Upgrading Macbook HD Question

[evildrgo]

This one is more of a specification question. I want to upgrade the HD in my Macbook from a 160GB HD to big 320 GB HD. I also need a portable HD.

So I was considering buying an external drive, (like a Maxtor Onetouch) swapping the drives and running the 2.5" drive that came in the enclosure inside my Macbook.

Is this a good idea? Are the drives that come in the portable enclosures worthy of being the primary drive in a Macbook?

 

[Neil321]

Try looking into the WD passports loads of people have done what your asking using them, ( myself included in the past ) just clone over OS X to the new drive & then swap them out you then have 160GB external that was one your internal plus 320GB internal goodness,the drives are no different to internals

 

[Drumjim85]

i wouldnt... (plus most external drives won't be 2.5")

I would get the drive you want, plus something like this

This store also sells some really good drives (though im not sure how competitive their prices are)

 

[dubhe]

Even the 500 GB Passports?

 

[CTJoyce]

I wouldn't ever recommend a Maxtor, but I can tell you that the Western Digital Passport drives are great, and everyone I've known in your situation (Mac or PC) I have recommended doing this to and it has never failed.

Cheers
Cameron

 

[dubhe]

i wouldnt... (plus most external drives won't be 2.5")

All the Passports are 2.5"

 

[Drumjim85]

All the Passports are 2.5"

that's why i didn't use the word "all"

 

[evildrgo]

Try looking into the WD passports loads of people have done what your asking using them, ( myself included in the past ) just clone over OS X to the new drive & then swap them out you then have 160GB external that was one your internal plus 320GB internal goodness,the drives are no different to internals

Thanks for the info. I'll check out the WD. I'm not a fan of Maxtor really and never had issue with Seagate.

 

[rtrt]

bought a WD passport 320G and swapped out the 80G on my Macbook.

Thing is - here in the Uk at least - most passports seem to be listed as 2M buffer. Apparently 2M instead of 8M will be slower.

Think I checked on the WD site and couldnt find a 320G listed with 2M only 8M - so took the risk that i'd end up with an 8M drive.

Pretty sure i did - but cant remember how I confirmed it was an 8M drive. doesn't show up on system profiler - maybe on the drive itself - cant check now for obvious reasons

So my advice would be check if you can that the manufacturer doesnt supply diff drives at the same capacity. if they do then you'll probably end up with the lower cost/spec version.

 

[GfulDedFan]

In general, the low dollar portable external HD's are inferior in specification and quality to the stand alone replacement HD's.

 

[Neil321]

bought a WD passport 320G and swapped out the 80G on my Macbook.

Thing is - here in the Uk at least - most passports seem to be listed as 2M buffer. Apparently 2M instead of 8M will be slower.

Think I checked on the WD site and couldnt find a 320G listed with 2M only 8M - so took the risk that i'd end up with an 8M drive.

Pretty sure i did - but cant remember how I confirmed it was an 8M drive. doesn't show up on system profiler - maybe on the drive itself - cant check now for obvious reasons

So my advice would be check if you can that the manufacturer doesnt supply diff drives at the same capacity. if they do then you'll probably end up with the lower cost/spec version.

The drives they put in the passports are no different to their internals,their have many threads on this buffer issue,I'm from the uk & the externals have all been 8M

In general, the low dollar portable external HD's are inferior in specification and quality to the stand alone replacement HD's.

As above, heres a post on the subject https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/6027548/