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News & Opinion
Reviews
Apple Updates
Products & Services
News & Opinion
7 Sizzler SSDs for Laptops
The Register's Shaun Dormon says that while there's no escaping the
fact that SSDs (solid-state drives) are still expensive, they are
steadily getting cheaper and the capacities are increasing. For the
average PC user to be convinced that it is a must-have upgrade, the
performance benefits would really need to be experienced. To that end,
this roundup looks at mostly 128 GB drives with a focus on SATA 2
performance measured with Crystal DiskMark. If budget is of no concern
to you, a couple of the latest SATA 3 models are included for good
measure.
For Mac performance data, see Bare Feats' reviews below: Vertex 3 SSD vs. Other SSDs and OWC Mercury
Extreme Pro 6G SSD vs. Others.
Link: Seven SSD
Sizzlers
1991 PowerBook Legacy Evident in Today's
MacBooks
Writing on AppleTell, Charles Moore says:
Apple PowerBook 100 with floppy drive.
"While Apple is sometimes credited with having built the first
really modern laptops with the introduction of their PowerBook line of
portables, those came on the scene relatively late in 1991, although
they arguably did incorporate and do much to standardize pretty much
the appearance and layout of laptop computers to this day.
"Sometimes you just get it right from the outset, and today's
MacBook computers can trace a direct line of heritage and their general
form factor back to those 1991 PowerBook 100, 140, and 170 machines. An apt automotive analogy
would be Ford's Mustang, which was so brilliantly conceived and styled
at its introduction in May 1964 that the current 2011 Mustang could not
be mistaken for anything else but the original paradigm-setting pony
car by those of us who remember the original from 47 years ago.
"There are more parallels...."
Link: Apple's PowerBook:
The Ford Mustang of Portable Computing
iPad 'Hammering' Laptop Sales
Macworld UK's Melanie Pinola reports that sales figures show the
global laptop market collapsing, and analysts blame the iPad, which is shown to indeed be
cannibalizing the traditional PC market - laptops in particular - with
BusinessWeek reporting that global laptop sales have collapsed, causing
a crisis for Taiwanese PC-makers Asustek and Acer, as well as HP and
Dell, whose consumer PC sales are down 12% and 8% respectively, and
with eMarketer, cited by BusinessWeek, estimating 178% growth for
tablets this year, and with Apple maintaining a 74% share of that
market.
Link: iPad Hammering
Laptop Sales, Say Analysts
Anticipating a Faster MacBook Air
Cnet's Brooke Crothers says that for those anticipating a MacBook Air speed bump to Intel
"Sandy Bridge" processor power, an inkling of such a machine's
potential performance can be found in the ultra-thin Samsung Series 9 NP900X3A laptop and the 13" MacBook Pro.
The Samsung uses Intel's latest ultra-power-efficient 1.4 GHz Intel
Core i5 silicon, which is expected to power the next 11.6" Air
revision, and Intel's HD 3000 graphics, which the next Air will also
presumably use. The new Intel integrated graphics are pretty
consensually reviewed as better than expected, but still falling short
of the performance provided by the Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics used in
the current MacBook Air.
Link: Anticipating a
Faster MacBook Air
If Apple Replaces Aluminum with Carbon Fiber, Can
It Be Recycled?
Recycle Mac notes that Apple filed a patent for a carbon fiber case
in 2009, and there have been lots of rumors of Apple devices using the
material, but so far no product announcements. However, that may change
with Apple's hiring composites engineer Kevin Kenney.
Carbon fiber is a strong, lightweight composite material that could
be used to replace the aluminum Apple currently uses for its laptop and
iDevice cases.
However, the article questions whether carbon fiber can be recycled.
Probably never as efficiently as infinitely recyclable aluminum, but
there is cause for some hope that carbon fiber recycling can be
usefully recycled, although the recycled material will not match the
strength of the original composite.
Link: If Apple Replaces
Aluminum with Carbon Fiber Can It Be Recycled?
Reviews
2.3 GHz 15" Core i7 MacBook Pro Benchmarked
Macworld's James Galbraith reports that Macworld Lab bought a couple
of build-to-order (BTO) MacBook Pros, and the first benchmark results
for a 15"
system with the faster 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 quad-core processor
are in. Overall, the 2.3 GHz system is just 3% faster than the 2.2 GHz
model.
Link: Lab Report:
15-inch 2.3 GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro Speed Results
17" Early 2011 MacBook Pro a 'Folding
Powerhouse'
DigitalTrends' Nick Mokey says that Apple's latest version of the
17" MacBook
Pro retains the unibody metal design of the previous version, but
the hardware inside has changed with the addition of faster processors,
more powerful graphics, and Intel's brand new Thunderbolt interface.
