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I am getting an XPS 14 ( http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-14-l421x/pd ) and I want to dual-boot Windows and Ubuntu. This thing has a 500GB standard HD and a 32GB mSATA that can be used as cache.
- Does anyone know how this thing is partitioned?
- Is the OS installed on the mSATA drive and data is on the big HD?
- Is there a BIOS controller or maybe even a Windows driver that makes the mSATA drive and 500GB HD appear contiguous?
I get the impression that something makes the mSATA be used invisibly as cache, but I can't find any technical documentation how that works. My primary concern here is wrt dual-booting Ubuntu. I want to know if I need to partition the mSATA separately, or the big HD, or just partition the "magic" contiguous disk space that appears available to the OS.
Thanks, but this doesn't really answer what I'm asking, which is how is the mSATA used for caching and is this invisible to the OS? I actually know the answer to all those partitioning suggestions, and typically partition like this: 20GB or so for Windows (that's XP; probably 40GB for Win7)|20GB for Ubuntu|20GB unused for if I want to install another Linux|2GB swap|remainder for /home, hopefully more than 20GB and on modern disks, usually ends up being hundreds of gigs. But I don't know how this mSATA will show up and if it turns out to be a huge PITA or not work, I'll just get a 240GB SSD – JDS – 2012-08-10T16:18:21.063
Okay, I didn't know that. What I'm still a bit confused by: do you already have the device (you sound like you do) or are you planning to buy it/waiting for it to be delivered? (you're getting one, you say) – tjollans – 2012-08-10T16:30:17.927
I was approved, and the purchase was made, of this laptop as my work technology refresh (i.e. I'm getting a new laptop at work). I don't have it in hand yet. – JDS – 2012-08-10T18:06:26.060