- #Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade mac os#
- #Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade install#
- #Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade upgrade#
- #Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade software#
- #Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade series#
#Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade mac os#
The Aura Pro X2 (like all OWC SSDs) allocates 7% of free drive space for “overprovisioning.” This ensures the smooth file-swapping required for efficient Mac OS operations and background tasks related to the maintenance, performance and endurance of the drive.
#Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade install#
OWC recommends a clean OS install so as not to carry over unnecessary bulk, out-of-date files and other detritus. The Aura N supports MacBooks, Airs, and Minis running Mac OS 10.12 Sierra or later.
#Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade software#
Mac users tethered to an older operating system for reasons of software compatibility (or nostalgia?) may opt for the more economical Aura N with somewhat reduced performance – see the chart below. The kit includes with the necessary tools for making the upgrade, along with a nifty enclosure to repurpose the original Apple SSD for easy migration of data. OWC SSDs reserve 7% of a drive’s storage (aka over-provisioning) to ensure best performance and endurance.
The endless futzing with and manipulating the same 5% (or less!) of free space on my original Apple SSD has seriously cramped my style and deleteriously impacted the efficiency of the MacOS - one of the main reasons I love my Mac in the first place. Speaking for myself, given the number and size of videos and demo reels stored internally on my MBP, along with my copious workshop materials and umpteen unfinished articles for StudioDaily, I’ve been shuffling and offloading files to external drives for years, micro-managing and deleting applications every few months to accommodate the wee bit of shrinking, available storage. It’s especially true for shooters and content creators who inhabit the A/V world where large, unwieldy media files are de rigueur. We haven’t loaded any of our favorite apps or played our first game of Solitaire and yet we’re already scrounging for space.
Over the years, MacBook Pro users have seen the operating system’s size grow substantially - along with the basic installation package of core applications, it consumes almost 30 GB of onboard storage.
#Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade series#
The Aura N and Pro series SSDs, with capacities of up to 2 TB, are designed and developed from scratch by OWC using some Apple tools and brought to market by OWC founder and visionary Larry O’Connor. For a while I figured there had to be a secret deal between OWC and Apple that enabled the Aura’s enhanced capabilities and compatibility but I’m assured this is not the case. The OWC low-cost Aura N series and the higher-performance, slightly more-costly Pro X2 are the best known and, really, the only logical solutions on the market today for increasing the onboard storage capacity of pre-2016 MacBook Pros. The Aura Pro X2 SSD, compatible with pre-2016 MacBook Pros, offers increased internal storage up to 2TB and performance on par with or better than the latest 2019 MacBook Pro! Why did you want that pricey, spanking new, non-upgradeable machine again? It’s a sad state of affairs any way you parse it. For the sake of our pocketbook, not to mention our planet, it doesn’t seem very considerate or responsible on Apple’s part. The iPhone juggernaut and concomitant expectation that one will merrily replace a device every two years apparently rules the roost now when it comes to computers as well. If you must have more internal storage (c’mon, we all want it eventually), you’ll have to toss out, sell, or otherwise dispose of the entire machine.
The SSD and memory modules in new Macs are permanently soldered to the computer’s motherboard, precluding any and all modifications or upgrades. In fact, since 2016, Apple has made it impossible. Thinking about installing a faster, high-capacity SSD from Samsung or Western Digital? It’s not going to happen. But not so for the millions of Apple MacBook Pro, Air, and Mini users who, while singing the praises of the Mac ecosystem at every opportunity, suffer mightily for their undying loyalty.
#Owc aura pro ssd x2 blade upgrade#
Want to increase your machine’s internal storage and upgrade its memory? It should be a routine task. Why the New MacBook Pro You Need May Be the One You Already HaveĪpple computers can be a bear to deal with, with proprietary closed systems that thwart the best intentions of mice and men.