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Ifti

macrumors 601
Original poster
Dec 14, 2010
4,178
2,755
UK
Anyone have a Samsung T1 drive?
If so, how well does it work on MAC and what are your experiences??

Cheers!
 
Guess no-body has one??
Ive just ordered one so I'll test and report back with what its like! ;)
 
I have no experience in the drive but was curious. Took a look at low ratings on amazon.com and it appears that there is a driver issue with OS X currently. I don't know anything beyond what I read, I'd suggest taking a peek.
 
I have no experience in the drive but was curious. Took a look at low ratings on amazon.com and it appears that there is a driver issue with OS X currently. I don't know anything beyond what I read, I'd suggest taking a peek.


Really like the small form factor but yeah, stupid scary.
 
I have no experience in the drive but was curious. Took a look at low ratings on amazon.com and it appears that there is a driver issue with OS X currently. I don't know anything beyond what I read, I'd suggest taking a peek.

I read up on that, saw a few reviews saying how it now worked well on the MAC platform as well, so decided to use my vouchers and order!
Knowing me and my gadget addiction, I'll probably try it out for a while, then re-sell it!!
 
I read up on that, saw a few reviews saying how it now worked well on the MAC platform as well, so decided to use my vouchers and order!
Knowing me and my gadget addiction, I'll probably try it out for a while, then re-sell it!!



Please report back on you experiences with the Samsung drivers. My question is, can't you just run without it?
 
Please report back on you experiences with the Samsung drivers. My question is, can't you just run without it?

From what Ive read, you need to install the drivers to even set the drive up in the first instance - I don't know how it works from there i.e. whether drivers need to be installed on every computer you use the drive on or not etc.

I'll have a play and let you know how I get on when it arrives ;)
 
Mixed reviews at amazon. One mac user described using it without the drivers & another installed the drivers and then ditched them after mounting the drive.

I'm a little weary of any external that needs a software plug to work.
That you can't just format it from the start is telling.
 
IIRC Apple supposedly addressed this issue long ago in OS8 or 9, by starting to provide its own drivers. Or perhaps it was in the initial OS X release.

I put a Crucial M500 from OWC in my last MBP (9,2), and there was some stuff that came on the drive, but I erased and formatted right over. I'm really picky about what goes in my system, so hopefully no proprietary drivers.
 
Mixed reviews at amazon. One mac user described using it without the drivers & another installed the drivers and then ditched them after mounting the drive.

I'm a little weary of any external that needs a software plug to work.
That you can't just format it from the start is telling.

I'll probably do the latter - install the drivers so I can mount and setup the drive, and then ditch them after that.
I'll test and get back with an update once I have it ;)
 
Ok for those who were interested - I received my unit today.
First impressions are good! The drive is small and light! Really impressive with what they can fit into such a small and light body!
The plastic is a decent quality and looks like it will withstand some shocks, but its something you'd want to take care of regardless considering the cost!

The driver installation and activation are painless, and the software actually works quite well, even on MAC. No issues to report do far.
Software seems simple, but effective. Gives some goodnight.
The AES encryption and password protection work flawlessly, and better still the encryption does not seem to slow down the drive.
I didn't like that fact that you need to install the driver on every MAC you want to use the drive on, considering I have a few systems. Although I guess its a one-time thing so not a deal breaker.

A quick speed test gave me around 430MB/s Read and 380MB/s write - so a little under their specified speeds, but I guess thats expected.

To put that in real usage terms - I transferred 36GB of images/video files across from the internal drive on my rMBP (spec in sig) to the Samsung T1 in just under 2 mins!! Pretty impressive!

I'll create a video review of my thoughts, details, and speed tests soon ;)
 
Are the drivers only necessary if you want to use encryption? If not, why the need for a driver at all? Some TRIM-related thing?
 
Ok for those who were interested - I received my unit today.
First impressions are good! The drive is small and light! Really impressive with what they can fit into such a small and light body!
The plastic is a decent quality and looks like it will withstand some shocks, but its something you'd want to take care of regardless considering the cost!