All put more zip within the outstanding unibody design. Mokey states,
"there's little the folding powerhouse won't do, and for sheer
aesthetic value and build quality, the MacBook Pro remains at the top
of the pack this year."
Link: Apple MacBook Pro
17-inch (2011 version) Video Review
Link:
Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch (2011) Review (not video)
Vertex 3 SSD vs. Other SSDs
Bare Feats' rob-ART Morgan says:
"Apple offers various Configure-To-Order (CTO) drive options for the
2011 MacBook Pro. We tested some of the HDD and SSD options from the
Apple factory as well as third parties. We used QuickBench from the
Speed Tools Test Suite to sample the small random reads/writes (average
of 4K to 1024K blocks - 5 cycles each) and large sequential read/writes
(20M to 100M blocks - 5 cycles each).
"The 2011 is the first MacBook Pro to have a 6 Gb/s internal
SATA interface . . . The Apple SSD is slower than any other
SSD we have tested with the exception of the Toshiba (on which Apple's
SSD is based). Of course, relative to an HDD, it's very fast...[and] of
greater concern is the lack of multiple built-in durability and
performance enhancing features like the SandForce based SSDs. Apple
will support TRIM in OS X "Lion" but that only deals with block
management."
Link: Storage Shootout: Vertex 3 SSD in
2011 MacBook Pro versus Other SSDs and HDDs
OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD vs. Others
Bare Feats' rob-ART Morgan says:
"We received a sample late today of the OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G
SSD. We used QuickBench from the Speed Tools Test Suite to sample the
small random reads/writes (average of 4K to 1024K blocks - 5 cycles
each) and large sequential read/writes (20M to 100M blocks - 5 cycles
each). We compared it to four other solid state drives (SSDs) along
with one of the fastest hard disk drives (HDDs).
"The OWC 6G SSD is the fastest SSD we have tested to date. Based on
the SandForce SF-2200 chipset with built-in wear leveling and error
correction code along with over-provisioning, it's an excellent
performance upgrade to any of the 2011 MacBook Pros (all of which have
the 6 Gb/s interface.) Also if you have a Mac Pro with a four lane
or faster 6 Gb/s host adapter, you should get similar results. (We
will test that scenario soon.)"
Link: SSD
Shootout: OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD versus Others
Photoshop Shootout: Early 2011 MacBook Pros vs.
2010 Macs
Bare Feats' rob-ART Morgan says:
"Does it matter what Mac you use to run Adobe Photoshop CS5? Lloyd
Chambers created an action file called diglloydSpeed1 that puts
Photoshop through typical actions of a photographer. Using that test
and his test file, we created a shootout between two 2011 MacBook Pros
and a collection of 2010 Macs."
Morgan notes that he was shocked to find that the 2011 MacBook Pro
is just a step behind the 6-core
2010 Mac Pro.
Link: Photoshop CS5 Shootout: 2011
MacBook Pros versus 2010 Macs
Apple Updates
Early 2011 MacBook Pro: Gray Apple Logo Screen at
Startup
A new Apple Support Knowledge Base article says:
"Learn what to do if your MacBook Pro (Early 2011) starts up to a
gray screen with an Apple logo and without a progress indicator.
"Products Affected: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro
(15-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
"Resolution
"This may happen if the computer starts up from the hard drive or
from an external drive using the wrong version or build of the
operating system.
"Reinstall the correct operating system build by using Mac OS X
Install DVDs included with the computer. You can also use a later
build, but never install a version of the operating system released
before the computer.
"Learn about restoring the correct operating system version using a
restore DVD or Time Machine backup.
"Additional Information
"To confirm that the computer is attempting to start up from the
wrong operating system version, start up the computer in verbose
mode:
- Shut down the computer if it is on.
- Press the power button to start the computer.
- Immediately press and hold the Command (Apple) key and the "V" key
(Command-V) for verbose mode.
"Verbose mode is on if you see white text appear on the screen as in
the image below.
"If the computer has the wrong build of the OS installed, the
startup process will stop. The following line of text will appear on
the display: 'Loading
System\Library\Caches\com.apple.kext.caches\startup\Extensions.mkext.'
- Exit verbose mode by pressing the power button until the computer
shuts down."
Link: MacBook Pro (Early 2011): Gray
Apple Logo Screen at Startup
Boot Camp 3.2 Update for Early 2011 MacBook
Pro
The Boot Camp 3.2 Update for MacBook Pro (Early 2011) addresses
issues with shutdown, Japanese and Korean keyboards on early 2011
MacBook Pro.
For more information, please visit this website http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/
System Requirements: Windows 7
Link: Boot
Camp 3.2 Update for MacBook Pro (Early 2011)
Products & Services
Sonnet Announces Range of Thunderbolt
Peripherals
PR: Sonnet Technologies has rolled out a range of
external drives, RAID devices, and adapters supporting the Thunderbolt
ultra high speed data transfer interface in the latest revision MacBook
Pros.
