The hard drive on my 2009 15" MacBook pro is getting close to being filled. I am right at the 80% full mark. Does anyone have any thoughts on the hybrid drives? I don't think I want to go the SSD route due to the cost.

I think they get pretty good reviews

Check out this 1TB one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822178340

I have a 500GB Seagate hybrid in my MacMini. No problems. It does seem faster at some tasks than the original HD, but that may also be due to the 7200RPM spin speed as well.

What size drive do you have now, and what size do you think you need?

Like Michael said, Hybrids are quicker at some tasks than a standard drive, it boots and wakes from sleep a lot quicker, but if you want to really supercharge it go full SSD.

That drive John posted is a great price for even a standard 1TB drive, but it's only a 5400 RPM drive. IMO you'd be better off getting a 7200 RPM standard drive. Yours probably has a 5400 RPM.

The hybrids load the OS and swap onto the SSD part, and I figure that the Seagate software loads frequently used apps onto it, but the majority of the work is being done by the spinning platters. The SSD is only 8G.

So it will boot faster, and launch apps faster, but at 5400 RPM you really won't see much difference unless you reboot the computer all day and launch and quit apps all day.

You probably have the standard 5400 RPM drive now, so IMO I'd recommend a standard 7200 RPM drive, it will be faster in general with that. Get a Seagate.

Or go full $$D and be amazed. I think yoyo put an SSD in his tower, maybe he'll chime in.

The drive i have now is a 250 gb 5400 rpm. I was looking at the hybrid that John posted the link too. I don't really feel like spending the extra money for the larger SSD. I don't do a lot of intensive stuff on this laptop so I will probably just go with the faster standard drive. I have been receiving hints from my son that he would be willing to take this laptop if i wanted to upgrade.

Thanks for all the input.

Take the hint!

Price aside, Papa, the SSDs are the cat's PJs. It's almost instant on when you reboot. Apps take no time flat to start up. I put one into my tower and love it. The MBP that my school got me has one as well, and I've noticed that periodically the system will purge RAM all on its own. I got a 256 GB drive for the tower, and it didn't cost all that much. I guess you need something larger, though, so cost may be a real consideration.

Are you going to chip in some of the upgrade cost?

I am curious about the new laptop chips from Intel. I think I will wait and see what the laptops look like.

I really like the SSD drives but the cost for anything above what I have is pretty steep. I will continue to look around and see what I can find. Prices are coming down all the time.

If you're looking for a bigger iMember, an SSD would give much more of a performance gain than a new chip IMO.

Although your machine is 4 years old and Apple tends to put them out to pasture regarding OS upgrades from 5 - 6 years old.

See what the new ones bring for sure if you can wait.

I get to live vicariously through the new equipment I install for my customers, and the current SSD laptops I can't even come up with words for regarding how fast they are. I have had the chance to experience pretty much all processor/machine upgrades over the last 20 years, and I have never seen such a quantum jump in performance as when SSDs were put into these machines. IMO it is going to take a few years and one hell of a chip upgrade/standard HD combo to equal the speed of any current or recent past machines with an SSD.

If you can afford it, you only go around once.