The driver installation and activation are painless, and the software actually works quite well, even on MAC. No issues to report do far.
Software seems simple, but effective. Gives some goodnight.
The AES encryption and password protection work flawlessly, and better still the encryption does not seem to slow down the drive.
I didn't like that fact that you need to install the driver on every MAC you want to use the drive on, considering I have a few systems. Although I guess its a one-time thing so not a deal breaker.

A quick speed test gave me around 430MB/s Read and 380MB/s write - so a little under their specified speeds, but I guess thats expected.

To put that in real usage terms - I transferred 36GB of images/video files across from the internal drive on my rMBP (spec in sig) to the Samsung T1 in just under 2 mins!! Pretty impressive!

I'll create a video review of my thoughts, details, and speed tests soon ;)

Thanks for the report. What does the system info tell you on the drive. It's an Msata 850 stick, right? You should see a model number.

Agree - that's perhaps a little slower on the write side than it should be. Read sounds about in the ballpark.
 
OP:

The speeds you're getting seem fine.

I boot and run my late-2012 Mini using a Crucial m500 drive mounted in a plugable.com "lay-flat" external USB3/SATA dock.

I get read speeds @ 431mbps -- essentially identical to yours.
I get write speeds @ 271mbps -- yours are much better.

I sense that the speeds you're getting are "close to the maximum achievable" via USB3 with UASP enabled.

All in all, seems to be an excellent "external SSD solution" at a good price point.
 
Are the drivers only necessary if you want to use encryption? If not, why the need for a driver at all? Some TRIM-related thing?

I think its for the encryption....

Thanks for the report. What does the system info tell you on the drive. It's an Msata 850 stick, right? You should see a model number.

Agree - that's perhaps a little slower on the write side than it should be. Read sounds about in the ballpark.

It doesn't say a model number etc, just the serial and Samsung as the manufacturer....

OP:

The speeds you're getting seem fine.

I boot and run my late-2012 Mini using a Crucial m500 drive mounted in a plugable.com "lay-flat" external USB3/SATA dock.

I get read speeds @ 431mbps -- essentially identical to yours.
I get write speeds @ 271mbps -- yours are much better.

I sense that the speeds you're getting are "close to the maximum achievable" via USB3 with UASP enabled.

All in all, seems to be an excellent "external SSD solution" at a good price point.

Yeh, I think Im pretty much saturating the USB3 interface, considering its 5GB/s SATA speeds rather then 6GB/s
 
Yeh, I think Im pretty much saturating the USB3 interface, considering its 5GB/s SATA speeds rather then 6GB/s

Ah 5gb - and I agree, it's darn good.

Certain Macs will get mid 400s R&W with the right enclosure/drive, but at the end of the day it's moving fast enough. Synthetic bench marks don't matter once you forget them and go to work ;)

Thanks again for the report on the drive. A bit pricy but factoring in the tiny size, and interesting device. When it's so light, you wonder if and "Travel Protection" is really necessary. The cable connector could be the only weak point on the road.
 
Ive been using the drive over the past couple of days and I must admit, Im seriously impressed!
Hopefully it will hold the test of time and continue to give me the high performance Im getting at the moment after some longer term use!

Anyway, for those that are interested, Ive compiled a closer look at how the drive operates, along with my thoughts etc in the below video (the video is not yet public on YouTube, but thought I'd give you guys a sneak peak ;) )

 
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Reactions: upthetoffees
Nice job - thanks - Hard to say if I would recommend this to my travel clients, but it is compelling for it's size and weight right now. Speed, in this range is not the issue. Price Is.
 
unlocking after turning the mac of...

Hi! I'm wondering: With the drive connected, do you have to reenter your password (to unlock the drive) every time your mac restarts? Thanks!
 
Has anyone tried doing light 4k video editing with this drive? Is it fast enough?
 
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