I think I'm FINALLY ready to purchase

As some of you might have remembered I bought the middle model macbook about a month ago and then returned. I'm still not toally sure why I didn't want it, but I am pretty darn sure it was the price. Here is Canada (becuase of taxes) I ended up paying 1450 (this was before the upgrades). This was the first time I had ever owned a laptop and for me to carry around a 1450 machine intimidated me.

Now that the update has happened though and I can get the 2.0ghz 80gb hdd macbook for $999 refurbished I am finally ready! My plan is to buy the macbook, buy two 1gig ram modules from new egg, a 160gig and internal hard drive.

Now I would have a 2.0ghz, 160gig hdd, 2gig ram macbook for less than the 2.16ghz, 120gig hdd, 1gig ram macbook! The process speed didn't real tickle my fancy.

Before I purchase all the hardware though I want to be sure it is all compatible with the macbook.

ram http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231069

hdd (I have two I'm looking at http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2522678&sku=H450-5060

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16822148073

Thanks alot!

I just finished watching a video on youttube where the guy bought a bigger hard drive for his macbook but accidentaly got a ide type. Are the macbook laptops SATA? If thats the case thsan I don't think I can use the hard drives I mention before. Woudl this one do the trick? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822149058

Im more than sure all Mac HDD's are sata (as they have a super fast boot time and higher transfer rate?)

IDE are far slower.....i'm not 100%, but pretty sure

Two problems with your plan for my taste.

First - edit - I was wrong
Second - For the price of that 160GB drive at $115 and buying an enclosure to use the 80 GB drive as an external at around $35 gives you a total of 240 GB of space for $150. For $130, you can keep the 80GB in your machine and get a 500GB external for a total of 580GB for $20 less money.

Woah Woah, I was never going to use the 80gig as an external. I was going to buy a 160 for the laptop, then buy a 500gig 3.5" and an external enclosure so I would have 660gigs total. I just want to be able to keep alot of things on the laptop and not have to lug the external around with it. SO it would have things on it that I would use more at home like my entire movie collection and television series.

Also I thought that you can replace the hard drive without voiding the warrenty, I've heard it many times on these forums. I hope they're right!

In that case, not a bad idea.
And you are correct - found page listing the parts Apple considers DIY here.
(Battery, Hard drive & RAM) Link for instructions at bottom of page also.

Thanks alot for confirming that the hard drive is a user servicable part!

remember the HDD is only user replaceable on the Macbook, not the Macbook pro. Of course it can be done on your MBP but it will void the warranty. I know you said you are buying the MB so you will be ok

I'm about to order my external hard drive but I'm not sure if these two are compatible, I'm pretty sure but don't want an ugly suprise when I try to put them togethor!

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2949364&sku=THD-500A2

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=31389&sku=ULT31310

Thanks!