One of the most common complaints we hear from computer users is, my PC takes so long to start up and runs so slow! Installing an SSD in your old computer can give it new life. And, it will astound you!

USB, or thumb drives, and microSD drives, like what's in your camera or cellphone, are types of solid state drives. These data storage devices are excellent for fast response and use in a device that is mobile and can get bumped around a lot. When you turn on your camera, or cellphone, it starts up almost immediately. That's due to it's SSD. Tossing your phone down on a desk or on the carseat next to you while it is on usually won't harm the device.  Why?  Because there are no moving parts. Don't try the same thing with your laptop PC!

But, USB and microSD drives are very limited in their storage capacity. Enter the SSD, solid state drive. These are large capacity electronic, not mechanical with moving parts, disk drives. They transfer data extremely fast.  That means your computer starts up in a flash and your applications respond nearly instantaneously. Why is this? It's because of that lack of moving parts. There's no read arm, like a phonograph turntable arm, that has to move back and forth reading your information.  The disk's platters don't have to spin to make reading the data faster. As soon as electricity is supplied your data can be accessed.  

It's been a few years now since personal computer users have had a serious choice between what type of large capacity storage drive they can have in their machine. Personal computers came with a hard disk drive, HDD, and that was it.  But, now solid state drives have begun to push to the forefront.  Their slow progress is largely due to their cost.  But, lately that's been changing.

This can mean you computer will start up in under 30 seconds using an SSD, as opposed to a minute or two, or more, using an HDD. In fact, I can remember years ago coming into work starting my PC and then going to get coffee, in the hope that my computer would be ready for work by the time I got back.

So, if you want to to turn that old slug of a PC into a blazing speed demon consider installing an SSD as your boot disk.  You can move your existing HDD to a support role, so you don't lose it's capacity. 

Trade offs?  Sure!  They cost a bit more, and their storage sizes are smaller.  But, if you're just going to use it for your PC's operating system, and store your applications and data on an HDD what's the problem?