Mac noob HDD questions

[doktordoris]

Hullo,
As I have mentioned before on here I have never owned a mac before, but I have owned IBM compat. PCs for years and have always built, upgraded, and repaired them myself. So I consider myself fairly capable when it comes to computers, their hardware, and taking them to bits.

When I first got my MBP 3 weeks ago I only intended to use it occasionally in the house and on the odd occasion when I am out and about.

How wrong I was. I love it so much I use it all the time and only fire up my huge IBM PC for playing games. (which is in itself a jolly rare occurrence as I own a PS3 and a 360).

So I have ben thinking about getting a larger HDD, firstly am I right in thinking that my macbook pro only has a 5400 drive?
So a faster drive would be helpful?

Secondly is it difficult to swap the drive for a bigger and faster one myself, considering that I am used to building PCs?

And would changing the HDD myself screw my warranty up?

FInally, assuming I get a new HDD how can I easily transfer everything to it? Hows about installing the new HDD then putting the old one in a USB drive case and swapping all my files etc. over that way?

Any advice would be splendid.

ta

doris

 

[spinnerlys]

So I have ben thinking about getting a larger HDD, firstly am I right in thinking that my macbook pro only has a 5400 drive?
So a faster drive would be helpful?

Not really for day to day stuff, but there are dozens of 5400RPM vs 7200RPM threads which discuss the merits.
My 500GB 7200RPM HDD delivered (it's dying I think) up to 95MB/s in benchmarks, the 500GB 5400RPM HDD could get 75MB/s in the same test.

Secondly is it difficult to swap the drive for a bigger and faster one myself, considering that I am used to building PCs?

No, page 37 (I think) of your User Manual/Guide explains it. Also www.ifixit.com has guides with photos.

And would changing the HDD myself screw my warranty up?

No, unless you damage something in the process.

FInally, assuming I get a new HDD how can I easily transfer everything to it? Hows about installing the new HDD then putting the old one in a USB drive case and swapping all my files etc. over that way?

Easy, either use Migration Assistant or better SuperDuper or CarbonCopyCloner to clone your internal old HDD to the new external HDD before you swap.

Any advice would be splendid.

ta

doris

And as I wrote before in your threads, MRoogle is a good tool to search these forums. It would have answered all your questions.

 

[doktordoris]

And as I wrote before in your threads, MRoogle is a good tool to search these forums. It would have answered all your questions.

Ah did you indeed?

Firstly thanks for your help, and secondly if I had used MRgogle it would have deprived you the pleasure of answering me.

This way both you and I, and people who are interested benefit.

;-)

doris

and actually chief, now I think about it I don't think you have given me your MRgoogle speech.
I did once ask a question which you answered, oddly enough, with an unrelated picture of an old desktop and some meaningless words-https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/905237/

 

[spinnerlys]

Ah did you indeed?

Firstly thanks for your help, and secondly if I had used MRgogle it would have deprived you the pleasure of answering me.

This way both you and I, and people who are interested benefit.

;-)

doris

and actually chief, now I think about it I don't think you have given me your MRgoogle speech.
I did once ask a question which you answered, oddly enough, with an unrelated picture of an old desktop and some meaningless words-https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/905237/

Touché in some regards, but I have posted in more than one thread of yours, and in the one you quoted I posted the following:

Although it does look like this now:

Btw, what became of your iDVD issue?