[Tradd]

After much heming and hawing (back and forth between a Dell laptop and Macbook), I've decided I'm probably going to get a Macbook once I get my income tax refund (just filed online tonight!), which will pay for a good hunk of it.<br><br>
Currently have a 3 year old Dell desktop that's starting to get really slow, no matter what I do.<br><br>
Looking at the white 2.2GHz Macbook ("middle" model). Thinking about paying the $150 extra to get an extra 1GB of memory. Would get iWorks, too. So I'm looking at about $1600! Have the rest of the cash on hand.<br><br>
Is paying for the extra memory worth it for what I do? Web surfing, email, basic word processing/spreadsheets, basic photos, iTunes (but I don't have a huge music collection). I have a habit of not keeping a lot on my hard drive. Haven't had a computer with a CD burner, but I'll be able to burn back-up CDs with the Macbook.<br><br>
I suspect the 120GB hard drive would be ample enough for my uses, so the $75 to go to 160GB is probably overkill.<br><br>
The Airport Extreme seems to have a lot of buggy issues (from the Apple.com reviews), so I was going to go to Best Buy and pay $40-50 for a wireless router. Will use a flash drive to transfer my small amount of music/photos.<br><br>
Thanks!

 

[SquibsNCrackers]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/drool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="drool"> I love my Mac, but cannot give you informed information on your purchase. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"><br><br>
Just <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">

 

[majikfaerie]

extra 1gb of memory in addition to what?<br>
I don't have a Mac, so i'm probably not your best advisor, but i have just gone through the work of buying a new laptop, and I think, for your needs, 1GB should be enough. 2GB would be zippin. If you want to get into working with videos or really advanced photoshopping, you'd need the 2GB.<br>
I probably wouldn't pay the extra. Well, if i was just super rich and could afford to get the best of everything without thinking about it, maybe. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol">

 

[bellabear]

I'll have my dh come explain it to you when he wakes up.

 

[Tradd]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>majikfaerie</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10328182"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">extra 1gb of memory in addition to what?<br>
I don't have a Mac, so i'm probably not your best advisor, but i have just gone through the work of buying a new laptop, and I think, for your needs, 1GB should be enough. 2GB would be zippin. If you want to get into working with videos or really advanced photoshopping, you'd need the 2GB.<br>
I probably wouldn't pay the extra. Well, if i was just super rich and could afford to get the best of everything without thinking about it, maybe. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/lol.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="lol"></div>
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'puter comes with 1GB. Was thinking of upping it to 2GB.

 

[Tradd]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>bellabear</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10328326"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I'll have my dh come explain it to you when he wakes up.</div>
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Thank you!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> Don't know much about the 'puter specs that make for a better experience!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/redface.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Embarrassment"><br><br>
This is the "middle model" I've got my eye on:<br><a href="http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/9174000/wo/F3jMSB8U225F3kHfSp8KeJENQCc/4.?p=0" target="_blank">http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPL...eJENQCc/4.?p=0</a><br><br>
Also, is it worth it to get the Apple Care extended warranty?

 

[tinybutterfly]

I have a Mac book. I LOVE it!<br><br>
I wish, though, I had gotten the extra bells and whistles , and a bigger screen, cuz my eyes aren't what they used to be.<br><br>
I now burn CDs on mine ( it's easy!) I can watch DVDs on it and I've learned how to do a lot of things that at first seemed really intimidating.<br><br>
I still have a lot to learn, but it's not that hard.<br><br>
An Apple is SO much easier to use!<br><br>
We have a Dell PC in the basement, my husband has Dell laptop for work...and to me they are incredilbly frustrating!<br><br>
Happy new Mac!<br><br>
Get the extras, you will learn to use them, because it's easy and it will be worth the extra money you paid in the end.<br><br>
If I had it all to do over again, I'd have gotten the bigger, better model.<br><br>
When I DO get an upgrade, ds#2 will inherit this Mac. It will be awhile, though.

