People with 128GB SSDs, how do you do it?

[e5volcano]

Well, I am in narrowing down my choice of laptops for college (between 2011 MBP or the new Lenovo T420s, but this thread isn't about my decision between then two) and I might be getting a 128GB SSD upgrade..

For the people who have this amount of space, do you find it annoying and that you are almost always running out of space? What do you guys normally use your laptop for? Do you guys have an external HD that you constantly use or online backup? I was thinking of signing up for 50GB of dropbox cloud storage, so that sorta expands my horizon. I'm wondering if as an engineering student, will 128GB be too little for me...

 

[RainCityMacFan]

I don't have my MBP yet so my opinions might change when I actually get my machine (I doubt they will change though).

I plan on getting a 128GB SSD from OWC and adding an OptiBay mod with the 750GB 5400rpm stock HDD from Apple. I'll keep my application, system, and home folder on the SSD and the rest (iTunes Music, videos, Torrents, documents) on the 750GB.

As it stands, my application folder is 35.5GB (I'll be deleting a lot of apps in my transition, mainly my Adobe programs), my system folder is 5GB, and my library folder is 6GB, so I think 128GB is good enough for me. And I'm a student who does video editing from time to time on FCE, edit pictures in LightRoom, watch a lot of movies in digital format, and mainly reside in Word/Powerpoint/Excel. Not exactly sure what programs an engineering major might use.

 

[Kaidan]

Can understand if it's your only machine then 128GB is not a lot of internal storage..... however for me the improvements to general everyday speed negate the hassle of carrying around an additional USB drive. Once you've used SSD I really dont think you could ever go back.

These new MBP's or (or any new computer really) are so absurdly rapid that mechanical drives really do slow them down.

These days I am always waiting impatiently for my i7 iMac to do what I want as quick as my Air. With the exception of encoding

 

[jsilas]

I'm running a 128GB SSD on which is installed all my software including OSX, Windows (in Parallels), Office, Photoshop, etc. This gives me all the speed I need for daily computing and really makes the computer a pleasure to use.

I'm running a 7,200rpm 500GB platter HDD in an OptiBay on which is stored a vast array of music and photographs. I use this as storage and only storage, having created Symlinks from the respective folder names in OSX to folders on the platter drive.

This is an ideal solution as far as I'm concerned, and it has allowed my MBP to become a fully capable desktop replacement for me. I keep my SuperDrive in an external enclosure for the rare occasion when I need to read or write a CD/DVD.

Works great, and I highly recommend it!

 

[macduke]

I ordered the 128GB SSD with mine. Currently I have a 500GB in my 3 year old system that I upgraded myself. I'm still going back and forth (as my system is still coming in the mail), but here are my options (in order of my personal preference):

1. Strip down the OS after install, removing all the extra crap like languages, printer drivers, etc. Keep my core apps, like CS5, Twitter, Firefox, Text Wrangler, Transmit, Coda, and Office 2011 installed. Maybe whatever Steam game I'm playing at the time. Should leave 90-100GB for documents, but on an SSD you don't want to fill it all the way. I think you need to leave about 10% free for best performance, but I could be wrong.

I have a plethora of external drives adding up to around 3TB. Whatever files I'm working on for class will not fill up the drive during the semester, and then at the end of each semester I will dump them to externals.

2. Get a decent sized portable external to keep in my bag. 1TB 2.5" are like $99 nowadays. I always buy WD. If I need my files, boom I can pull them out of my bag when I'm at class. Otherwise my laptop is hooked up to my desktop config at home.

3. Use Optibay or similar items from OWC to install a spinny drive into the Superdrive slot. I believe this voids the warranty, and perhaps could cause the battery life to decrease, and I'd also have to buy an external DVD burner or a case for my old SuperDrive. Could be expensive and cause problems. Not sure about this.

Also, I bought 128GB because it was such a great deal at $90 upgrade on my configuration. The speed isn't as fast as some third party drives, but it blows my old 5400rpm drive out of the water and for that price I did it. I also did this understanding that SSD prices will continue to fall, and that I could upgrade to a faster and larger SSD sometime next year. Until then I will just get by on size, and enjoy the increased performance, which is what I am really wanting right now as my projects are starting to put a big drain on my current system (early 2008 MBP).

