Apple’s PCIe SSDs are already very fast, in part due to the Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) protocol used in the latest MacBooks, which dramatically reduces latency times. But future models could get even faster as MacWorld notes that the very latest SSD tech is compatible with NVMe.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
65-inch Vizio 120Hz 1080P HDTV (refurb) $497 shipped/site to store (recommended) at Walmart http://t.co/jo0TeS6Oll pic.twitter.com/AuISUGybIh
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 27, 2015
Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi 16GB in all colors for $400 shipped (Reg. $499) http://t.co/6m0iOdNOIA pic.twitter.com/gqknmZ9WtM
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 27, 2015
Motorola Refurb DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modems: SB6121 $45 (Orig. $100), SB6141 $55 (Orig. $100)65-inch Vizio 120Hz 1080P HDTV (refurb) $497 shipped/site to store (recommended) at Walmart http://t.co/jo0TeS6Oll pic.twitter.com/AuISUGybIh
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) July 27, 2015
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Microsoft will give you a free $50 credit for pre-ordering the new 1TB Xbox One http://t.co/GHUuIG1Xh5 pic.twitter.com/FP3JyFrFtb
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) June 9, 2015
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Mpow Cheetah Bluetooth 4.1 Headphones (works w/ Apple Watch): $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $30) http://t.co/pB9aeozwkY pic.twitter.com/cEd5sjqVAN
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) June 5, 2015
Today is your last chance to enter our giveaway for @tm1985shop $482 Roll Top Back Pack http://t.co/QvpZOt4Orv pic.twitter.com/MKlgpSLYxp
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) June 5, 2015
USB-C is the sole port on Apple’s new 12-inch MacBook, and CalDigit today announced a version of its durable external drive that takes advantage of the new reversible USB 3.1 port. CalDigit Tuff features a USB-C port and cable for connecting the portable drive to the Apple’s ultra-thin notebook, and an included adapter cable ensures compatibility with the USB port that you’re used to seeing on your hardware as well. Since the new MacBook’s thin and light profile intends for it to venture out of your office and into the wild, CalDigit Tuff is ruggedized to endure drops, splashes, dust and other extreme environments.
CalDigit Tuff starts at $139.99 for 1TB HDD with availability starting in July (new MacBook orders currently deliver in 4-6 weeks). A solid state drive version with up to 1TB of storage will also be available while a higher capacity 2TB HDD option will be offered.
Expand
Expanding
Close
LaCie announced its new 4TB Thunderbolt/USB 3 Rugged RAID portable hard drive ($420 list, $399 Amazon) today, and I’ve had some time to take it for a little ‘spin.’ There are two speedy 7200RPM 2TB portable hard drives RAID-ed together inside to give the device very impressive, almost SSD-like speeds but with the cost savings and huge storage of portable hard drives. At the same time, the package isn’t much bigger than a regular portable hard drive and better yet, it can take a serious beating…
SSDs are fast, but still expensive compared to spinning metal drives, giving us less storage capacity in today’s Macs than we got in older models. Pick up a classic 13-inch MacBook Pro with a hard drive, for example, and you’ll get 500GB of storage for $1100, compared to just 128GB of SSD storage in the $1300 entry-level Retina model.
That may be set to change thanks to new 3D NAND technology announced by Intel and Micron, allowing them to fit far greater storage capacity into the same space as today’s drives. By stacking flash cells on top of each other, up to 32 layers deep, they can can triple the capacity in the same size chip without the usual high price-tag, reports PC World.
For a standard 2.5-inch SATA drive that means up to 10TB of space; for the M.2 drive type used by most laptops, the 3D NAND will boost capacities up to 3.5TB.
We’ve been promised this technology before–Samsung demonstrated 24 layers of 3D NAND back in 2013–but Intel and Micron say that manufacturers will be able to buy the new chips later this year. Of course, with Apple not noted for its generosity when it comes to storage capacity, you may not want to hold your breath.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
New products & more:
If you bought your iMac 3-5 years ago, there’s probably nothing so seriously wrong with the hardware that you need to consider replacing the machine. Sure, the new iMac with 5K Retina Display looks a little nicer, but at a steep $2,499 starting point, it’s still a luxury, not a necessity.
Yet there’s something you can do for $200 to $500 that will radically change your iMac’s performance: install a solid state drive (SSD) in addition to or instead of its original hard drive. SSDs use high-speed memory chips rather than the spinning platter mechanisms in traditional hard drives, achieving up to 5X benefits in speed while requiring no moving parts. Five years ago, SSDs were both expensive and limited in capacity, making them unlikely components for most Macs. Today, high-quality, capacious SSDs can be had for reasonable prices, and they’re surprisingly easy to install in iMacs. With limited expertise and only three tools, I swapped out my old hard drive for an SSD in roughly 30 minutes. Here’s how I did it, and – if you’re up for a quick do-it-yourself project – what I’d recommend for you.
