If the performance of your unibody MacBook Pro just isn't cutting it, it might be time to consider swapping out the stock hard drive for something a little more speedy, like a solid-state drive. And actually, when we say a little more speedy, we actually mean that you can double the speed of your current system by swapping out the stock hard drive for an SSD.
There are plenty of manufacturers who offer SSDs made especially for your unibody MacBook Pro, and physically installing the hardware is actually quite a cinch. Follow along and we'll show you how.
What You Need:
>> Tiny Phillips Screwdriver (size PH000)
>> 2.5-inch Mac-formatted SSD
>> Cups/containers to seperate the screws
>> A table in a room with plenty of lighting
>> A soft surface to place your MacBook
>> Optional: an external hard drive enclosure
1. Picking an SSD
Before you'll start this project, you'll have to pick an appropriate SSD that will fit into the hard drive slot of your unibody MacBook Pro. We'd suggest scouring NewEgg for brands like OCZ, Crucial, and Kingston. OWC also has an array of Mac-compatible SSDs.
Any 2.5-inch SSD will fit fine inside of the Mac, but make sure that the SSD you purchase is Mac formatted. Unless you have an external hard drive enclosure, it can be difficult to format the drive without OS X installed. The disk should be formatted using Disk Utility, with a GUID Partition Map that's HFS Partition Type and Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
2. Cloning/Backing Up your Hard Drive
If you're insistant on starting over fresh and new, you can back up your current hard drive and then use the Snow Leopard install disc to launch the operating system after you've installed the SSD. Though you'll have to re-install each of your applications one-by-one, it's nice to have a fresh start once in awhile.
However, if you'd rather not go through that headache of reinstalling every application you use, you're better off cloning your entire hard drive. This can be a bit time consuming, and it will require an external hard drive to actually house your clone. but, you'll be able to use your new SSD right off the bat.
Assuming that the SSD you've purchased matches the capacity of your current hard drive (if not, get ready to omit applications), clone your current drive to an external hard drive using Carbon Copy Cloner, a free utility application that makes a bootable backup of your current hard drive. It's easy to use, though depending on your hard drive size it may take awhile to back everything up. Watch a movie, or read a book. 
Use the external drive to clone the current stock drive in your MacBook Pro. All you have to do is select the source disk and the target. If you want an exact clone, just select "Backup everything" and this will make a bootable drive. Make sure that the external drive is empty, however, and that it doesn't already have a current backup on it.
Note: If you have an external hard drive enclosure, you can close your operating system to the SSD without having to endure step number five. If you're a frequent tinkerer, it might be a something worth investing in.
3. Taking Apart your MacBook Pro
Never taken apart a MacBook Pro before? No worries, it's especially easy with the unibody model. Before you do so, grab a Phillips PH000 size screwdriver (the smallest you can find, really) and a few plastic cups or pieces of tupperware to separate and hold the screws--after all, you don't want to lose any. Make sure that the computer is off and that it's not hot from usage; it's best to unplug the MacBook and wait awhile for the battery to cool down before you take it apart.
Turn the MacBook Pro over on a soft surface so as to avoid scratching (we hear it likes the feel of carpet). Remove the screws on the bottom part of the laptop and place them into their appropriate containers.
Take note that three of the screws that hold together the hinge of the MacBook Pro (the left-most and two middle screws) are longer than the others, so these should go into their own separate container. When all the screws have been removed, gently lift up the enclosure lid and place it aside. You will then be staring at the naked innards of your MacBook Pro.
4. Navigating your MacBook Pro's Innards
It can seem daunting at first if you're never opened up a computer before, but the unibody's internal architecture is actually very easy to navigate. The hard drive is located at the top-right corner of the MacBook Pro if you're looking at this photo.
You'll see that there are two screws that secure a tab in place on either side of the hard drive. When you loosen those screws, you can simply remove the two tabs on the upper and lower end of the hard drive enclosure and then pull them out.
Tug upwards on the tab to lift it up and carefully unhook it from the SATA cable (shown here), then set it aside carefully on a flat, static-free surface. A table of any kind will do.
5. Placing in the SSD
The SSD will go in exactly the way that the stock HDD came out. But first, you'll have to remove the Torx screw from the side of the the stock hard drive that held it in place and then install them on the SSD, which should have the same side slots.
Afterward, place the SSD into the empty hard drive slot. Make sure that the SATA cable is properly positioned underneath the SSD before you connect it. If you've done it the right way, the SSD should seat perfectly.
Place the tabs from the step 3 back into place and screw them in so that the SSD is securely held in place. When you're all finished, you can place the bottom part of the MacBook Pro's chassis back on top and secure it in.
5. It's Time to Clone Again!
Note: If you cloned your operating system to your SSD using an external hard drive enclosure, you can skip this step entirely. Your SSD should be good to go as soon as you connected the SATA cable. If you opted for starting over, you'll have to use the Snow Leopard install disc and go through that process.
You'll have to boot from the external drive and then clone it to the SSD. This may take a considerable amount of time depending on the size of your hard drive clone and whether or not you're using a USB 2.0 or FireWire 800 connection, so be prepared for that.
To boot the external drive, plug it in and hold down the Option key as you power up the MacBook Pro and wait as it goes through start up; eventually it will come to a screen that will ask you to choose which drive you want to load the OS from. Choose the external.
After it starts up, use Carbon Copy Cloner to clone the current external hard drive to the SSD, like we did in step 2. As you're navigating the OS from the external, make sure to not move or budge the connection -- doing so could seriously harm your drive and you might end up having to start the procedure all over again.
When you're all finished, shut down the OS on the external drive, unplug it, and restart the Mac with your SSD. And then, revel at its speed.
Sent from my iPad
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