Partitions

When you partition a HD you divide it up into smaller HDs. Each partition can have it's own formatting.

In the old days, partitioning was important on large HDs to give yourself more space. Rather than bore you with the details, please just accept this was was the case. Today with HDs at 750GB and approaching 1TB and using more efficient partition methods I would not worry about partitioning your HD for space considerations.

In your case, I would consider one partition for the OS and apps. And then a second partition for files (pics, videos and such).

You can do this via Disk Utility via Mac OS X. To use Disk Utility, you will need to start with a bootable external HD or with the Mac OS X install DVD.

 

whats the advantage of partitioning your hard drive just for photos? is it faster? what about on a 60GB MacBook hard drive?

 

I don't recommend partitioning because the drive head has to travel all the time
between the data area and the OS area.

 

Depending on what software you are using, how much RAM you have and type of HD, partitioning so that the OS is on one partition and files are on another partition can actually lessen the head drive movement -- especially with large files such as videos (mpeg, QT, AVI).

As for partitioning a laptop drive, I wouldn't bother in most cases. One partition is sufficient.

 

I had to partition my hard drive because there is no other safe way to use a big one in this old machine. Now, if I launch/use FireFox while importing a CD in iTunes, I can hear the drive rattling the whole time the browser is trying to do something and the its performance is appalling. The music lives in the other partition. I have way more than enough RAM.

 

start up disk partition

so my mbpro in signature has had the internal drive replaced with a toshiba MK3261GSYN 7200 rpm 320gb journaled hfs+ running 10.6.8. itunes 11.4, and iphoto, etc.

i have so far, 60GB's just in music files stored in my itunes library, then i want to say almost 90GB of movie files also in tunes, plus a ton of images in iphoto.

i was thinking of using disk utility to create like stated above a volume just for application and OS, then create and designate separate partitions/volumes for the above mentioned applications, in hopes it might ease load on general operations etc.

i also have a seagate barracuda 160GB hd from my old iMac G5 ppc, that has music and photos id like to include on my mbp hd, will a ppc based hd communicate with an intel based hd? by either OWC hd dock station or hd sleeve via fw800

i dont have the choice available to just go out and get a newer mbpro so im trying to make what i have, work to the best of its ability, etc.

i want to install another 2GB of ramm, the superdrive is needing replaced so im thinking of OWC for the RAMM upgrade and for getting a upgrade/replacement super drive, as well as a PCIe express card with firewire800 and extra usb 2 or if id work 3.0 usb ports.

odd question, what other if any, logic boards will install into my a1211's case i was wondering if you can swap logic boards from like another 15 inch mbpro kind of like doing a engine swap in a car etc.

im also i think pushing my capabilities to their limits as im also running a second display in single screen expansion mode instead of "mirroring" mode.

any advice is appreciated,