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Last Call updates:
iTunes Free App of the Week: ProCam 2 ($1.99 value)
Omaker 10,000mAh Dual 2.1A USB Batteries with 1W flashlight: $17 Prime shipped, (+ 5200mAh battery: $30 shipped)
2.5-inch SATA III SSDs: Samsung 850 250GB $110 (Reg. $150), Crucial MX100 256GB $90 (Reg. $128)
Apple discounts nearly forty of the most popular productivity apps for iOS and Mac
Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display (newest) 2.8GHz/8GB/512GB: $1,599 ($200 off)
Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (newest version) 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB $750 (Reg. $899)
Apple 11.6-inch MacBook Air (mid 2013) 1.3GHz/4GB/256GB: $849 (orig. $1,099)
Today’s your last chance to enter to win this Ion desk lamp from Schoolhouse Electric! http://t.co/tIvK0bhaTu pic.twitter.com/Mv6xf6xfb0
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 30, 2015
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the brand new 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Seiki 40″ 1080P LED HDTV w/ USB & 3 HDMI inputs: $200 shipped more
Free iOS app courtesy of Apple Store: The Whole Pantry ($2.99 value)
Intel 730 Series 2.5-inch Solid State Drives: 240GB $110 (orig. $270), 480GB $200 (orig. $500)
Giveaway: 10 limited edition Skrillex Ultimate Ears BOOM Bluetooth speakers ($200 value)
Amazon announces its Black Friday gameplan and prices, new deals every 10 minutes
Small States – TM1985: former Ralph Lauren designer goes American made w/ elegant backpacks, $407 giveaway + 25% discount
Other new deals:
More deals still alive:
Black Friday:
We’re updating our email newsletter with Black Friday/holiday shopping ideas and savings
Top leaks:
All other leaks/info:
New products/ongoing promos:
See that little $190 daughter card up there^? It houses 240GB of Transcend SSD and it could replace the 64GB or 128GB SSD that came in your MacBook Air in as little as 5 minutes. Even better, Transcend just released larger versions in 480GB and 960GB sizes to blow your SATA III MacBook Air or Pro into new worlds of space. Keep in mind these are SATA-based SSDs and Apple’s latest round of MacBook Pro/Airs came with speedier PCIe SSDs so you can’t use these on Apple’s late 2013/2014 models (see bottom of the article for compatibility list).
I got my hands on a demo unit and took it for a test drive…
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
ZAGG BT keyboard cases: iPad mini w/ backlit keys $30 (Reg. $100), iPad 2/3/4 $50 (Reg. $100)
Samsung 840 EVO Series 250GB 2.5″ SATA III Solid State Drive $125 shipped (Reg. $250)
Get eight top country music songs from iTunes for free
Canon PIXMA Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer w/AirPrint $100 shipped (Reg. $200)
Other new deals:
More deals still alive:
Apple 13-inch MacBook Pro w/ Retina display 2.4 GHz/4GB/128GB (newest version) $1,100 shipped ($200 off) http://t.co/AiTm8p3UfP
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) June 2, 2014
New products/useful info:
Giveaways presented by SlickWraps: Apple TV, $100 iTunes gift card, $50 SlickWraps gift card, more
The above contest is now over, congratulations to our winners: @Jemarch86, @austinkeith and @robertburnspr – stay tuned for more great giveaways…
Microsoft/Google/Android:
Intel’s next generation of its Haswell CPUs could be out as soon as next month, according to sources cited by TechPowerUp (via TonyMacx86).
According to sources in the IT retail, Intel could launch these new chips, led by the Core i7-4790K, on May 10th in most markets […]
Intel Core “Haswell” Refresh processors offer marginally better performance over current Core “Haswell” chips, at existing price points (i.e., they will displace existing chips from their current price-points).The 9-series chipset offers features such as M.2 SSD support, making you ready for a tidal wave of 1000 MB/s SSDs that will launch around Computex.
Apple now uses PCIe SSD interface even in its base model MacBook Air so the mSATA improvement will only benefit PC users and Hackintoshers but the mildly improved performance might find its way into updated iMac or MacBooks due ’round WWDC.
