Will Macbook Pro go to macbook air style mini SSD?

[whitedragon101]

The Macrumors story from "Three Guys and a Podcast" shows these guys think the Macbook Pro will follow the air and get mini SSD chips.
http://t-gaap.com/2010/11/24/apples-march-special-event?site_locale=en

Thats all very subjective, but Steve did deafeningly hint that this is a sign of things to come.

My questions are:
1) How likely is it the new (sandybridge) Macbook Pros will use the Macbook Air style mini SSD?
2) How likely is it Apple will use sandforce controllers?
3) How long before sandforce heavyweights like OWC and OCZ make this form factor?

 

[MikeinJapan]

The Macrumors story from "Three Guys and a Podcast" shows these guys think the Macbook Pro will follow the air and get mini SSD chips.
http://t-gaap.com/2010/11/24/apples-march-special-event?site_locale=en

Thats all very subjective, but Steve did deafeningly hint that this is a sign of things to come.

My questions are:
1) How likely is it the new (sandybridge) Macbook Pros will use the Macbook Air style mini SSD?
2) How likely is it Apple will use sandforce controllers?
3) How long before sandforce heavyweights like OWC and OCZ make this form factor?

No one really knows but I think we will see SSDs in the MBP along side normal HDDs. When? Not the next up date. I have an Air now and it is great but it is going back. It doesn't have the storage I need. I will be getting a 13" MBP to last me until quad cores are in the MBP. I will be lacking power on the road but no biggy for me.

 

[Hellhammer]

1. It's possible but nobody knows, yet. We'll see

2. I doubt it. Apple seems to have a deal with Toshiba.

3. Photofast has already released a SandForce based SSD for that form factory. I can see OWC doing the same but unless this new form factor is widely adopted, I doubt we'll see them from all manufacturers

 

[dusk007]

1. I think it is very much possible as it really makes them stand out and is easily doable. The question is only if Apple wants to do it as it will probably cut a little into their profit margin even if they raise prices a little.
A hybrid SSD + HDD option is the best thing you can do in a Notebook. Better speed, more battery life, less noise and still at a reasonable price if the system SSD stay below 128GB.
2. I guess Sandforce is unlikely. These are brilliant controllers for Enterprise workload but the current Toshiba controllers do have their benefits and I don't think Apple is going to switch. Sandforce is definitely more expensive. There is little need for Sandforce kind of speed as Anands Test of the Kingston V+100 (same controller as MBA SSD) shows. In real world usage it(Thoshiba SSD) actually beats Sandforce quite often and it has less power usage on Idle which is I think the most important feature for Apple.
Next Gen. Sandforce (ie 2000) do offer even more performance but it is rumored that the consumer edition will be significantly slower and it also offers little real world benefit for Notebook usage. I doubt very much that the higher price is in any way justifiable and Apple nows that.
3. I think the most important thing for the adaption of a new form factor is the size of the market. Currently it is only the MBA line and it isn't really worth the effort to build replacement SSDs for them. If the whole MBP line offers a slot to put such cards in, OWC might jump on the train and offer replacements. As soon as other manufactures like Dell and Sony use this form factor it will truly be widly available.
Important is also if every MBP will have one SSD by default or if the SSD will still only be optional and only enough space is reserved. Because the latter will truly create a big market as people will buy SSD somewhere else to save money or get more speed. If the former holds true, few people will see any reason to replace an SSD with an SSD. Ergo options will be very limited.
There have been different form factors for a long time. The only started using those 2,5" because that is standard. I guess they could ship such SSD cards in a few months easily but they won't do it unless they know they can sell significant units.

 

[Gen]

Only if they can provide 512Gb reasonably.

 

[whitedragon101]

Thats good news if the mini SSD form factor in the Macbook Air performs like the Kingston V+ 100. Definitely top of my list is keeping its performance and Anandtech seem to think it does well.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4010/kingston-ssdnow-v-plus-100-review/9

Its not perfect but not the car crash performance of the samsung drives apple put in the custom macbook pros today.

I think Gen has a point 512gb is what people expect these days. I don't think less will cut it. Especially if you can only fill it to 80% capacity to allow 20% of the hard drive to be used for wear levelling.

512Gb - 8% formatting = 471Gb
471Gb - 20% wear levelling = 376Gb

 

[ChristianVirtual]

I could think about having two slots for SSD in the MBP ... one free for those who need 512 GB ... though not really Apple-style these days. Even more possible as the optical drive will disappear (fine for me, not really need it)

 

[whitedragon101]

Even more possible as the optical drive will disappear (fine for me, not really need it)

This is what I am thinking. I think the optical drive disappears, they use the space for a hard drive bay which some already do so hardly any hardware change for apple. Possibly a mini SSD slot as well.

The bottom of laptop then becomes one giant battery compartment.