Macbook Pro questions

Hi, brand new to the forum and to Mac, for that matter. I am still learning how to even use this forum and posting. I'm going through the learning curve of making the switch from PC and Windows. I am just so sick of the slowness of pc's, viruses, etc, the list goes on. You guys know.

question 1

I love the sleekness of Macs and will probably get the macbook pro. I've seen ebay listings for mbp's that have better configurations than the base configuration of 2.4 ghz, 200 gb hd @ 5400 rpm, 2gm ram, etc. at Apple.com. The ebay listing prices are very close in price comparison to the base config Apple prices, but like I say, they have better specs. All the machines I'm looking at on ebay have either the apple care warranty or are still eligible to purchase it. I am still a little hesitant, however, just because it may be a used machine.

question: does anyone have suggestions (pros or cons) whether to purchase at apple retail store, apple.com, or ebay??

question 2

I want a fast machine. I plan on upgrading the memory to 4gb ram myself, but am curious to know if there will be a difference in boot speed, application performance, etc, using a 200gb @ 5400 rpm compared to 200gb @ 7200 rpm. I don't do any intensive photo or video editing or gaming, just basic internet browsing, itunes, and application use. It's just very important to me to have fast boot ups, and application navigation. Some may ask..why not macbook?? I love the features of the macbook pro.

also, does a hd running at 7200 rpm drain a battery faster than a hd running at 5400 rpm?

sorry for the lengthy post. I'm a forum virgin and am just looking for a few suggestions. any help is appreciated.

not sure I trust ebay in general...

question two.

You will likely not experience any performance difference as none of the listed usages are ram intensive. I don't think there's a difference in boot time to begin with.

Generally faster RPM does drain the battery. It would be smart to do some research on power consumption over at Tomshardware and compare HDDs.

If you really want fast and low power there is SSD but who wants to drop 1k for 64GB?

Hi makisupa

Welcome to the world of Apple. Personally I would plunge for the MBP. I've had mine since Aug 07, without any problems. I do agree with Dysfunction and wouldn't trust Ebay. It's worth paying the extra and purchasing from Apple or authorized reseller for the peace of mind and the reassurance of the original warranty and apple care.

I upgraded my ram to 4gb earlier this year at www.crucial.com. It was much cheaper than Apple. I seen much improved speed and not necessarily any battery drain.

The MBP is an excellent choice for web surfing etc.. The only issue I have is that I use AutoCAD for my work, hence I have Vista Ultimate loaded through boot camp to run this app, and "windblows" is still better for gaming, due to game software availablity.

Hope this helps
andy_bon

Thanks guys for your replies and am considering all suggestions. I am taking the plunge and going to buy the mbp tomorrow.