Processor, RAM, Solid State Memory Questions

Although I have been a life-long Mac user, I moved to Windows so I could use a Toshiba convertible tablet. I really like the tablet functionality, and the MS Office application OneNote is awesome, but I cannot deal with Windows as an operating system. So I am in the process of coming home to Mac, and I am strongly considering a Modbook, which many of you have probably read about.

Here are my questions that I hope the learned posters here can help me with:

One of my options for the Modbook is a refurbished Macbook mated to the new Wacom screen and other hardware. This machine only has the 1.8 processor, however, and the new Modbooks, which use the new Macbooks, are available with either 2.2 or 2.4 processors. I will mosly surf the web, watch movies, word process, and email with my computer. My son will want to play games on it from Miniclip, but that will be it for gaming. Will the 1.8 serve me well for several years, or is a faster one that much of an improvement?

How much RAM do I really need if I want to install something lke VM Ware and run OneNote on the Mac? I have used Parallels before, and while it worked okay, the performance of the machine was slow.

Finally, the company that uses refurnished Macs to form the Modbook offers up to a 500GB hard drive or a 256 GB solid state hard drive. The solid state is expensive but I seem strangely attracted to it. What is the difference between these two hard drives in terms of how the machine would perform for daily tasks like the ones I mentioned?

Thanks very much for your time and advice.

Playing games on that thing would haaardd!

Well if your only using One Note and surfing the web and things a 1.8Ghz processor should do you fine, but if your thinking of keeping it for a loong time then it's probably wise to get the 2.2Ghz or 2.4Ghz just to be future safe that little bit longer.

4GB Ram should be plenty!

Solid state HDDs perform a little quicker but they aren't that noticeable to be honest! I would stick to the 500GB HD if it was me.

Thanks for the information. Can you help me by explaining in layman's terms what the 2.2 processor might allow me to do that the 1.8 would not?

You'd notice a difference when running cpu intensive tasks but depending on what you want to do should decide if you should upgrade. It also gives your Mac a slight future proofing.

True Bassist said:

You'd notice a difference when running cpu intensive tasks but depending on what you want to do should decide if you should upgrade. It also gives your Mac a slight future proofing.

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Thanks, and I think I understand, but can you give me an idea of what would entail heavy usage of the CPU? I ask because I have never had a message on my machine that told me that the processor was inadequate to perform a certain function, but I have been told that I don't have enough RAM.

The way I feel about computers is you can never have too much memory, hd space, and processing power. You may not need it now, or ever, but there may be a chance that one day you will need it.

For example I had a windows machine. It was a 1.6ghz processor w/ 512 gb of ram and a 60gb HD. It was the first computer I bought on my own. I felt the 60gb's would last me forever (as I feel w/ my 500 gb's on my iMac) but that 60gb's went quick. My computer performed well for the first year and a half, but when I wanted to install Adobe cs2 it told me I didn't have enough ram. It was an easy fix, but my computer was soon outdated because I didn't get the high end.

What I'm trying to say is you don't have to get the best, but for future proofing I feel it is better to get the best you can afford at the time.