However, one of the major downsides to ultrabooks is the hefty price tag. Now users can get ultrabook performance at a fraction of the price with the new Verbatim SSD upgrade kit, available from distributor Drive Control Corporation.
The SATA-II Solid State Drive Kit is claimed to contain everything users need to upgrade a notebook or even a desktop from Hard Disk Drive (HDD) storage to high speed, high quality SSD. In addition to a 2.5" SSD in either 64 GB or 128 GB, the kit includes easy-to-use disk cloning software and a 2.5" external drive enclosure to enable the original HDD to be reused as a USB attached external hard drive. The kit also includes a USB 2.0 cable and a 3.5" mounting bracket, screws and a Molex to SATA power cable for optional desktop installation.
"Simply connect the SSD your laptop or desktop using the USB cable, then follow the instructions in the quick installation guide to help you install the drive's preloaded cloning software. This allows you to transfer your computer's operating system from your HDD to the SSD. You can also transfer programmes and files, depending on the available capacity of the SSD. Once this is done, shut down the laptop, remove the SSD from the enclosure, remove your computer's HDD and replace it with the SSD. When you start up your machine, it will be running off the SSD. You can then turn the existing hard drive into an external drive by placing it in the enclosure," explains Drika Wilkins, Verbatim product specialist at DCC
SSDs use flash memory, which offers super-fast read and write speeds, which translates into faster start-up and better performance. There are also no moving parts in an SSD, so it operates silently, requiring less power to run, resulting in longer battery life and is shock and vibration resistant.
"The kit lets you enjoy the performance of an ultrabook and is very competitively priced. The entire process is easy to do yourself and takes just a few minutes. In no time at all you can experience the many benefits of running a SSD and you get an external hard drive into the bargain, perfect for backups and for storing data that you don't need to access constantly," Wilkins adds.
Systematic video instructions on how to replace the HDD with a Verbatim SDD can be viewed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlWs0O2zYc4.
The kits are available immediately from the distributor for a recommended retail price of R1099 (64 GB) and R1499 (128 GB) including VAT. Hard drives feature standard company two-year limited warranty.
