Mac, PC solid state drives aren’t compatible

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    Mac, PC solid state drives aren’t compatible


    Posted: 28 May 2012
    Apple’s MacBook Air and PC ultrabooks use new solid state drive (SSD) modules. But don’t count on any cross-platform or cross-manufacturer compatibility.
    Read more at:
    Mac, PC solid state drives aren’t compatible | ZDNet
    Brink's Avatar Posted By: Brink
    28 May 2012



  1. Posts : 5,941
    Linux CENTOS 7 / various Windows OS'es and servers
       #1

    Hi there
    would we expect ANYTHING else from Apple. I think it was only after some bashing by the EU commisiion that they even made a couple of usb connectors standard (or are intending to do sometime before the start of the NEXT millenium).

    I like the Iphone and some macbooks but the use of totally 100% proprietary HARDWARE stops me from buying any of their products (apart from possibly the Iphone --although I like the new Samsung so I might even forget the Iphone too).

    No prob with Apple's software -- that's fine --but we should be able to connect and use "bog standard" peripherals without paying an arm and a leg for hard to find "convertor" type cables.

    Cheers
    jimbo
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 137
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 / OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8
       #2

    Being proprietary isn't necessarily bad, it also simplifies a lot of purchases for the buyer. Not everyone out there's interested in shopping and checking out all the tech review sites trying to figure out what's going to work best for their machines. I'm not like that but I have many clients who are.

    Regarding these SSD modules, I don't think it'll have any real impact on anything. Mac users look to mostly two sources for drives, Apple and OWC. PC users have quite a bit of choices so it's not going to hurt one way or another and I hardly see anyone trying to swap an old PC SSD into a Mac and vice versa.

    Being an equal Mac, PC and Linux user, the single biggest thing I dislike about Apple in general is how they're very misleading with their information and fanboys always gobble it up and start repeating nonesense all over the web. For example Apple stated that OSX supports TRIM but what they don't tell you is TRIM is offically supported on Apple-bought SSD's only. If you buy a 3rd party SSD, there's no TRIM support via OSX, the controller must then provide its own garbage collection (such as the Sandforce drives). TRIMEnabler is a hack which helps to provide some relief to Mac users but still, OSX does not openly support TRIM. This is where Windows 7 prevails, it supports TRIM at the OS level, openly.
    Last edited by Stratos; 04 Jun 2012 at 06:15.
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  3. Posts : 2,292
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #3

    To be perfectly honest, the more I use Mac OS X, the more I despise Windows for their updates and C++ and dotNET and Silverlight and this and that and this and that; a whole bunch of crap you HAVE to have installed to make all the programs, all the games, all the stuff you want to use - work properly. Mac OS X does not have that at all, which makes it much more enjoyable to use from the very first boot.

    But proprietary hardware is definitely something that puts me away from ever owning an Apple machine (aside maybe from the iPod Touch or an iPhone/iPad).

    I would have to disagree on the "simplifying purchases" too. For example, Android is the most used mobileOS in the world, yet you still can't just pick up any phone and get to it. First of all, the whole Android Market VS. Google Play (on Android 2.1/2.2 VS. 2.3 and above) - the issues people still have to this day are staggering. Then there's still general knowledge one must have for the device they want to use, and how they use it: will this GPU support this game (reminds me of Apple's PowerPC VS. Intel lunacy), will I have enough RAM to edit videos in FinalCut(Pro), is an SSD better than an HDD, and do I have enough space for all my files on this hard drive etc.