Dual SSD Fusion F2TBR
The
Fusion F2TBR 2-drive portable SSD storage system with Thunderbolt
technology harnesses the power of ultrafast 2.5" solid state drives to
deliver high read and write performance. With its SSDs configured as a
RAID 0 set, the Fusion F2TBR is claimed to achieve data transfers up to
640 MB/s read and 430 MB/s write making it ideal for high def video
capture and editing. Two Thunderbolt ports support daisy-chaining of up
to six devices to a single port on the host computer. With its drives
mounted side-by-side in a tough aluminum shell slightly larger than two
stacked CD cases, this is an excellent high-performance storage
solution for any editor packing light for on-location work.
Features:
- Ultrafast: Data transfers up to 640 MB/s read, 430 MB/s write from
two SSDs.
- Two Thunderbolt Ports: Daisy chain up to six devices to a single
port on the host computer.
- Compact: Fusion F2TBR is about the size of two CD cases; it takes
up so little space, you can carry it just about anywhere.
Four Drive Fusion E400TBR5 Small Footprint RAID
The compact Fusion E400TBR5 4-drive RAID 5 desktop storage
system featuring Thunderbolt technology includes an internal RAID
controller that supports RAID 5 for great performance and file
protection in case of a single drive failure, RAID 0 for maximum
performance, and JBOD for maximum flexibility.
Drive configuration is managed through a simple-to-use application.
Available in 4, 6, 8, or 12 TB configurations, Fusion E400TBR5 takes
advantage of the huge bandwidth available through the fast Thunderbolt
interface connection to deliver efficient I/O performance. With its
drives formatted as a RAID 5 set, the Fusion E400TBR5 achieves data
transfers of up to 400 MB/s read and 340 MB/s write, nearly twice as
fast as similar 4-drive storage systems using an eSATA interface. Two
Thunderbolt ports support daisy-chaining of up to six devices to a
single port on the host computer.
Features:
- Brains - Built-in hardware RAID controller supports multiple drive
configuration choices.
- File Protection - RAID 5 drive configuration enables great
performance while safeguarding data in case of a single drive
failure.
- Speed and Performance - With drives configured as a RAID 5 set,
data transfers up to 400 MB/s read, 340 MB/s write, nearly twice as
fast as similar 4-drive systems with an eSATA interface.
- Two Thunderbolt Ports - Daisy chain up to six devices to a single
port on the host computer.
8 Drive Fusion D800TBR5 RAID
The Fusion D800TBR5 8-drive RAID 5 desktop storage system
featuring Thunderbolt technology includes a high-performance internal
RAID controller that supports RAID 5 for top performance and file
protection in case of a single drive failure, RAID 0 for maximum
performance, RAID 1 for redundancy, and JBOD for maximum
flexibility.
Drive configuration is managed through a simple-to-use application.
Fusion D800TBR5 delivers high performance, achieving data transfers up
to 800 MB/s read and 730 MB/s write. Enhanced with a large cache and
latency management technology, this system is claimed to be fast enough
to handle a single stream of uncompressed 10-bit 1080 4:4:4 HD, or
multiple streams of ProRes 422, uncompressed 8-bit 1080 HD, DV, HDV,
and DVCPRO video. Two Thunderbolt ports support daisy-chaining of up to
six devices to a single port on the host computer. Available in 8, 12,
16, or 24 TB configurations, Fusion D800TBR5 is backed by Sonnet's
5-year pro storage warranty.
Features:
- Brains: Built-in high performance hardware RAID controller supports
multiple drive configuration choices.
- File Protection: RAID 5 drive configuration enables great
performance while safeguarding data in case of a single drive
failure.
- High Performance: With drives configured as a RAID 5 set, data
transfers up to 800 MB/s read, 730 MB/s write.
- Built for Video Editing: Fusion D800TBR5 is enhanced with a large
cache and latency management technology to support uncompressed HD
video editing workflows.
- Two Thunderbolt Ports: Daisy-chain up to six devices to a single
port on the host computer.
- Pro Storage Warranty: Fusion D800TBR5 is backed by Sonnets 5-year
pro storage warranty.
Echo Express PCIe 2.0 Expansion Chassis
Sonnet's Echo Express PCIe 2.0 Expansion
Chassis with Thunderbolt Ports enable you to connect high-performance
PCI Express 2.0 adapter cards to any computer with a Thunderbolt
port.
Imagine using full-size professional video capture cards, 8 Gb
Fibre Channel cards, 10-Gigabit Ethernet cards, and RAID controller
cards with your new MacBook Pro the Echo Express expansion chassis
makes it possible.
