MacBook Upgrade 101: Your Guide to Upgrading your MacBook

There are two essential parts in a MacBook that can be upgraded depending on your preference. When upgrading your MacBook, you can either upgrade the hard disk or the RAM of your Mac laptop.

Here is very simplistic guide to upgrading your MacBook’s hard drive:

1. Remove the battery of your MacBook by turning its grasp 90 degrees from its original position. In doing this, you may use a coin or any strong flat material.
2. Remove the hard drive from your MacBook by pulling the white plastic tab attached to it to the right.
3. Place into the cradle the replacement hard drive for your MacBook that you bought from an Apple store. You would need a Torx T9 screwdriver to be able to do this.
4. Push the drive into the compartment and cradle it fitly. Make sure that the label is facing down to ensure that it on proper placement.
5. Finally, place back the battery and turn on your newly upgraded MacBook!

Now, here is a basic guide to upgrading your MacBook’s RAM:

1. Take off the battery of your MacBook just like how it was described above.
2. From the back wall of the battery compartment of your MacBook, remove the three Philips screws that are evenly spaced from one another.
3. Remove the L-shaped metal cover by lifting it and pulling gently to the right.
4. Pull the metal lever back on and remove the RAM chip from your MacBook by sliding it out from the compartment.
5. To insert the new RAM, slide it until it is fitly seated. If you have a second RAM, do the same. It wouldn’t matter which comes first and last as long as they are cradled in properly.
6. Do not use force in removing and inserting the RAM because it may damage not only the RAM chip, but the MacBook, as well.
7. Finally, to finish the upgrade, put back the L-shaped metal cover and the screws, and then insert the battery. You now have a newly upgraded MacBook!

So, when you feel that your MacBook isn’t performing its best anymore, you don’t have to spend another thousand bucks to replace it with a new one from the Apple store. You can always simply upgrade its RAM or hard drive or both, depending on your needs.

External Storage Explained: All You Need to Know about External Storage Systems

Learn the basic types of external storage so that you know what to get in case you need one.

External storage systems are devices that are not permanently fixed inside the computer but can store files for later use. They are designed to be plugged in or inserted into the computer to function. Some examples of external storage devices are CD, flash drives, and external hard disk drives.

For a more elaborate explanation of the types of external storage devices, take a quick look on the following items:

External Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

External hard disk drives are portable, removable drives that you can carry along with you to store files or transfer files from one computer to another. They are often designed with a USB port where one end of a USB cable is to be plugged in, while the other end is to be connected to the computer.

Advantages: They are portable and usually come in large memory size.
Disadvantages: They are generally costly and are big enough not to fit into small pockets.

USB Flash Drive

USB flash drives are small storage devices that you plug into a computer’s USB port to function. After that, you can easily store and transfer files from and to the computer. They come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and are available in Apple stores and computer shops.

Advantages: They are very portable that you can keep it inside your pocket, and are generally affordable.
Disadvantages: Most USB flash drives can only hold up to 8GB of data files. With their small size, they can easily be misplaced.

Zip Drive

Zip drives are disk drives that make use of removable Zip disks in storing large sizes of data. They look like a floppy disk drive, but what you insert is a zip disk and not a floppy disk. Zip disks are thicker and heavier than floppy disks.

Advantages: They offer a wide range of storage options and include backup options. They are portable, as well.
Disadvantages: They are generally costly and require investment, both in the hardware and the zip disks.

CD-RW and CD-RW Drive

A CR-RW is a readable and writable compact disc. By writable, it means that data can be stored through it through the process called “data burning”. To be able to burn data into a CD, a CD-RW drive is required.

Advantages: CD-RW disks can be used repeatedly, meaning you can use just one disk and overwrite data in it. They are relatively inexpensive and very portable.
Disadvantages: Most CD-RW disks can hold up to 700MB of data only. Moreover, to be able to store data in a CD-RW disk, your computer must have a compatible drive first.

DVD-RW and DVD-RW Drive

DVD-RW works the same as CD-RWs, where data can be stored and burned through DVDs using a DVD-RW drive. DVD-RW disks, however, can carry larger amount of data and produce greater quality.

Advantages: They offer more flexibility as they burn twice as fast and as efficient as CD burners. They store up to a few MB of data. Finally, they are also portable and easy to use.
Disadvantages: You can only burn data in a DVD-RW if your computer comes with a DVD-RW drive.

You actually have a lot of choices when it comes to external storage devices. While each has its own advantages and disadvantages, you are sure that one or two can actually provide you with your digital storage needs. Purchase one at your favorite Apple store or computer shop and start organizing your digital stuffs! ;)

Buying External Hard Drives: What to Look for in an External Hard Drive

Planning to buy an external hard disk drive for your computer? Wait and learn first the important things that you need to look for when choosing one.

Adding extra storage space to your computer may seem as easy as it sound. Right, there is thousands of external hard disk drive that you may take advantage of and satisfy you with your storage needs.

Buying external hard drives from an Apple store, however, is more than just checking the brand name or purchasing the one with the most affordable cost. There are a few important things that need to be consider when buying an external hard drive,

Below is a list of what you need to look for in an external hard drive to be able to get the most out of your additional storage:

Capacity: In order to decide about the capacity of the external hard drive that that you’ll buy, identify first to which you’ll be using the drive for and how much extra memory to you actually need. Will you be using the external hard drive to store permanent data files? Or will you be using it just a temporary back-up for transferring files? For permanent data storage, you may opt for an external drive with a large capacity, about 300GB. Otherwise, for simple file transfers only, you may not need so much space.

Cache Size: Cache size refers to the speed of the external hard drive to copy the files from the source computer to it. As a general rule, the higher the cache size or memory of an external drive, the faster it transfers files from the source to the storage and vice versa. If transfer speed is of significance to you, then you might as well get one with a large cache size. However, note that external hard drives with a lot of space for cache memory usually cost more expensive in an Apple store.

Connectivity: External hard drives can be connected to your computer or laptop primarily in 2 ways, namely through the use of USB port and cable, or though the Firewire port and cable. While some external drives offer both connectivity – thus giving more flexibility for the users –, others come in only one of the two options. In this regard, choose a Firewire connectivity if you want quicker and faster file transfer rate, assuming your computer has a built-in Firewire port in it. Otherwise, go with a USB connectivity that is most likely compatible to all computers and laptops. Again, for added flexibility, you may opt for an external hard drive that is designed with both connectivity options.

Remember, before buying an external hard drive for your Mac or PC from an Apple store, it is always best to know what exactly you need. External hard drives will not always be about the manufacturer, the brand name, or the price! Most of the time, you have to evaluate the more important stuffs such as capacity, connectivity, and cache size.