    Nobody but the absolute idiot just goes into the Apple store and buys a random laptop without thinking at all. If one considers different aspects of Apple's hardware configurations VS. the price, the whole OSX VS. Windows (Mac VS. PC) thing - and again chooses a Mac, then it's fine. They might not be versed in computers at all, but friendly advice from a neighbor/friend/parent/internet counts towards user awareness and their intelligence towards buying any kind of hardware, even from Apple.
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  4. Posts : 7,878
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #4

    I choose to not use MAC for a variety of reasons, the following are in order of significance.
    1). cost
    2). limited hardware choices
    3). locked into Apple's way or Apple's way..with very little customizations
    4). Doesn't resolve any issues that I have with my PC's.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,292
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #5

    pparks1 said:
    I choose to not use MAC for a variety of reasons, the following are in order of significance.
    1). cost
    2). limited hardware choices
    3). locked into Apple's way or Apple's way..with very little customizations
    4). Doesn't resolve any issues that I have with my PC's.
    1) Hear hear
    2) Very true, the newest Macs are all stuck with an ATI card, which I would never buy even if it costs me my life
    3) Apple's Way in software isn't all that far from decent, but yeah. As for the customizations, aside from the actual look of the OS, the global menu bar is pretty easy to customize with apps and information
    4) Huh? Which issue would that be?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 137
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64 / OS X Snow Leopard 10.6.8
       #6

    Gornot said:
    To be perfectly honest, the more I use Mac OS X, the more I despise Windows for their updates and C++ and dotNET and Silverlight and this and that and this and that; a whole bunch of crap you HAVE to have installed to make all the programs, all the games, all the stuff you want to use - work properly. Mac OS X does not have that at all, which makes it much more enjoyable to use from the very first boot.
    Just because Macs don't use .NET framework packages, that doesn't mean it doesn't need external applications/plugins. They still need Java and Flash for certain apps and sites, they need external applications to support formats not native to OSX.

    Windows PC's have frequent updates for their device drivers which contributes to outperforming similarly equipped Macs in games. Mac frequently use archaic drivers often of the same version as their shipping software. That gives PC's an edge when manufactures are able to support their products independently of Microsoft (i.e. Nvidia, AMD, etc.)

    When I have to use certain military applications designed only for Windows, I must invest in VM software and load Windows onto it. You could reboot the Mac using Bootcamp and into Windows but that means you can't use either at the same time. Booting Windows in a VM on a Mac with anything but a SSD is a painful experience. By contrast I never found myself working on a PC having any need to boot into OSX.

    My view on the Windows update is the opposite, I find it incredible. MS does a great job keeping their products updated and often. Apple by contrast took at least a week before they patched for the Flashback trojan and by today's standards that's pretty slow.

    But proprietary hardware is definitely something that puts me away from ever owning an Apple machine (aside maybe from the iPod Touch or an iPhone/iPad).
    What is proprietary that concerns you? If you're talking about a Macbook Pro, even on a PC you can only change out certain things on a notebook thus I think they're nearly equal in that sense. For their desktop iMacs they're similar to certain PC machines which don't have separate video card slots and are designed in mind to use "as-is". I'm mostly a PC person who also uses Macs but I've never used an iMac and thought "darn I wish I could change out _____ with a different ____". The monitor is better than anything I've ever seen bundled with most PC packages and because "bundled" monitors are often subpar it's common that PC owners would want to replace it for something better, not the case with iMacs.

    I would have to disagree on the "simplifying purchases" too. For example, Android is the most used mobileOS in the world, yet you still can't just pick up any phone and get to it. First of all, the whole Android Market VS. Google Play (on Android 2.1/2.2 VS. 2.3 and above) - the issues people still have to this day are staggering. Then there's still general knowledge one must have for the device they want to use, and how they use it: will this GPU support this game (reminds me of Apple's PowerPC VS. Intel lunacy), will I have enough RAM to edit videos in FinalCut(Pro), is an SSD better than an HDD, and do I have enough space for all my files on this hard drive etc.
    None of what you said are meaningful. Android is very common but Android and iOS are 2 of the dominant mobile OS's being used.


    One key difference is Android is severely fragmented, think about how many versions of Android is actively being used today and how many new devices are still unable to move up to ICS (Ice Cream Sandwich) because the product manufacturer (and not Google) has to issue either an OTA (over the air) update or downloadable version.

