SSD-powered MacBook Pro wait is (almost) over

The MacBook Pro updates are right around the corner. Some reliable sources indicate that they may be as close as two weeks away while others put the delivery date as far out as mid-March. Likely features include the larger, multi-touch trackpad, brighter LED screens, mobile Penryn processors and the all-important Solid State Drives (SSD). The LED screens (new to the 17inch model), mobile Penryn Processor and SSD drives should contribute favorably to an extended battery life as well.

But if you can't wait that long, or don't intend on upgrading your MacBook Pro, and still want to take advantage of the benefits of SSD technology, you are in luck. Current and past MacBook Pro users can add 3rd party SSD drives to their laptops now.

The benefits of SSD technology are many. To quote Wikipedia:

• Faster startup (as no spin-up is required).
• Faster random access (there is no read/write head to move).
• Extremely low read and write latency (seek) times, orders of magnitude faster than the best current hard disk drives.
• Faster boot and application launch time when hard disk seeks are the limiting factor. See Amdahl's law.
• Few to no moving parts.
• For small SSDs up to 64GB, lower power consumption and heat production.
• For small SSDs up to 64GB, no noise – Lack of moving parts makes the SSD completely silent (although high-end SSDs may include cooling fans).
• Better mechanical reliability – Lack of moving parts almost eliminates the risk of mechanical failure. High level of ability to endure extreme shock, high altitude, vibration and temperatures, which apply to laptops and other mobile devices, or when transported.
• Relatively deterministic performance – unlike hard disk drives, performance of SSDs is almost constant and deterministic across the entire storage. This is because "seek time" can be constant, so fragmentation has less impact on performance than on physical drives.
• For very low-capacity SSDs, lower weight and size. Size and weight per unit storage are still better for traditional hard drives, and microdrives allow up to 20 GB storage in a CompactFlash 42.8×36.4×5 mm (1.7×1.4×.2 in) form factor. Up to 64GB, SSD is lighter than Hard drive for the same size.

Sounds great right? It is, if you can afford it. SSD drives cost, on average, 10-20 times as much per Gigabyte as conventional hard drives. Also, SSD's don't come in huge sizes yet. 128 GB is about as big as consumer sizes get - and those run around $2000. However, if you've got carte blanche, you can get a 832Gb laptop SATA drive (!!).

For some, the price is worth it. If you don't carry a lot of media (Movies/MP3s/large images) around with you, a 32GB ($300-500) or 64GB (~$1000) SSD might do the trick. They are available from all of the normal sources, though you might want to consider going for the fastest available - which currently are the Samsung line - the same that Apple is putting in the MacBook Air.

Ryan Block of Engadget put a 64GB SSD in his MacBook Pro and got some jaw dropping results.

Ryan Block's 64Gb SSD Powered MacBook Pro takes 20 seconds to boot

Samsung SSD Card, lovingly implanted in a 15 inch MacBook Pro

The technique is exactly the same as replacing a hard drive, so you can just follow those steps (for MacBook ApplePDF Link) or ExtremeTech for MacBook Pro (voids warranty). If spending an afternoon inside your MacBook Pro counting screws isn't something you appreciate, most Apple Certified repair shops can do this for you with an hour or two labor cost thrown in.

Or, if you want the best of both worlds, and you have a free Express Card slot on your MacBook Pro, you can pick up a 32GB Express card SSD for $337. Be forewarned that this drive has much slower specs than the Samsung's SSDs and won't out-perform a traditional hard drive in speed necessarily - check the spec page below. It does offer the same durability, battery saving capability and longevity as normal SSDs, however, and the hybrid model might appeal to users who would otherwise be hesitant to jump on this new technology.

This hybrid technology might even catch on with Apple.