Switching to MacBook Pro... Do I need to upgrade it?

I've had enough of crappy Windows-based laptops that have a lifetime measured in months and so I'm going to make the big switch to Apple . I used a Mac Desktop at my previous job, so I'm familiar with how everything works. I've settled on the 17" MacBook Pro, but I'm wondering if I need to throw on the more expensive upgrades such as getting the 2.8Ghz Intel Core i7 (+$400) and the 8GB of memory (+$400). Most of the time, this laptop will be used for surfing the 'net, MS Office, watching DVDs, storing mp3s, storing photos, and rarely, Photoshop. I am also planning on installing Boot Camp so I can run my favorite EA sports games. Should I spend the extra $800-$1000 for upgrades from the base model?

Also, should I invest in AppleCare? Or as long as I treat the MacBook okay, will I be fine?

Any other "must-have" software that you'd recommend?

Thanks!

Might want to wait a bit, New MacBook Pros: February 24th
It's just a rumour, but it's a pretty solid one.

I have the computer on the left and it does everything you are planning to do without a hitch so you'll have no trouble with that.
Games… I'm no expert because I don't play heavy games so I'll leave that open for someone else.

Applecare you should most defiantly get, it will come in handy later on when (for example) the DVD drive fails to work.

No - the i7 is fast enough regardless of the ghz you get and you should always buy the base RAM from Apple and upgrade elsewhere.

My 2010 MBP is a perfectly capable gaming machine.

I always buy Applecare... that one is a no-brainer as far as I am concerned.

jcs said:

Most of the time, this laptop will be used for surfing the 'net, MS Office, watching DVDs, storing mp3s, storing photos, and rarely, Photoshop.

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you really don't need an i7 for any of these things. i run a Core 2 Duo processor, and i can do all this at the same time easily.

i7's are really worth the money when your doing intensive video or audio work, or gaming.
watching a DVD and doing a word document is in my mind, a little bit of a waste of a such a brilliant processor.

Photoshop really benefits from having more RAM available, but if your using it rarely, there is no point. it will run fine with 4GB.

I am also planning on installing Boot Camp so I can run my favorite EA sports games

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this is where you would benefit from the i7. but most game developers produce games for systems three years old. So you would be perfectly fine with an i5.

well i have been rambling! hope i have helped.

First of all welcome. I made the switch in late 2008 when I bought a aluminum macbook unibody. I had been a huge advocate of windows up until they released Vista. Within 2 days I was wishing I had switched YEARS earlier. I now consider my Windows use The Dark Ages. I can still run windows via VM ware but find that I almost never do but I'm not into gaming.

Whatever you do WAIT for the new MBP release coming as early as this week.

Personally I would get the i7 and then upgrade the ram via 3rd party. Apple's RAM upgrades are way overpriced and adding the ram is very easy. You could probably get away with 4 possibly 6GB of RAM. 8GB sounds like a lot for what you are doing and you can always do it later.

My reasoning for the i7 recommendation is based on my own experience. I've got 6GB in my MB and I do a lot of video conversions in HB. I've maxed out the RAM, I can upgrade the HD to an SSD and replace the optical drive with an additional HD for storage. None of that helps me today thought processing HB activities---my bottleneck is the processor and the i7 will help "future proof" your machine. Don't get me the wrong---the i5 will definitely hold it's own.

Basically---whatever you end up with you'll love---that's just my two cents worth. Good luck.