    -Android Froyo 2.2 (and all other versions 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 2.2.3, etc.)
    -Android Gingerbread 2.3, 2.4 (2.3.1, 2.3.2, 2.3.3, 2.3.4, 2.4.1, 2.4.2, etc.)
    -Android Honeycomb 3.0.x
    -Android ICS 4.0.x

    Android marketplace (AM) is also quite fragmented, there's many issues with unsigned Android apps making it into the marketplace, VUPEN reports that there are a considerable amount of malware within the AM and there's still issues where you can find apps that aren't supported on your device. Add to that, Android users can opt to enable a feature in Settings to download APK files from 3rd party websites completely bypassing any need from Google to certify that app as being legit (and not hosting hidden malware).

    Compared to iOS, as long as your device is supported, nearly all can update to the newest release unless you own a very ancient iOS device, and this is just the OS.

    With the iTunes and App store, they can purchase music, movies and apps respectively with confidence that they've been looked at by Apple. The risk of downloading and installing an unsigned app is practically non-existant. You won't see an app show up in the App store that isn't supported on your device. The only difference is Apple likes to play "mommy" and dictate what should and shouldn't be on your iOS device. For example I like using Wireless tools to help me troubleshoot wireless connections, on iOS Apple bars any app that does that.

    Nobody but the absolute idiot just goes into the Apple store and buys a random laptop without thinking at all. If one considers different aspects of Apple's hardware configurations VS. the price, the whole OSX VS. Windows (Mac VS. PC) thing - and again chooses a Mac, then it's fine. They might not be versed in computers at all, but friendly advice from a neighbor/friend/parent/internet counts towards user awareness and their intelligence towards buying any kind of hardware, even from Apple.
    Sure they do. I see people do it all the time. I know many people who buy Macbooks, iMacs, iPhones and have no idea why other than because it's an Apple product or perhaps because their friends have them. I know of people who only buy HP, Sony, Lenovo, Dell, etc. because of their brand recognition. Most of the computer buyers/owners aren't the most computer savvy people at all and people like you and I (and most on this forum) are the minority.
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 1,660
    Windows 8 Pro (32-bit)
       #7

    I don't think it's just SSDs. I seem to recall the new iMac requiring a slightly non-standard hard drive to work.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,292
    Windows 7 Home Premium x64
       #8

    Stratos, the point of it all is that Apple made the Macs to look and feel as though there's nothing stopping you from turning on your machine for the first time and jumping straight into work (whatever it may be).
    In my eyes, it is simple (-minded) and easy to use, and Windows on the other hand isn't for anyone, especially if they're not interested in the technology.

    What concerns me about proprietary hardware from Apple is that only Apple can fix any hardware issues which is not cheap. Notebooks aside, a desktop PC is for me something that should be bought very carefully - how in the world can I tweak an iMac?

    As for buying an Apple product because it's an Apple product - like I said, nobody but an idiot would do something like that. They might not know better, or care to know better, but in my eyes they're still idiots nevertheless.
    It would be like going on a diet by eating McDonald's salads. Yuck.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 7,878
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #9

    Gornot said:
    pparks1 said:
    I choose to not use MAC for a variety of reasons, the following are in order of significance.
    1). cost
    2). limited hardware choices
    3). locked into Apple's way or Apple's way..with very little customizations
    4). Doesn't resolve any issues that I have with my PC's.
    1) Hear hear
    2) Very true, the newest Macs are all stuck with an ATI card, which I would never buy even if it costs me my life
    3) Apple's Way in software isn't all that far from decent, but yeah. As for the customizations, aside from the actual look of the OS, the global menu bar is pretty easy to customize with apps and information
    4) Huh? Which issue would that be?
    With respect to #4, what I am saying is that I more or less don't experience issues currently with my PC's that the Mac is able to resolve or magically make better for me. Viruses and malware aren't an issue for me. BSOD's are not an issue. My box is stable and runs good.
      My Computer


 
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