Does nearly full HD slow down performance??

Lack of free space can impact the speed of the computer, especially if your computer doesn't have enough RAM. If you're running 10.6.x with 1GB of RAM (as is indicated in your signature), you need to increase your RAM to at least 2 GB, if not more. 1GB is the minimum requirement for 10.6, and I, along with several others, recommend at least double the requirement.

How much free space does your hard drive have?

~Lyssa

John Lucente wrote:
. . .
I would say I have probably 1.5-2.5 GB left, maybe less.

That's nowhere near enough. 😟

It varies greatly depending on your Mac's hardware and how you use it, but it may begin to slow noticeably with less than about 15% available, especially on a relatively-small disk like yours.

When you get down to just a few GBs, it may get very sluggish, and you risk application crashes, lost/corrupted files, and, eventually, your Mac will shut down and not restart.

You need to make some space, quickly! See http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html for some suggestions.

Longer-term, your best bet is probably a much larger internal HD. Second best would be an external HD; move some little-used stuff onto it.

Time for a delayed Christmas gift to yourself. You can get a Mac compatible 1TB HD for $116.

Happy Christmas

I would say I have probably 1.5-2.5 GB left, maybe less.

Not only will a too full HDD slow down your computer, but it can lead to directory corruption and can even cause data loss and eventually an HDD crash. You should maintain a minimum of !5% of contiguous (unfragmented) space on your HDD for swap files and, more critically, to allow the directory to lay down new pieces of the Extents Overflow File. If there is not sufficient contiguous space extents will be overwritten with additional pieces of information which causes overlapping volume structures and file corruption. I suggest that you take steps immediately to free up some space as a temporary measure, then install a larger capacity HDD. Dr. Smoke's FAQ Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk offers useful suggestions for slimming the volume.

😉 cornelius

For the MacBook, Amazon sells a 1TB for about $116. It has all the SMART drive equipment so works well. This drive is 12mm is a tiny bit wider, be sure you have that bit of room in your laptop. So far I have not found a laptop that did not have the room.

For a desktop I can't help you other then use what Apple uses.

My macbook, like most laptops, is useless for file-storage. I work with movie clips and photo media and found I had to purchase external hard drives.

Be VERY careful about storing precious files on these. I learned a heartbreaking lesson once when I moved my iPhoto library and my iMovie files to a Western Digital external hd, and deleted same from my macbook "just for an hour or so" while I finished a large movie project. When I went to move some of the files back, the external hard drive failed (the two-click-wind-down of death) and I lost all my precious files.

Now, because I have NO faith in external hard drives but find them a necessary evil, I spend my hard-earned money on two at a time, and back every single file up twice. I refuse to buy 1TB hard drives; stick with 500 MB and smaller. Additionally, I keep copies of all my photos on DVDs as a precaution. More expensive. More work. Better sleep at night.

In all my internet searches and through these forums, I've not been able to learn, in VERY basic language, what the difference is between "backing up" files and "moving files". Maybe you'll have better luck 🙂

John:

Here is a list of drives for your computer available at OWC. You may be able to find the drives for less elsewhere, so you may wish to select the drive you want then shop around for the best price.

😉 cornelius

Radjin wrote:
For the MacBook, Amazon sells a 1TB for about $116. It has all the SMART drive equipment so works well. This drive is 12mm is a tiny bit wider, be sure you have that bit of room in your laptop. So far I have not found a laptop that did not have the room.

For a desktop I can't help you other then use what Apple uses.

The 12mm drives do not fit in macbooks, they don't have the space. The largest 9.5mm drives I was able to find are either a 750GB offering from western digital, or a 640GB job from Samsung. I can vouch for the latter, given that I'm using one now...

If we are talking about the White mid 2010 MacBook, the 1TB 12mm drive fits perfectly. I have it installed in mine now.

It's the WD drive.

if it shipped with an 80GB hard drive it's a macbook 4,1 or earlier, all of which have the same chassis. From my own personal experience a 12mm drive won't fit.

Shipped with a 250GB. White MB bought mid 2010.

The OP lists the HDD in his computer as 80 GB. It is therefore not a 2010 computer and the HDD you have in your computer will not fit in his.