I still want to look at purchasing a Samsung 512 gig SSD (not sure if it will be an 850 EVO model, or an 850 Pro model) to place in an external case for my backups. Once again, though, I still need to find such a case with a Firewire 800 connector. I'm assuming such a combination, instead of my present hardware for that (a Firewire 800 connection, but a 7200 rpm Seagate HDD), would be faster.
If you have the cash and a Thunderbolt port, buy a Thunderbolt dock for your hard drive. The combination of TB and SSD can't be beat.
For my MacMini, the connection is via direct Firewire 800. The backups themselves actually are speedy enough. For my MacBook Air, I have a Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 adapter, and again, the backups are fast. My MacMini does not have a Thunderbolt port, so I'd have to purchase another adapter that would be the reverse of the one I have. And, in actuality, except for keeping one of the old external drives with the Firewire 800 interface (I would sell the other one), that is the only reason I would need the current adapter I have.
Ideally, I would like a slim, external 2.5" enclosure (like the one I have now for another drive I had inside my Mac Mini) that has a Firewire800 port. But, if such a device has a Thunderbolt port, and is not too expensive, I would consider it (again, though, I would need another adapter so I could use it for backing up my Mac Mini).