Hope this helps a little!

 

[neko girl]

I use a 128 GB MackBook Air for work. I use a 500 GB USB drive to store most of my data. I just keep my most used files on the MBA itself. It's really not that bad.

My job might have smaller file sizes than the kind you might need as a student though, I'm not sure!

 

[Blue Sun]

All I need is the OS, Adobe CS4, Office 2011 and a couple of other apps that take up virtually no space at all (eg. Chrome, Thunderbird etc.).

I'll have my music on my SSD (~10GB) which leaves the rest for word documents and PDF's.

I have 2 or 3 external HDD's which house all of my movies.

128GB is plenty (for me anyway).

 

[Gatteau]

1. Strip down the OS after install, removing all the extra crap like languages, printer drivers, etc. Keep my core apps, like CS5, Twitter, Firefox, Text Wrangler, Transmit, Coda, and Office 2011 installed. Maybe whatever Steam game I'm playing at the time. Should leave 90-100GB for documents, but on an SSD you don't want to fill it all the way. I think you need to leave about 10% free for best performance, but I could be wrong.

How do you remove the extra languages, drivers, and all that?

 

[e5volcano]

I probably will use AutoCAD, and Solidworks and make 3D/2D models/blueprints...don't know how big those files take but I think those programs take up a lot of space in installation

I won't be gaming, but I will be listening to music and my current collection is abotu 10GB

 

[macduke]

I remember the first computer I built in 2001 had a 120GB HDD. I remember thinking how bottomless the thing was. I could just keep throwing files at it and it was still mostly empty. Although I had a 2mp digital camera, did more programming than graphic design like I do now, and didn't have any movie files, etc.

Amazing how times change!

I hadn't really taken into consideration my iTunes library. Is it possible to install the iTunes library to an external disk? I worry about it keeping a backup of my iPhone and my iPad on it. That's 50GB right there! And then my thousands of apps. At least my music collection isn't huge, and I don't really sync movies to my devices any more, since I use NetFlix for a quick fix.

 

[macduke]

How do you remove the extra languages, drivers, and all that?

Edit to add: I tracked down the post and only one person replied. It doesn't exactly have to do with removing this stuff, but it is for moving the home folder, which might be useful. http://chris.pirillo.com/how-to-move-the-home-folder-in-os-x-and-why/

I had asked a guy in another topic yesterday night how to do it. I need to go track down that thread and see if he answered. I think it was a thread about this guy who had discovered that the primary SATA port on the new MBP was 6Gbps and he was benchmarking some stuff and mentioned that he does that. If he didn't respond back, then I'll just Google how to do it. Probably some sort of Terminal commands. Either that or just looking for the files and deleting them, lol. But if it knocks off a few GBs, then it's worth a shot!

 

[Blue Sun]

How do you remove the extra languages, drivers, and all that?

You can do it when installing SL. The installer has an option that allows you to customise what you want on your Mac.

 

[Hellhammer]

I keep most of my data in my iMac so the 128GB SSD in my MBA is pretty empty. I would consider a NAS solution for you so you could store your media in there and access it wirelessly.

 

[macduke]

You can do it when installing SL. The installer has an option that allows you to customise what you want on your Mac.

I thought that was the case, but I thought there was some way to strip even more stuff out. Kind of like what people do all the time with custom Windows installs?

I keep most of my data in my iMac so the 128GB SSD in my MBA is pretty empty. I would consider a NAS solution for you so you could store your media in there and access it wirelessly.

Do you recommend any wifi routers that have this capability built in? I've been trying to find something to replace my old G router that is affordable and reliable with this feature. And yeah, I refuse to use a TimeCapsule, lol. I need something that will last, and I already have over 3TB of external drives. Airport Extreme would be nice, but they are kind of expensive too.

 

[koston33]

So when taking out the optical bay, can you put it in an enclosure and turn it into an external cd drive?

 

[Hellhammer]

Do you recommend any wifi routers that have this capability built in? I've been trying to find something to replace my old G router that is affordable and reliable with this feature. And yeah, I refuse to use a TimeCapsule, lol. I need something that will last, and I already have over 3TB of external drives. Airport Extreme would be nice, but they are kind of expensive too.