Available in two sizes, the standard Echo Express PCIe 2.0 Expansion
Chassis with Thunderbolt Ports supports one half-length, double-width,
x16 (x4 mode), PCIe 2.0 card, while the XL model supports full-length
cards; both models have fans to cool the cards. The standard model
includes a built-in 75W power supply, while the XL model includes an
integrated 150W power supply with a 75W PCIe power connector. Two
Thunderbolt ports support daisy-chaining of up to six devices to a
single port on the host computer.
Features:
- Room to Expand - Connect a half-length (full-length in XL model),
double-width PCIe 2.0 adapter card to a computer with a Thunderbolt
port.
- High Bandwidth - x16 (x4 mode) 2 GB/s PCIe 2.0 slot perfect for
special-purpose PCIe cards for video capture, Fibre Channel, 10-Gigabit
Ethernet, digital audio, RAID control, multiple screen video, etc.
- Power for Powerful Cards - Integrated 75W power supply (150W
including one 75W PCIe power connector in XL model).
- Two Thunderbolt Ports - Daisy-chain up to six devices to a single
port on the host computer.
Allegro FW800 Thunderbolt Adapter
Connect a FireWire 800 device, even a bus-powered drive, to any
computer with a Thunderbolt port.
Presto Gigabit Ethernet Thunderbolt Adapter
Add a Gigabit Ethernet connection to any computer with a Thunderbolt
port.
Link: Sonnet NAB 2011 New
Product Announcements
Prerelease OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD
Performance Tests
PR: Other World Computing (OWC) has announced it's soon to be
shipping OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD, the next generation of OWC
SandForce Driven SATA Revision 3.0 6 Gb/s Solid State Drives, has
been prerelease provided to four leading performance benchmarking
websites: The SSD Review, MacPerformanceGuide, Bare Feats, and
Tweaktown. With sustained data rates over 500 MB/s, the new OWC Mercury
Extreme Pro 6G SSD allows users to unleash the true capabilities of
their SATA 6G enabled Macs and PCs, while still delivering the
award-winning performance and reliability the original Extreme Pro
offers in SATA 1.5 Gb/s and SATA 3.0 Gb/s bus interface equipped
machines.
Three Capacities Offered Starting at $319.99
The OWC Mercury Extreme Pro 6G SSD will be offered in the following
capacity configurations with availability dates to be announced on the
product's official release date of April 15th:
These three new models join OWC's existing line of SATA 1.5/3.0
interface
Mercury Extreme Pro SSDs that are available in capacities from 40
GB to 480 GB, offer options for "legacy"
IDE/ATA desktop and notebook owners, and offer the only MacBook Air
SSD option on the market priced starting from $99.97.
Preliminary Testing Reveals Gains Up to 77%
To determine the true capabilities of the SandForce SF-2281
processor in a 6 Gb/s interface computer, the OWC Mercury Extreme
Pro 6G was Quickbench tested by OWC engineers in a 2011 MacBook Pro 15"
i7 2.3 GHz model. With 506 MB/s read and 464 MB/s write transfer rates,
the new Pro 6G SSD offers up to 77% faster performance in 6 Gb/s
interface equipped Macs and PCs versus 3.0 Gb/s interface equipped
machines. In the critical 4K random read and write tests, up to 60,000
iPods - an improvement of 20% - is attainable. These cutting edge
speeds dramatically improve the performance of demanding uses such as
High Definition video streaming, large Photoshop file rendering, as
well as other disk intensive processes that bog down standard SSDs and
hard disk drives.
Four Leading Sites to Certify Prerelease Performance
Built upon the award-winning lineage of the Mercury Extreme Pro
line, the new Pro 6G line will be thoroughly prerelease tested by the
following four leading Mac and PC performance benchmarking sites:
"We're very pleased to have four of the best performance testing
websites ready to put our latest and greatest SSD through its paces,"
says Larry O'Connor, Founder and CEO, Other World Computing. "We're
quite confident that these experts will find the Extreme Pro 6G to be
the new speed, reliability, and quality standard of SSD by which all
others will be measured."
MyService Offers Seagate Momentus 750 GB 7200 RPM
Drive
PR: MyService has the new 750 GB 7200 RPM 2.5 hard
drives for the MacBook and MacBook Pro in stock. These are the
highest-capacity 7200 RPM laptop drives currently available, and sell
for $299 which includes the new drive, installation with data transfer
and free shipping.
Seagate Momentus 750 GB Drive Specs
- Capacity 750 GB
- Spin Speed (RPM) 7200
- Cache 16 MB
- Interface SATA 3 Gb/s
- Physical Size 2.5"
750 GB Seagate 7200 rpm - $299
Link: MyService
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