Less than 5% of laptop users use SSD?

[J&SinKTO]

Again I mentioned not for everyone. Based on how/what required for my work/activities, the SSD is a worthwhile, time-savings upgrade.
Does not and may not fit everyone - now or into the future.
To each his own. That's the nice part of choices we have available.

[HTWingNut]

Thank you!

Yes, it is likely true, that 5%. SSDs really aren't ready for prime time in my opinion. There are still do's and don'ts with SSDs that oridinary HDD users wouldn't expect. Though they have come a long way in just 3 years.

But having to update the firmware of many of them via IDE mode, leaves notebook owners in the dark unless they can gain access to a desktop or one of those rare notebooks that can switch to IDE mode in BIOS.

Windows 7 does a good job in general though of setting up your system when it detects an SSD. Only thing it still does though is hog a bunch of space for pagefile. I know most of us will eliminate it or revise it to something more reasonable, but there's no need to reserver 8GB+ when you have 8GB in your system.

That practice has got to stop.

Yeah, that, along with a utility (bootable USB or CD) to secure erase instead of having to resort to getting ahold of a linux build and hdparm.

Again I mentioned not for everyone. Based on how/what required for my work/activities, the SSD is a worthwhile, time-savings upgrade.
Does not and may not fit everyone - now or into the future.
To each his own. That's the nice part of choices we have available.

There you go being all reasonable and stuff.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Thank you!

Yes, it is likely true, that 5%. SSDs really aren't ready for prime time in my opinion. There are still do's and don'ts with SSDs that oridinary HDD users wouldn't expect. Though they have come a long way in just 3 years.

But having to update the firmware of many of them via IDE mode, leaves notebook owners in the dark unless they can gain access to a desktop or one of those rare notebooks that can switch to IDE mode in BIOS.

That practice has got to stop.

Well some laptops/desktops in AHCI mode are flaky, as in htwingnut's case. You can also do the registry hack from IDE mode to AHCI mode later. Alot of modern notebooks can change IDE/AHCI. Even my 3.5 year old Dell Vostro can change between ATA and AHCI mode..

[2.0™]

Well some laptops/desktops in AHCI mode are flaky, as in htwingnut's case. You can also do the registry hack from IDE mode to AHCI mode later. Alot of modern notebooks can change IDE/AHCI. Even my 3.5 year old Dell Vostro can change between ATA and AHCI mode..

Indilinx drives require BIOS switch to IDE mode. I had to put all my SSDs into a basket and roll up on my neighbor to flash the new firmware on his desktop. Twice.

I have 5 notebooks and not a one allows you to change IDE/SATA in BIOS. Though an elitebook I had did.

Back in the days of destructive flash, you could do it from within windows. They still have destructive flash available for the latest firmware, but to identify the NAND for the proper destructive flash file, you need to run a program in IDE mode from startup. Hassle-city.

When the state of things mature, firmware flashes will be mostly unnecessary. That is when SSDs will be closer to prime time. That, and when the price per GB nears parity with HDDs.

[chimpanzee]

When the state of things mature, firmware flashes will be mostly unnecessary.

That is my #1 criteria for a thing like HDD/SSD given the difficulties it involves.

[Pirx]

There you go being all reasonable and stuff.

Yeah, this thread is turning all boring now, with people dropping the outrageous claims and name-calling. Time to close the thread

[HTWingNut]

When the state of things mature, firmware flashes will be mostly unnecessary. That is when SSDs will be closer to prime time. That, and when the price per GB nears parity with HDDs.

But they still need to make firmware flash compatible with AHCI.

Plus I don't think we'll ever see price per GB near HDD's at least the direction they're heading now. Smaller fab processes result in shorter write cycles for the NAND. I wouldn't doubt if MLC is eliminated altogether and replaced by SLC, jacking up pricing again. But what do I know. I'm just a Monday morning quarterback.

[Tsunade_Hime]

Indilinx drives require BIOS switch to IDE mode. I had to put all my SSDs into a basket and roll up on my neighbor to flash the new firmware on his desktop. Twice.

I have 5 notebooks and not a one allows you to change IDE/SATA in BIOS. Though an elitebook I had did.

Back in the days of destructive flash, you could do it from within windows. They still have destructive flash available for the latest firmware, but to identify the NAND for the proper destructive flash file, you need to run a program in IDE mode from startup. Hassle-city.

When the state of things mature, firmware flashes will be mostly unnecessary. That is when SSDs will be closer to prime time. That, and when the price per GB nears parity with HDDs.

Very odd, though I have only owned Dell business oriented notebooks, every single one has allowed me to change ATA/AHCI mode, though not all mine have an SSD installed.

I believe even my older Dell Inspiron E1405 allowed changing the SATA mode between ATA/AHCI..

When SSDs go closer to the GB/price ratio of a HDD, I will buy them for every single computer I own. Even my mom's desktop!

[michael_recycled]

(...) i killed one by having a usb port with a bit to less power to power the external drive up, resulting in a spin-up then powerdown circle that it quickly did, killing it.

Bus powered 2.5" HDDs are defective by design.

Michael

[chimpanzee]

Very odd, though I have only owned Dell business oriented notebooks, every single one has allowed me to change ATA/AHCI mode, though not all mine have an SSD installed.

I believe even my older Dell Inspiron E1405 allowed changing the SATA mode between ATA/AHCI..

When SSDs go closer to the GB/price ratio of a HDD, I will buy them for every single computer I own. Even my mom's desktop!

Dell's BIOS as far as I know is the least restrictive based on my experience, not to the point of a desktop but better than all other brands of laptop I have. All my other Notebook's don't allow me to switch between ATA/AHCI even though they are using SATA capable chipsets.