The main thing that's putting me off switching is, I assumed they'd be pretty infallable (compared to a HD with moving parts) but from what I read, they're not.
Snowman, i got the old 2008 or 2009 Macbook Pro 13 inches. i have a google tablet and my Note 3...i dont want to buy a new laptop...what do I need to make this old laptop blazing fast...how do I back up my music and important files so as not to lose when i upgrade? What Os X would i need. Please let me know exactly what to buy to get it on par to today's speed. Below is exactly the wackness of what I have and why it is slow..smh...:
Processor Speed: 2.26 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
A Crucial m4 256GB currently costs about $239.99 on Newegg. It's definitely a heavy price to pay for storage vs a regular hard drive. But, it is totally worth it. I have a 2009 MBP like you, and after putting a 64GB Samsung 830 in it, it is lightning fast. 🙂 I highly recommend SSDs if you can afford them!
I second that. Max out RAM and put in an SSD. I would recommend getting a slightly used SSD on ebay for >$100...unless you have lots of money and $239.99 doesn't bother you.
Contrary to what macbook pro i5 said, upgrading from 4gb to 8gb of RAM will speed up your computer: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1767527/
Also reinstalling OS X will help. It is good once in a while to do a fresh install. You'll be surprised what just that will do for your computer.
Upgrade RAM to 8gb, upgrade to Mavericks (it runs quite well on my 2009), and a new HDD or SSD. A battery replacement may also help. I did all of the above (HDD though), and it's made a world of difference. I almost feel bad that I went out and got a late-13 rMBP as my daily machine. Almost 😉. The 09 is good for media and playing with the Yosemite beta.