Hard drive vs flash drive. Don't understand

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Level 1

29 points

Hard drive vs flash drive. Don't understand

I need to buy a new MacBook Pro and since they did a refresh, I'm guessing this is it for 2014 as far as new ones. Can someone please explain the difference between old hard drives as far as storage goes & 256GB or 512GB PCIe-based flash storage? I think I get it, but not sure. I think I will be ok with the 256GB 15 inch and can save some money, but need some help understanding.

FYI, my last MacBook Pro had a 500 GB hard drive and I have an older 2T Time Capsule. I usually fill up at least 250 GB of my hard drive.

Thanks so much

Janelle

Posted on Jul 31, 2014 9:34 AM

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Answer 1

Andy Z 03

Level 3

530 points

Jul 31, 2014 9:40 AM in response to ofmyheart

Hi Janelle. An older, traditional hard drive has a rotating disc within it, which contains all of your computer's information. Newer flash storage on a Solid State Drive has no moving parts and is therefore more reliable, with a reputation for being snappier performance-wise. For most users, 256 GB should be enough, but over time, you may find yourself a little tight on space.

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Answer 2

Jul 31, 2014 9:48 AM in response to ofmyheart

Data takes the same space on a hard drive or on a Flash drive. So if your data occupied 500GB on the hard drive it will occupy 500GB on the Flash drive. Get the biggest Flash drive you can afford, they are not upgradable after you purchase the computer.

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Answer 3

Jul 31, 2014 10:57 AM in response to ofmyheart

HDD: Old Spinning Hard Drives, cheaper than SSD

SSD: The new hard drives with no spinning parts, much more reliable.

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