Coverting to a Mac - Which one to get?

I am a lifelong Dell Laptop user, but have decided that upon the death (after 2 years) of my latest laptop, I am switching over to a Mac - the MacBook Pro to be precise. And to be even more precise the 15" one.

I am just not sure which 15" to get, and what upgrades to purchase. This will be a home use computer, so I will basically be using it to listen and download music, upload and view pictures, watch movies, and regular internet activity. As of now, using it beyond those things is not really planned.

I am just not sure if I should be concerned with the processor speed and hard drive speed. The 15"s come with either 2.4GHz, 2.53GHz, or 2.66GHz. The low-end 2.4Ghz model is standard with a 320GB HD and can be upgraded to a 500GB Hard Drive with either 5400 rpm or 7200 rpm. The other two (2.53GHz and 2.66GHz) are standard with a 500GB HD - 5400 rpm and can be upgraded to a drive with 7200 rpm.

I am ok with spending the extra money if needed or if it will help keep the product alive longer. I plan on keeping this laptop for a while but not sure what is enough. Is there anything else in addition to what I mentioned above that I should be concerned with?

Any advice is appreciated.!

From the tasks you mentioned...I would get the 2.4ghz 15" MacBook Pro. You don't need to upgrade the hard drive or ram now. It is easy to do yourself later...and Apple charges too much for the ram upgrades.

HTH,

- Nick

To add to what Nick has already said, for your needs you don't really anything faster than the base 13" MBP but since you definitely want the 15" then you should get the slowest one which is the 2.4 ghz. You won't see much benefits in the faster computers for what you do.

Also the 2.53 ghz is kind of a waste of money. It's processor is not that much faster and as mentioned you can upgraded the hard drive yourself later on. The 2.66 with the i7 chip is a worthy upgrade from the 2.4 but for your needs it will be overkill.

A 7200 rpm hard drive will be beneficial. I think Apple likes the 5400 rpm drives because they have better battery life. It will be less expensive if you install it yourself. If you have Apple install it then you might as well get the 2.53 because the price will be almost the same. See what we mean by Apple charging more for upgrades?

Thans guys. I placed my order today. The 15" MBP with 2.53GHz i5 and 500GB HD. I get a 10% discount through work and it was basically the same price as the 2.4GHz upgraded to a 500GB HD.

It comes next week, so I am sure I will be on here again.