05-17-2006, 09:02 AM

Hey everyone. I am new to the MacBook family, as I am in the process of replacing my 15" 1.25 Al PB with the MacBook I picked up last night. I bought the mid-range model and a 400GB external HDD for DVD ripping.

Anyway, my question is this. I don't want to spend $600 on Apple's 2GB of RAM, so I ordered the recommended RAM on MacMall, but I've never heard of it before which scares me.

2GB Kit (2 X1GB) DDR2 PC2-5300 SODIMM Memory Upgrade for Apple Mac Mini 1.5GHZ/1.67GHZ Intel Core Duo

That is the detail of the memory. I know it says MacMini, but the guy at the Apple Store said the MacBook uses the same RAM as the MacMini CoreDuo.

They also told me I'd void part of my warranty if the ram socket gets fried in a power surge. I ordered that RAM above for $274, saving over $300. I can't justify spending $600 in RAM on a $1100 computer. That is just ludicrous.

05-17-2006, 09:08 AM

Yep that is the correct memory, as far as I can see

And you're right, $600 is a lot for RAM when you paid $1100 for the computer :O

Anyway enjoy your new MacBook, you must be one of the first people here to get one! Well one of the first in the world actually!

Could you possibly show us some pics when you get a chance? ^_^

05-17-2006, 09:17 AM

Thanks, will do. I spent last night moving my iTunes library off the HDD to the new external drive and ran into some problems. Yes, I cursed Apple for not making that process more easy. I started with only 1.5GB left on the main HD after I imaged my PB. Talk about a SLOW beast. Once I cleared the HD of iTunes media, it began running faster. It only has the 512MB of RAM.

I have an iCurve, and the new ext HDD sits nicely in the space underneath. Now I'll be able to rip all of my DVDs with Handbrake more quickly than the 1.25 G4 did, however I do wish I could carry everything on my backpack (ie. wish the laptop had a 200-300 GB HD). I guess that's the next upgrade. I bought the Seagate 400GB ext drive with 7200RPM speed and 16MB cache for $249 at best buy.

Part of me thinks I should have gotten a MacBook Pro, with a larger HD and the VRAM separated. Maybe I have a little bit of buyers remorse. The nice thing about the MacBook is that it is smaller thereby more portable. The smaller screen size doesn't bother me too much.

Originally Posted by MJGUK

Yep that is the correct memory, as far as I can see

And you're right, $600 is a lot for RAM when you paid $1100 for the computer :O

Anyway enjoy your new MacBook, you must be one of the first people here to get one! Well one of the first in the world actually!

Could you possibly show us some pics when you get a chance? ^_^

05-17-2006, 10:16 AM

How are you finding the 'Glossy' Screen?
When I ordered my MacBook Pro yesterday the sales rep seemed to convince me to go for it, but I've been hearing reports of massive reflection and some say it can really strain your eyes after a while.....Any news on this? What do you think?

05-17-2006, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by MJGUK

How are you finding the 'Glossy' Screen?
When I ordered my MacBook Pro yesterday the sales rep seemed to convince me to go for it, but I've been hearing reports of massive reflection and some say it can really strain your eyes after a while.....Any news on this? What do you think?

It seems ok. I am amazed at the brightness. I put the computer on my desk facing a window, and in the morning the sun shines in. On the old PB I could barely see anything, but not on the new MacBook.

However, I think I would have preferred a matte screen. In the Apple Store I did notice a lot of glare in the fluorescent lighting. I think with soft lighting at home you'll be fine. I also think when you're watching movies the glossy will be nice because things look sharper.