some how to info


http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1280118

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1424181

Great info. Thanks a lot!

 

[WesCole]

I would just like to reiterate that you shouldn't spend the money on an SSD to use in a FW enclosure. I got the SeaGate GoFlex Thunderbolt adapter and cannot be happier. It is a little over 3X as fast as my original 1TB HDD inside the iMac. Definitely go this route if you want snappier performance.