Networking is a territory where I still need to educate myself a bit more so I can't really help you with this You could take a look at refurb AirPort Extreme, it's only 129$.

 

[ccsicecoke]

I have a 13 inch MBA and I decided to utilize SD card as storage expansion.
I only keep all my iphoto pictures, itunes music, books and documents I need to work on in internal ssd.

I bought several 8~32GB sd cards from ebay auction and put them in this Kodak memory card case.




Works well for me. I'm going to put a label on each card: software, game, comedy movie...

 

[macduke]

I have a 13 inch MBA and I decided to utilize SD card as storage expansion.
I only keep all my iphoto pictures, itunes music, books and documents I need to work on in internal ssd.

I bought several 8~32GB sd cards from ebay auction and put them in this Kodak memory card case.

View attachment 273179
View attachment 273180

Works well for me. I'm going to put a label on each card: software, game, comedy movie...

I mentioned in another thread that I was contemplating this very idea. How do you find performance to be when loading media or games from these cards compared to, say, a 5400rpm or 7200rpm HDD?

 

[Bye Bye Baby]

For the people who have this amount of space, do you find it annoying and that you are almost always running out of space? What do you guys normally use your laptop for? Do you guys have an external HD that you constantly use or online backup? I was thinking of signing up for 50GB of dropbox cloud storage, so that sorta expands my horizon. I'm wondering if as an engineering student, will 128GB be too little for me...

128GB is fine if you just have documents. If you need video and lots of audio files then it will be a little tight. The easiest way is some kind of NAS storage for multimedia and cloud storage for those essential documents etc for access on the go.

 

[adnoh]

Ssd for essentials, external drive for all else. Simples.

 

[Erasmus]

I'll buy a 500GB Firewire 800 portable external to carry around with any media, documents and games I need/want, and keep the SSD for only the OSes (OSX & W7) and whatever apps and games I'm using regularly.

You don't need music or movies on your SSD if you have an iPod and portable external, nor old documents, apps you don't use often, etc. If you strip it back to only what you really need, there really isn't much you do need.

 

[runebinder]

I'll buy a 500GB Firewire 800 portable external to carry around with any media, documents and games I need/want, and keep the SSD for only the OSes (OSX & W7) and whatever apps and games I'm using regularly.

You don't need music or movies on your SSD if you have an iPod and portable external, nor old documents, apps you don't use often, etc. If you strip it back to only what you really need, there really isn't much you do need.

I second this, it's pretty much how I have my MBP set up. Firewire external works great and all media files go there. Also the majority of my program files for my Win 7 partition are on the external apart from the vital ones.

 

[zakk385]

Well, I am in narrowing down my choice of laptops for college (between 2011 MBP or the new Lenovo T420s, but this thread isn't about my decision between then two) and I might be getting a 128GB SSD upgrade..

For the people who have this amount of space, do you find it annoying and that you are almost always running out of space? What do you guys normally use your laptop for? Do you guys have an external HD that you constantly use or online backup? I was thinking of signing up for 50GB of dropbox cloud storage, so that sorta expands my horizon. I'm wondering if as an engineering student, will 128GB be too little for me...

I have a 80GB Intel drive that still has over 50GB free. Media files are on my WHS.

 

[wct097]

Carrying around 1/2 a tb of old photos and music I don't listen to is excessive, and a PITA to properly back up. When I ordered my new MBP with the 128gb SSD, I made the decision to leverage 'cloud' resources as best possible and get my machine down to only what I need on a regular basis.

Haven't received my MBP with SSD yet, but my intention is to use it as my only/main machine. I've come to the realization that my music library isn't very important to me. I don't use it much (1-2x yearly), so I'm going to relegate it to either a network share at home, or a USB drive. My photo library will be being uploaded to Google Images. My source code lives in an SVN repository on an Amazon Cloud server. When it comes down to it, I really don't need any 'user data' on my machine in excess of what I'm currently working on.

 

[Fubar1977]

All my Apps and essential files come to around 50-60 Gb so I have no problem with my 128 SSD.

That said, I have an array of external drives totalling around 8TB for storage.
I just don`t need to carry everything around with me.