 

[LishyMarie]

Hi! I just ordered and got my new black Macbook. To upgrade the memory through Apple is *crazy* expensive! I ordered mine with just 1GB and then ordered a 4 gig upgrade kit from <a href="http://crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=MacBook%202.2GHz%20Intel%20Core%202%20Duo%20%2813-inch%20Black%29%20MB063LL/B" target="_blank">crucial</a> for about a $120 with express shipping. From their main website there is a step by step guide to picking the right memory for your laptop.<br><br>
It would have been about 500 more to do it through apple! While I am pretty familiar with laptops, replacing the memory is really easy and not against the warranty. It even tells you in the manual how to do it (A turn switch, three screws and two levers). If you are comfortable with that it's for sure the way to go! Since I plan on running things like Photoshop and the latest SimCity and Bootcamp maxing out the memory was a good idea. You can also find websites with picture instructions on upgrading the memory. I think ifixit.com is one of them.

 

[VWChick]

My advice (being a former certified Apple reseller) is to get the extras now if you can afford them. They will extend the usable life of your machine and you'll be happy in the long run that you did it. This is especially true of RAM... If you want, you can PM me if you have other questions!

 

[Tradd]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>LishyMarie</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10329079"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">Hi! I just ordered and got my new black Macbook. To upgrade the memory through Apple is *crazy* expensive! I ordered mine with just 1GB and then ordered a 4 gig upgrade kit from <a href="http://crucial.com/store/listparts.aspx?model=MacBook%202.2GHz%20Intel%20Core%202%20Duo%20%2813-inch%20Black%29%20MB063LL/B" target="_blank">crucial</a> for about a $120 with express shipping. From their main website there is a step by step guide to picking the right memory for your laptop.<br><br>
It would have been about 500 more to do it through apple! While I am pretty familiar with laptops, replacing the memory is really easy and not against the warranty. It even tells you in the manual how to do it (A turn switch, three screws and two levers). If you are comfortable with that it's for sure the way to go! Since I plan on running things like Photoshop and the latest SimCity and Bootcamp maxing out the memory was a good idea. You can also find websites with picture instructions on upgrading the memory. I think ifixit.com is one of them.</div>
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Thanks for the advice, but in no way am I comfortable messing around with computer innards! I'd mess it up for sure!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/winky.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="Wink">

 

[wednesday]

I always max out RAM, and the convenience of having the computer ship with it installed is great if you're not comfortable doing it. As for hard drive space, no I wouldn't pay extra for more. I've had my current PowerBook for over 4 years--it has a 60 GB hard drive and I've only filled about 40 GB. That's with tons of photos. If way down the road you start having storage issues you can buy an external hard drive to move some files or directories off onto, but I wouldn't expect that to happen for a long time. 120 GB is a crazy amount of space to begin with.<br><br>
I'm looking to replace my Powerbook with a MacBook but I'm pretty much looking at the cheapest one. The only thing I kind of want that I'd have to upgrade for is the ability to burn DVDs. But I only do that like once a year and have just used a family member's computer to do it, so I question whether I should really pay extra for it. Honestly if you aren't editing videos or doing serious gaming, the entire range of MacBooks is like 10 times more computing power than the average person uses just to do internet, email and Word/Excel type programs. Just for perspective -- my 4-year-old has a 10-year-old G3 iMac which I upgraded to a 10 GB hard drive, 512 MB of RAM, and OS X 10.3, and his machine works just fine for internet, email, and kids' games. It's not slow at all.

 

[Tradd]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>wednesday</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10329232"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;">I always max out RAM, and the convenience of having the computer ship with it installed is great if you're not comfortable doing it. As for hard drive space, no I wouldn't pay extra for more. I've had my current PowerBook for over 4 years--it has a 60 GB hard drive and I've only filled about 40 GB. That's with tons of photos. If way down the road you start having storage issues you can buy an external hard drive to move some files or directories off onto, but I wouldn't expect that to happen for a long time. 120 GB is a crazy amount of space to begin with.<br><br>
I'm looking to replace my Powerbook with a MacBook but I'm pretty much looking at the cheapest one. The only thing I kind of want that I'd have to upgrade for is the ability to burn DVDs. But I only do that like once a year and have just used a family member's computer to do it, so I question whether I should really pay extra for it. Honestly if you aren't editing videos or doing serious gaming, the entire range of MacBooks is like 10 times more computing power than the average person uses just to do internet, email and Word/Excel type programs. Just for perspective -- my 4-year-old has a 10-year-old G3 iMac which I upgraded to a 10 GB hard drive, 512 MB of RAM, and OS X 10.3, and his machine works just fine for internet, email, and kids' games. It's not slow at all.</div>
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I would love to just get the cheapest one, but it doesn't burn DVDs, only CDs, and I take tons of photos and would love to be able to make DVDs with music and such. Friends have done it and it's SO cool!<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/orngbiggrin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="orange big grin"><br><br>
I bought my current Dell desktop without a CD burner (3 years old) and I've regretted it much. So I don't want to forgo the DVD burner and then regret it. Might as well just get it now.

