Think fast! Solid State Flash Drive Updates for Apple Mac Computers

Solid State – SSD flash memory computer drives are no longer just the future of data storage. SSDs are here today and can offer dramatic improvements to the performance of your Apple Macintosh computer. Solid-state drives use high-speed flash memory chips to store data.

With no moving parts, an SSD offers multiple benefits: quiet operation, shock resistance, and low power requirements. But the most compelling reason to have one on your Mac is speed. Today’s SSDs now offer data read and write speeds that simply surpass any conventional spinning disk hard drive available. Some SSDs transfer data almost three times faster than the fastest conventional hard drive you can buy; They are so fast! With no moving parts, the reliability of SSD storage is another real-world benefit. Conventional hard drives are known to wear out, get louder over the course of their life, or simply die from mechanical failure. SSD is so reliable that manufacturers offer warranties of up to 5 years.

Newer Macintosh computers use the widely used SATA II drive interface standard for maximum performance. Although you can find older ATA interface SSDs for older Macs, the ATA interface simply cannot deliver the throughput speed that SATA II now offers. In fact, flash memory speeds are increasing so rapidly that even the 3GBps SATA II interface specification is beginning to limit the potential of SSD technology. The next generation of 6 GBps SATA III solid state drives is just beginning to reach consumers. We hope that Apple will adopt the new interface on its next generation of Mac laptops and desktops to keep your computer performance at the forefront.

Many models of Apple computers make it easy to swap in a solid state drive. With the right tools to open your MacBook, iMac, or Mac mini, an SSD change can often be done in minutes. Using any number of disk drive cloning utilities for OSX, you can transfer your existing settings, programs, and data to the SSD. For those who lack the technical skills or the courage to perform a hard drive upgrade, the online Apple Store offers build-on-demand SSD options. You can simply choose to install an SSD drive when ordering a new Macintosh computer.

Mac-compatible SSD capacities currently range from 32 Gigabytes to 1 Terabyte of storage. The most affordable and practical sizes that a Mac owner should consider could be in the 128GB to 256GB range. There you will find ample space to store your documents and multimedia files without exceeding your budget. Solid State Drives are still priced higher than conventional HDDs, so for those with Terabytes of data, the cost of larger SSDs may not be practical. Many Mac owners opt for a lower capacity SSD as a boot drive for the operating system and OSX applications. Others may use an external USB or FireWire hard drive for additional storage of larger media files – the best of both worlds.

Breathe new life into your Macintosh with a Mac-compatible SSD upgrade. Whether old or new, you’ll find it offers dramatic improvements in EVERYTHING you do on your Mac. Faster boot times, quick application launch, instant file storage, and Quick program change will demonstrate the productivity value of solid state storage.