Can I build my perfect mac...

[cailadd]

Hi All,
I need to get a new MacBook. The one I have is failing after 4 years intensive use, and I've been browsing the mac store to see what's on offer.

I'd like to get the new SSD for the speed, but really don't need the Retina display. Unfortunately this isn't an option that mac cater for! And more importantly, I need more storage space (ca. 600 Gb), but don't really want to fork out for the more powerful SSD's (which would also mean getting a larger screen and Retina display, which I don't need). Here's what I suggest:

Get the HDD 13-inch: 2.9GHz, and replace the optical drive with an OWC SSD using the DataDoubler. The idea is then to have the speed of a SSD, but storage of a HDD.

My question is... would this work?

Thanks,
C

 

[snaky69]

Hi All,
I need to get a new MacBook. The one I have is failing after 4 years intensive use, and I've been browsing the mac store to see what's on offer.

I'd like to get the new SSD for the speed, but really don't need the Retina display. Unfortunately this isn't an option that mac cater for! And more importantly, I need more storage space (ca. 600 Gb), but don't really want to fork out for the more powerful SSD's (which would also mean getting a larger screen and Retina display, which I don't need). Here's what I suggest:

Get the HDD 13-inch: 2.9GHz, and replace the optical drive with an OWC SSD using the DataDoubler. The idea is then to have the speed of a SSD, but storage of a HDD.

My question is... would this work?

Thanks,
C

Of course it would, I don't see why it wouldn't seeing as people have been doing it for 2-3 years on this forum and you could've searched the hundreds of threads on this very subject?

 

[atMac]

Hi All,
I need to get a new MacBook. The one I have is failing after 4 years intensive use, and I've been browsing the mac store to see what's on offer.

I'd like to get the new SSD for the speed, but really don't need the Retina display. Unfortunately this isn't an option that mac cater for! And more importantly, I need more storage space (ca. 600 Gb), but don't really want to fork out for the more powerful SSD's (which would also mean getting a larger screen and Retina display, which I don't need). Here's what I suggest:

Get the HDD 13-inch: 2.9GHz, and replace the optical drive with an OWC SSD using the DataDoubler. The idea is then to have the speed of a SSD, but storage of a HDD.

My question is... would this work?

Thanks,
C

I used to have that setup on my own 13in MacBook pro when I had it. a 240GB SSD to replace the DVD drive and a 500GB HDD for storage.

 

[gngan]

I don't see why it wouldn't work. Lots of users here have been doing this for several years. I have a 13'' MBP with Crucial M4 (128GB) and WD 1TB in optical bay.

 

[NMF]

Get the HDD 13-inch: 2.9GHz, and replace the optical drive with an OWC SSD using the DataDoubler. The idea is then to have the speed of a SSD, but storage of a HDD.

My question is... would this work?

Hell yes it works, and it's awesome. Don't waste your money on the DataDoubler though. I recommend grabbing this along with a good SSD like the 250GB Samsung 840. If you play your cards right and watch the deals you could have both for under $200. Can't beat that.

 

[johnnnw]

Hell yes it works, and it's awesome. Don't waste your money on the DataDoubler though. I recommend grabbing this along with a good SSD like the 250GB Samsung 840. If you play your cards right and watch the deals you could have both for under $200. Can't beat that.

He could probably pull it off right now, you didn't say 840 Pro, so for the Samsung 840 I just saw it on sale on slickdeals for like 169. Pretty close to 200. The Samsung's don't get much cheaper as they're a quality drive.

Recent sale for 159.
http://slickdeals.net/f/5855896-Sam...-Desktop-Installation-Kit-159-99-w-FS-Buy-com

 

[gngan]

Hell yes it works, and it's awesome. Don't waste your money on the DataDoubler though. I recommend grabbing this along with a good SSD like the 250GB Samsung 840. If you play your cards right and watch the deals you could have both for under $200. Can't beat that.

I got this combo but the DVD enclosure sucks. The DVD would get stuck because the enclosure's "opening" isn't right.

 

[NMF]

I got this combo but the DVD enclosure sucks. The DVD would get stuck because the enclosure's "opening" isn't right.

Hm, I've never had a problem with mine. Try opening it up and "re-seating it" and make sure everything is screwed correctly and you're putting the two pieces together the correct way (there's a little cut-out for the side with the cord). I was actually amazed at how good the external turned out to be.

 

[tech4all]

Of course it would, I don't see why it wouldn't seeing as people have been doing it for 2-3 years on this forum and you could've searched the hundreds of threads on this very subject?

Maybe we should close the forums and just make them a database where people just search for everything, since posting a possibly common topic gets people mad. Besides it was their first post. Get over it...

 

[gngan]

Hm, I've never had a problem with mine. Try opening it up and "re-seating it" and make sure everything is screwed correctly and you're putting the two pieces together the correct way (there's a little cut-out for the side with the cord). I was actually amazed at how good the external turned out to be.

There isn't any screw for the DVD enclosure and I am pretty sure it's correctly fitted cause there's no other way of connecting it. I just have to push down the opening when I eject the DVD so it's not that bad cause I don't use it very often.

 

[Applefanboy8153]

Just get a 256GB SSD on the online store and use a 500GB external hdd with thunderbolt. Then you can have the ssd advantage cheap.

 

[alphaod]

Just get a 256GB SSD on the online store and use a 500GB external hdd with thunderbolt. Then you can have the ssd advantage cheap.

Using an external defeats the point of having a "portable" laptop computer.

 

[Applefanboy8153]

Using an external defeats the point of having a "portable" laptop computer.

No it really does not matter actually as I have a new 128 gig macbook pro retina and I use 1 sd card, 1 thunderbolt drive (1tb ) for backups and q 500 gb usb 3.0 hdd for media files. I travel a lot and I dont find this set up non portable.

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Just customise your mac on the online store.

 

[NMF]

There isn't any screw for the DVD enclosure and I am pretty sure it's correctly fitted cause there's no other way of connecting it. I just have to push down the opening when I eject the DVD so it's not that bad cause I don't use it very often.

I was referring to the bottom black part; there's a round "cut-out" for the USB cable on one side that can be easy to miss. The first time I put mine together I didn't realize it was there and just snapped it together and had issues similar to yours. If that's not it, then that sucks that you got a dud. At least it was cheap!