 

[mommyoftwo]

<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bouncy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bouncy"><br><br>
Perfect timing for this thread. I am in the exact same situation. My dh has talked me out of a Dell laptop and into spending the extra money for a Mac.<br><br>
I am in the process of choosing one. I was hoping to spend about 1200-1300 (that is what I have saved) but I think it is going to end up being more than that by the time I get exactly what I want.

 

[Tradd]

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<div>Originally Posted by <strong>mommyoftwo</strong> <a href="/community/forum/post/10330037"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/community/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a></div>
<div style="font-style:italic;"><img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bouncy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="bouncy"><br><br>
Perfect timing for this thread. I am in the exact same situation. My dh has talked me out of a Dell laptop and into spending the extra money for a Mac.<br><br>
I am in the process of choosing one. I was hoping to spend about 1200-1300 (that is what I have saved) but I think it is going to end up being more than that by the time I get exactly what I want.</div>
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Something to note (as I mentioned earlier): the bottom model (starts at $1099) will NOT burn DVDs, if that is important to you - CDs only.<br><br>
Also, if you happen to homeschool, you can get a homeschool discount, that will save you at least $100.<br><br><a href="http://www.apple.com/education/shop/homeschool/" target="_blank">http://www.apple.com/education/shop/homeschool/</a>

 

[Panserbjorne]

We are a mac family and I wouldn't have it any other way. I vote get everything through apple NOW and ABSOLUTELY go with apple care. I didn't do it on our iPods or on dh's iPhone, but on our computers I did. I have been a mac user since they first came out (really!) and have never been tempted to get a pc.<br><br>
Oh- and I'd absolutely get the extra memory too. You'll be suprised how fast it goes!

 

[broodymama]

I just got a new MacBook in October and <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/love.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="love"> it! I did go for the 160 GB hard drive and 2 GB ram and don't regret it.<br><br>
We also have an Airport Extreme and it is a big buggy. I'm disappointed with it. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/greensad.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="greensad"><br><br>
Another big recommendation for Apple Care from me! We currently have 2 PowerBooks, 1 MacBook and 1 MacBook Pro in our household (*ahem* and DH <i>used</i> to be a die-hard PC guy <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/wink1.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="wink1"> ) and Apple Care has come in very handy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/shy.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="innocent">

 

[mamadelbosque]

Extra memory (Ram), is always worth it, always. It will make your computer last much longer. Ram is far more important these days than hd size and even proccessor. So yeah, if you can afford it, go for it!

 

[fek&fuzz]

Instead of Airport you could get the Time Capsule, which is the airport + wireless backup hard drive for use with Time Machine (the backup software on Leopard.)<br><br>
Apple Care is definitely worth it. And if you have an Apple Store near you, sign up for ProCare so you can get the free classes and faster service at the Genius Bar.<br><br>
I have a 17" MacBook Pro which I love. And a smaller power book which is my backup computer that I use for work if this one needs service, or if I ever get an assistant.

 

[Dragonfly]

Personally, I'd do the extra 1GB of memory. It never hurts, always helps.<br><br>
120GB hard drive is pretty big. My macbook has 80. I'd like more, but have a huge music collection and lots of pictures. For what you're doing, 120GB would be more than sufficient. If you find you need more, you can always go to an external (which is what I did).<br><br>
I don't personally know anyone who has had issues with Airport Extreme. Personally, I'd go for a mac router rather than a 3rd-party because it makes setup that much easier. I have AirTunes, which I love, and is a great option if you're only going to have one computer hooked to it. Streaming music. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/drool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="drool"><br><br>
Good luck and enjoy! Switching to Mac was the best thing I ever did in terms of computer purchases!

 

[Dragonfly]

Oh, and absolutely yes to the AppleCare. And now I want that Time Capsule thingy. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/drool.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="drool">