Filed under: Hardware, Macbook Pro, MacBook
SSD Upgrades for MacBook / MacBook Pro
MacBook / MacBook Pro owners, are you suffering from SSD envy?There's no need to fret, since ExperCom has just announced immediate availability of SSD upgrades for your favorite Apple laptops. If you already own a MacBook or MacBook Pro, you can send it to ExperCom's Logan, Utah office and have your hard drive replaced with a 60GB ($599) or 120GB ($899) SSD. ExperCom moves your data to the SSD so your MacBook is ready to roll when it is back in your hands, and returns the old HD to you for use as a Time Machine drive (enclosure not included).
If you've been thinking about purchasing a new MacBook Pro or MacBook, ExperCom is selling those laptops pre-configured with SSDs. A 15" MacBook Pro with the 2.4 GHz processor and a 120GB SSD is $2649, compared to $1999 for a stock Apple MBP with a standard 200GB hard drive. Want a white MacBook with a 2.2 GHz CPU and a 60GB SSD? It's yours for $1649, $550 over the price of a white MacBook with a 120GB HD.
Since the SSD upgrades are not covered by Apple's warranty, ExperCom provides service or can re-install the old drive prior to Apple service.
Thanks to Eric Hancock for the tip!
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
What the Frack?! said 4:22PM on 5-29-2008
I would do this if I bought (needed) a new MacBook Pro, but I don't think I would want to upgrade my 1 year-old MBP for that kind of money. I did do the 7200RPM upgrade and Time Machined the old drive.
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Wayne Ptaff said 8:42AM on 7-21-2008
Anyone knows when the new laptops are coming out? Any of them.. MBA, MBP or the MacBook. I wonder if they will add pcexpress support on the macbook.
Any educated guess on timeline anyone?
jbrader said 4:24PM on 5-29-2008
This is a really good thing as far as I can tell. But not because I'm going to buy one; it's a tiny bit outside my price range. More of a thin edge of the wedge type deal. So come on all you loaded early adopters and drive the price down for al the rest of us!
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MacBookUser said 4:24PM on 5-29-2008
Uh, ok, I can see sending in your MacBook Pro for a hard drive upgrade..but the MacBook's hard drive just slides out from the battery door area.
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joey said 4:32PM on 5-29-2008
I've replaced drives on MBP before and I could understand why other users may want to send in theirs to get the SSD installed but I have also installed HDD on MB as well. Being an easily replaceable part why would one opt to send in the MB.
Is the SSD not a simple replacement solution? I would imagine it would have the SATA connectors as well.
Or are you paying for the data transfer service that a user could easily do on their own provided they use a back up solution like Time Machine.
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JJ said 4:33PM on 5-29-2008
This is the worst idea EVER!
You can buy SSD drives FOR LESS, and you can install it yourself in about 10 minutes.
Love you TUAW, but maybe you should also add to the story,
"Also a complete waste of time."
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Zane said 4:38PM on 5-29-2008
JJ is right much too expensive.
http://pixblix.com
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Think Adrian said 4:39PM on 5-29-2008
Agree, you could just buy an SSD drive and install it yourself.
I'm wondering, wasn't SSD meant to run on something faster than SATA? Something like a direct connection to the motherboard or something (I heard something a while ago, but it doesn't really make sense now.. hmm..)
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Eric Chen said 4:57PM on 5-29-2008
Newegg has same drive for much cheaper.
128GB for $639
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820609304
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Aron T said 5:02PM on 5-29-2008
It would be interesting to find out if the company would allow you to provide your own SSD drive to knock the cost down.
I also wonder if there is any kind of warranty that they provide? If not, I couldn't see doing this to my MBP until my AppleCare expires in 2 years...
Aron
http://aroncares.com
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Ryan said 5:30PM on 5-29-2008
"Thanks to Eric Hancock for the tip!" ????
Eric Hancock works for ExperCom. This isn't a tip, it's free advertising.
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Thetics said 6:33PM on 5-29-2008
Lol, I doubt it was free.
Steven Sande said 7:47PM on 5-29-2008
Hmmm, I wonder how else companies are supposed to get information about their products out to the public??? Press Releases are a fact of life, Ryan, and we welcome the info from vendors so we can get the word to the readers.
TUAW Steve
Steven Sande said 7:50PM on 5-29-2008
And by the way, they didn't get me the Lamborghini Reventón I demanded for the article. Damn!
TUAW Steve
Thetics said 7:58PM on 5-29-2008
LOL, those BASTARDS! Off with their heads!
Ryan said 2:18AM on 5-30-2008
How else are they supposed to get info out about their products? How about paid advertising, banners, radio spots, and their own website? I think it's disingenuous for TUAW to run ad spots for companies without disclosing this information. ExperCom likes to run "stealth" campaigns like this. They run radio ads disguised as interviews & such here in Salt Lake. Hilarious.
tasset said 6:44PM on 5-29-2008
Slightly offtopic.
A few months back I upgraded the drive in my mbPro and wasn't hard at all. Now I have an Air and maybe if prices plumment in a year or two I would like to swap the HD for SSD. I haven't seen the internals on the Air, is it even accessible to hope for that?
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Roger said 10:18PM on 5-29-2008
Having been a resident of Logan Utah. I would not recommend Expercom to ANYONE! Their service is horrible, and they take forever to get something done.
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mr kitty said 11:36PM on 5-29-2008
I'm glad someone is offering this as a service, but I do need to add a couple of things to anyone thinking of upgrading to a SSD:
1. Research. These drives are pretty slow compared to the other SSDs on the market. I eventually went with a Samsung SSD for my macbook, and my benchmarks blow theirs away. My write speeds are faster than the 5400 RPM HDD that came stock with this machine.
2. MacBook HDD replacement is "user serviceable". You'll need a torx bit, but completely easy to do. No need to send your machine in. Even if you need to send your machine in for repair, the SSD should not affect the MacBook's warranty (you might need to prove the MBP's SSD was installed by an Apple certified tech).
3. I'd wait until OWC offers the samsung drives (thanks for the new egg link, btw), or iResq.com offers the upgrade service. Besides, the price will only go down.
4. SATA is pretty darn fast (MacBook/MacBook Pro are SATA I) @ 1.5Gbps, SATA II would be faster. The MacBook Air's PATA interface is an embarassing bottleneck for the SSD option. I'd be curious to see if Apple could redesign the second rev of the MBA to be a direct/on board SSD storage solution (standard).
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Simon said 3:39AM on 5-30-2008
What does SSD stand for?
If you continue to bandy TLAs {three letter abbreviations} without also putting them in full, I'l go elsewhere for my mac news. Rant over.
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