Timing the Switch?

Hello,
I'm a soon-to-be college freshman looking to switch to a Mac before college. I'm currently using a very nice Alienware laptop, but the simple truth is that it doesn't suit my impending needs as a college student. The primary problems are battery life and portability. It lasts only about half an hour and it's a real clunker.

I'm looking at the 17" Mac Book Pro, and I'm going to sell my current computer beforehand. My question is this: are there any big updates coming in the next four months, such that I ought to wait for them before switching? It's not that I'm in a big rush to make the switch, but I know that the sooner I sell my current system, the more I will get for it.

Thanks a lot,
Mike

PS - A question about RAM in the MB Pro: I see that it costs a whopping $575 to upgrade from 2GB to 3GB. What are the chances of buying it with 2GB and swapping out one of the 1GB modules for a 2GB (that I would buy from someplace else, like NewEgg), and then selling the spare 1GB module? Would I save anything?

Mike:

Welcome. First off, congrats on your impending purchase of what we around here call the MBP (MacBook Pro). I myself am a college student, and I use the 15" iteration (see sig. for full specs).

Your timing with a Mac is not going to matter much with the current information we have on our next OS release (OS X 10.5 Leopard). It was initially announced with a Spring '07 release, but it's been officially pushed back to October. This would make waiting for inclusion of the new OS not much of a possibility for you, seeing as I assume you'll need it for the start of fall term. That being said, I would try to get your Alienware on eBay (or your choice of selling venue) ASAP. I ended up getting about 66% of what I paid for mine on eBay before switching to the Mac world.

As far as memory is concerned, you need to ask yourself what you'll be doing with your Mac. Yes, $575 is a lot of money for just another 1 GB of memory, but you're slapping a 2 GB stick in there, and we haven't seen much of those yet. Do some research on how Macs address and use RAM, as it is FAR different than Windows machines. In a nutshell, Macs need substantially less memory than a Windows machine to run at "equal" speeds. After reading up on that, and thinking about what you'll be using your machine for, then decide if you need to max it out at 3 GB. For a quick answer to your question, yes, you can swap the RAM modules any time you like. Be forewarned, however, that only official Apple RAM modules should be in the computer during service requests. Also, there is some debate as to whether or not user replacing of the RAM modules voids your warranty or not.

Thirdly, have fun!!!

Thanks muchly, snoslicer8. It looks like I'll be putting the eBay auction up very soon for this thing. I was actually writing the description when I decided to check this thread. I also read this afternoon that the Mac OS is UNIX based, in which case I understand how it uses memory differently than Windows. It also means I agree with you, and I won't be worrying about that extra 2GB of ram anytime soon. (Especially considering warranty/service problems. Hadn't considered that!)

Honestly, I dont know how you feel about the 17", but you mentioned something about your alienware laptop being not particularly mobile, but i bought the 17" powerbook about 3 1/2 years ago and can honestly say that after the initial "WOW, this is cool" wore off, i wish i would have gotten the 15". The 17" is heavy, big, and a battery hog itself. If you need that extra screen space, get an external LCD to put on the desk and plug it in when your in your dorm/house... Something to think about as I know if i were to do it again I would opt for the 15" MBP/Powerbook and a 20"-24" external display. Coming from one Mike to another, welcome Mike...

Mike

I have the 15" MPB and I had thought about the 17". I'm glad I got the 15" anything more I think would be too much to carry around. With that said I also have a desktop so I don't use my laptop as my primary machine.

I looked at a 17" laptop the last time I bought one and looked at the 17" Macbook Pro when I decided to switch (though I didn't think about the 17" MBP too seriously). It was just a bit too large for my purposes. I fly all over the place and one of those things is wider than the tray table on most planes.

If you're going to take it around to classes, the 15" might be easier to handle (and will also allow for a smaller bag), but if it's mostly sitting in the dorm, you might not mind the extra size at all. Definitely get what's right for you.

I would also vote for the 15" I'm in graduate school and the 15" is good enough in screen size and on the verge of being too heavy when carrying around campus with books and all.

I was very impressed with battery life, but like all laptop batteries, it will soon fade. Nothing can be done about that. Eventually you'll need another battery or use the charger. The good thing about Mac chargers is that they're a little easier to carry around than other laptop chargers.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I will be placing an order for the 15" MBP as soon as I get a bid on my eBay auction. (Have to be sure it's going to sell, of course.)

How quick is Apple when you buy a computer from them? In other words, how many days am I going to be waiting? (I'm afraid of being computer-less for some amount of time if I have to ship this one off before the new one arrives.)

Depends on if you order a customized one or not. Might be a week or so?

Judging by that comment you don't live near an Apple store? Just asking because some people don't even know they exist.