mac pro 13"

[burger n fries]

hey everyone,

i'm a new member and this is my first post and macbook ever. i've had my macbook pro 13" with 2.26 ghz processor for about two months now and i enjoy it tremendously. i will never go back to windows and windows platforms. this little computer is the best i've ever owned. however, i do have some concerns and questions.

first, i'm a college student and i use this macbook to take notes during lecture, write papers (iWork '09 $39 on campus), surf the web, keep myself entertained between classes, etc. i carry it in my backpack which has a specially designed padded sleeve to carry a laptop so the thing is pretty secure from bumps and bruises. my concern is about the little bits of debris floating around in my backpack getting into my macbook. i've already bought a key pad protector from iSkin which keeps dust and debris from getting in through the spaces between the keys. now i'm looking for plastic or silicon plugs to prevent debris and dust from getting into the USB ports, SD card reader, Internet plug, Disc slot, etc.

do products like that exist and if so, where can a buy some? if they don't exist ignore what i previously wrote because i'm going to create a business and produce/manufacture and sell them myself.

second, i want to upgrade my RAM from 2gb to 4gb. i checked it out and discovered that apple charges $200 for the upgrade. after market RAM memory modules are available for less but my concern is the installation process. i called several apple stores and all of them informed me that the upgrade takes place in a static free and sterile environment in the store. i guess they do it in the back of the store somewhere. i don't believe them about having a sterile (dust free) environment in the store somewhere.

is dust a real concern when exposing the guts of the macbook? i assume that the factory floor is indeed sterile when mass producing macbooks but having a sterile environment in a local apple store sounds farcical. i want to upgrade the RAM myself to save some money. any suggestions? should i choose apple for the upgrade or DIY and save a couple of bucks? what would you do if money wasn't really an issue? i don't mind spending the $200. some comments, please.

thanks,
bnf

 

[bobtomay]

first, don't go covering up all of those things. All you're doing is limiting the flow of air in your computer and possibly shortening it's life by much more than what problems dust may cause.

second, don't get the RAM from Apple.

 

[mjb94]

For the first question I'd ditch the special spot for a computer and get a case for the computer, more the less a sleeve like the incase one at apple.

Part two with the ram, find a good online guide, do it some place clean, IE not your garage. and just read directions carefully.

 

[6string]

Go to this site for your ram Performance Upgrades; FireWire USB SATA Storage; Memory, more at OWC
AS long as you are sensible, and work on a static free surface you have no problems..... It is a very simple task as long as you get the right ram.
If you prefer to play it ultra safe, let apple do it if money isn't an issue, as long as they allow you to keep your old ram for that price.
As far as the plugs etc, I don't know if there is such a product, and if there were, i think it would be more of a bother than it's worth.
The problem would be keeping track of these little plugs, and also the dirt and foreign objects that would stick to the material that it needs to be to work, which would do more harm than good.
Also, in saying that, the reason I don't have one of those keyboard skins, is that there is airflow issue with laptops, and covering the keys with those skins obstructs the airflow.
Anyway, what you really should have is a cheap sleeve type computer cover with a zip, or a cheap library bag, etc that you can put it in before you put it in your bag.

Hope I have been of help.
Happy Mac'n

 

[6string]

Hehe, I knew that once I finished typing all that, that I would see posts saying what I was already

 

[bobtomay]

I knew someone would come along and fill in what I didn't say.