250GB Samsung 840 Series 2.5" SATA Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) w/ Notebook/Desktop Installation Kit (MZ-7TD250KW) $150 + Free Shipping

Quote from plasnu : I'll buy one when 500GB becomes $100.

Thanks for sharing your plans for 2015.

Quote from babyblue007 : I'm looking to get this for my windows 8 laptop (lenovo Y500), if someone can confirm that this kit comes with everything I need (cables, bracket? software) to clone, that would be great. TIA

According to the "in the box" link provided in the auction listing, it does include everything you need:

840 Series 250GB Solid State Drive
Samsung SmartMigration Software
Samsung Software & Manual CD
Quick User Manual
3.5" bracket with screws
SATA data and power cables
Mounting Spacer
SATA to USB Adapter Capable

damn, tax kills the deal for me.

Quote from tennis8363 : Just to make sure, can someone verify this is how it works: -Hook up the new SSD to laptop via USB -Clone old drive onto new SSD -Install SSD into Laptop and enjoy a faster computer Also, is there a way to only bring over some data and programs?

the best choice is to fresh install the o/s if that isn't a big deal for you. otherwise what you have there will work

when you can clean install the o/s without all the crappy bloatware the laptop companies add... your computer will boot much faster... add in an SSD and it's uber fast. Windows 8 with an i7 and this SSD, 5 seconds

Quote from mattspalace : According to the "in the box" link provided in the auction listing, it does include everything you need: 840 Series 250GB Solid State Drive Samsung SmartMigration Software Samsung Software & Manual CD Quick User Manual 3.5" bracket with screws SATA data and power cables Mounting Spacer SATA to USB Adapter Capable

Oh yeah and I forgot about those extra things that it came with. They weren't needed so I didn't even bother taking them out of the box. But I can confirm that this package does come with everything listed.

Quote from maddoggyusa : the best choice is to fresh install the o/s if that isn't a big deal for you. otherwise what you have there will work when you can clean install the o/s without all the crappy bloatware the laptop companies add... your computer will boot much faster... add in an SSD and it's uber fast. Windows 8 with an i7 and this SSD, 5 seconds

Unfortunately I don't have a clean copy of Win 7, only the one that came with the Dell laptop. I bought a few copies of Windows 8 for $14.99, but am hesitant to give it a run based on reviews.

man now i want another one lol

Debating biting on this... I need to get my wife onto an SSD and I wouldn't mind upgrading my gaming drive. I'll probably end up waiting till .50/GB or the release of Haswell (not necessarily buying Haswell, just waiting for it )... whichever comes first.

Quote from tennis8363 : Unfortunately I don't have a clean copy of Win 7, only the one that came with the Dell laptop. I bought a few copies of Windows 8 for $14.99, but am hesitant to give it a run based on reviews.

You won't find a negative review from anybody that has actually tried it. Like most things online, there are a lot of people complaining and writing about things that they have no actual clue about. It is faster, slimmer, and has no likely compatibility issues upgrading from 7. If you don't like Metro, then install ClassicShell and you have a very much upgraded version of 7. On top of being optimized, there are also quite a few perks for power users and basic users alike (ReFS, Storage Spaces, Hyper-V, full RDP8.0...).

Quote from tennis8363 : Unfortunately I don't have a clean copy of Win 7, only the one that came with the Dell laptop. I bought a few copies of Windows 8 for $14.99, but am hesitant to give it a run based on reviews.

windows 8 is odd and a little frustrating at first... but I've found all the same features as windows 7 are there once you get the hang of it.

you can turn off the hot corners and other odd stuff. I had to add a "shutdown" button on my desktop because otherwise you can't shutdown from the desktop view. I noticed if you install it fresh with internet connection, microsoft changes the boot to go directly to desktop (instead of start screen). I'm quite sure they did this because people do not like the start screen.

but 95% of the time I'm in a game or the internet or office... and you can't tell what O/S you have when you're running them. Windows 8 does seem FASTER (especially for bootup).

Quote from maddoggyusa : the best choice is to fresh install the o/s if that isn't a big deal for you. otherwise what you have there will work when you can clean install the o/s without all the crappy bloatware the laptop companies add... your computer will boot much faster... add in an SSD and it's uber fast. Windows 8 with an i7 and this SSD, 5 seconds

I am not a techno guru but I have seen several of these SSD drives posted on here and have seen several discussions picking up tid bits here and there. Question:

On a MAC, isn't it a requirement to clone because of a hidden partition a fresh install of the OS will not do?

Also, is it fine going with the 840 vs 840 pro if installing in the optical drive on a macbook pro because there is a speed restriction vs installation as the main hard drive which would make the speed difference of the pro moot?

Been seeing these deals for the 840 pop up like crazy lately - I'm tempted to get it, but not sure if I really need one? I'm on a mid-09 Macbook Pro and its been running kinda slow lately - I need to clear some space off the stock 160HDD, but upgrading to a SSD that's almost twice the size would probably do the trick.

Can anyone comment on how this will affect normal laptop use on a day-to-day basis? If I'm using my laptop for mostly web surfing, MS Word, streaming some Netflix, and iTunes as a student - and my primary need is more space, should I bother installing a SSD? It'll definitely be a softer blow to the wallet if I just upgrade to a bigger, faster HDD - but with how often I hear people raving about SSD speed - I can't decide. Somebody want to help out a poor college kid with some advice?

Quote from bsmithuga : Been seeing these deals for the 840 pop up like crazy lately - I'm tempted to get it, but not sure if I really need one? I'm on a mid-09 Macbook Pro and its been running kinda slow lately - I need to clear some space off the stock 160HDD, but upgrading to a SSD that's almost twice the size would probably do the trick. Can anyone comment on how this will affect normal laptop use on a day-to-day basis? If I'm using my laptop for mostly web surfing, MS Word, streaming some Netflix, and iTunes as a student - and my primary need is more space, should I bother installing a SSD? It'll definitely be a softer blow to the wallet if I just upgrade to a bigger, faster HDD - but with how often I hear people raving about SSD speed - I can't decide. Somebody want to help out a poor college kid with some advice?

Get an SSD. My friend who had a Macbook Pro (and was contemplating buying the Retina MBP) says that a new SSD was all he needed to make his MBP feel like a new computer.

You might not need 250 GB, though if you're looking to budget.

But definitely get an SSD over a bigger, faster HDD. The SSD will be much, much faster....

Once u go ssd, ull never go back. Its like slo motion with a hhd. All my pcs have ssd in them and they fly, even older pcs benefit from having a ssd.

It's like being with two chicks at the same time.