01-16-2006, 06:03 AM

Forgive me for my ignorance regarding Macs. I'm about to buy the Macbook Pro, which will be my first. However, I'm confused by the choice of hard drives.

Should I get the 100gb ata @ 7200rpm or the 120gb ata @5400rpm. Can someone please explain the upside and downside of each one to me. What's more important...bigger or faster? Do the 7200rpm cause it to overheat quickly.

I'm leaning towards the 7200 because 100gb seems like more than enough space.

Also, is it a bad idea to buy the Macbook right now? Should I wait? When is the best time to buy? What should I do? I would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks a lot.

01-16-2006, 09:35 AM

100sts@ 7200rpm is less storage but it is a faster drive, it will speed things up, it will also likly drain battery life faster then the 120ata@5400. The Pros of the 120@5400 are that, more storage, will not take as much battery life away but it is slow then the 7200

01-16-2006, 09:39 AM

I chose 120GB because it has more storage space and drains less battery.

01-17-2006, 03:39 AM

Is the 7200rpm really noticeably faster. Is it worth the extra speed, or not really enough to make a difference.

Should I wait to buy the Macbook Pro or just get it now? Would it be stupid to buy a Powerbook knowing for sure that there are no bugs?

What would you do? Please help.

01-17-2006, 07:09 AM

If this is your first Mac and you don't have a mass of Mac software that you need to use straight away then buying now shouldn't be a problem.

Most Mac software will have to be updated to work with the new Intel Macs so you'll have to wait for some programs before they will work. However they will work with rosette which is an emulation of the old powermac system but the programs will be slower if they have to use it.

The other usual advice is 'never buy a first issue' because their could be problems that have not yet been sorted out. Apple care will cover them but it may mean repair work. I brought a first edition imac G5 which had such a problem and it took two weeks to repair but didn't cost me anything. Haven't had any problems since.

What kind of programs are you planning on running ? If it's just the Apple programs included, they should all work fine. :dive:

01-18-2006, 05:35 AM

Can anybody else advise me.

Would it be more prudent to wait a year or so to buy the Macbook Pro, or would it be just as sensible to order it today.

And...

Does the 7200rpm drive cause the notebook to overheat? Which would YOU choose. The 100gb ata drive at 7200rpm or the 120gb ata drive at 5400?

Please, I really need several more suggestions.

Thank you.

01-18-2006, 08:01 AM

About the drive-

You'll have to ask yourself where you will be mainly using the macbook. If you'll always be near a powerpoint then the battery power will not be a problem (and the 7200 drive will not overheat or at least I've never heard of one overheating) but if you need larger storage and optimal battery life then go for the 5400-rpm drive.

01-19-2006, 02:55 AM

Thanks a lot Bobbins. I appreciate it. I think I'm gonna wait awhile.

01-19-2006, 04:04 AM

I would go for it now with the 5400rpm drive.

You'll only notice the speed difference if using a ton of simultaneous audio or video tracks in audio or video editing programs. (Logic Pro / Final Cut Studio).

Most apps will be available in native versions in a short while and nearly all apps will run with no noticeable speed difference today thanks to rosetta.

Just get it if you want one. No point waiting for technology IMO. Consider getting Applecare though if you're really paranoid.