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Last Call updates:
Solid State Drives:
Home Deals: Dyson table fan: $100, Cuisinart Coffeemaker: $90, 10-Piece GreenGourmet cookware: $200, more
Pad & Quill Little Pocket Book for iPhone 5/5S $60 shipped ($10 off)
Other great deals from today:
More great deals still alive:
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock: $200 shipped ($100 off)
Samsung 840 EVO Series 500GB 2.5″ SATA III Internal SSD $280 shipped (Reg. $480)
Discounted 1080p HDTVs: 70″ Vizio $1498, 32″ Sharp $220, 47″ LG $400, 32″ Sony $330 shipped
Other great deals from today:
More great deals still alive:
You look nice. How about 2 months of Hulu Plus, 3 Mags/2 mos. of Zinio and Spotify Premium for 2 months…all FREE http://t.co/leq1hLkJFg
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 14, 2014
U: Back in stock!
RT @9to5toys: Pioneer A3 WiFi speaker w/ AirPlay and streaming apps $70 shipped (Reg. $200) http://t.co/S1ENhs8CET
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) January 13, 2014
Following a quick look from Other World Computing last week, iFixit has published its teardown of the new Mac Pro.
Unlike any other Apple product iFixit has reviewed this year, the firm gives high praise to the repairability of the Mac Pro. The system uses no proprietary screws and RAM is accessible without the need for any tools. Add in the socketed, upgradable CPU originally found in the earlier teardown, the Mac Pro is the most repairable computer in Apple’s lineup by far.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeVJLM8fmrI
I should say at the outset that this is not cheap. Very not cheap. What you’re looking at is $890’s worth of external drive in the 512GB version I have here, or $500 for the 256GB model.
This is not a drive aimed at a consumer wanting a bit of external storage for their movies, but rather a high-performance drive aimed at audiovisual professionals who need an external drive that delivers the kind of speeds in a mobile environment that they are used to from their office setup …
Expand
Expanding
Close
Update: It appears this may be a function of the 1TB drives fitted to both 13- and 15-inch models. The reason for this isn’t yet clear: it may be the drives used offer greater bandwidth.
Benchmark tests by French site Mac4Ever show that the latest MacBook Pro 15 is delivering SSD read and write speeds in excess of 1GB per second. The site repeatedly achieved these speeds when Apple claims only “up to 775MB per second.”
The MBP 15 is able to achieve these speeds because it has a 4-channel PCIe connection to the SSD, in contrast to the 2-channel link on the MBP 13 and MacBook Air models, though from some reader reports this may be the case only on models fitted with 1TB drives …
iFixit has taken a look at the newly-released generation iMacs, tearing down both the 21.5 inch and 27.5 inch variants. Although most of the internal structure is the same, which is to be expected given that the new iMacs have retained the same casing, there are some small differences.
iFixit points out that the 21.5 inch iMac now includes a Fusion Drive SSD bay as standard, improving future upgradeability prospects of the machine. With last year’s model, this expandability was only available if customers had specifically ordered the iMac with a Fusion Drive originally. As the new drives are now connected via PCIe, third-party drive makers should be able to make appropriate adapters to enable the addition of a second hard drive. Both the 21.5 inch and 27 inch models offer this unused PCIe Fusion Drive SSD port. A picture of the empty port is attached below.
The chicken and egg adoption/price reductions of Thunderbolt haven’t yet made the devices accessible to most storage shoppers. That didn’t stop Thunderbolt’s inventor, Intel from Frankenstein-ing an otherworldly thumb drive with a Thunderbolt interface and 128GB of fast storage.
Internally, the drive has SanDisk SSD (why not Intel’s own?) storage and probably has a bottleneck giving the device somewhere between SATA 3 and 10GB/s Thunderbolt speeds. Intel is making a few for demo purposes and but doesn’t expect a consumer version until wider Thunderbolt adoption takes place and prices for the tech go way down.
Expand
Expanding
Close
From 9to5Toys.com:
Today SanDisk has unveiled their newest line of Solid State Drives, the Extreme II, which features faster speeds and 19nm flash memory and proprietary high-performance tiered system architecture. SanDisk promises that these new drives will offer quick game loads, enhanced gameplay and an improved user experience for anyone who works with big chunks of data. Boasting sequential read/write speeds of 550MB/sec and 510MB/sec and up to 95,000 random read IOPS and 78,000 random write IOPS, all while coming in at reasonable prices.
The Extreme II SSD is available in three capacities: 120GB ($130), 240GB ($230) and 480GB ($440)
Perhaps a side-effect of this release, our 9to5Toys team is seeing all-time lows for current SanDisk products over at Amazon’s impressive 2 Day Gold Box Event and today’s 480GB SSD for just $300 deal.
From 9to5Toys.com:
.
Amazon is having a 1 day SanDisk Storage sale across its lineup of products including: USB Sticks, Micro/SD Cards and SSDs. These are the lowest prices we’ve seen on many of these products.
Standouts include:
Expand
Expanding
Close
