MBP 13" - 320GB HDD vs. ordering online and getting a 500 - 750 GB HDD.

I'm interested in finally purchasing an MBP. It would be the base model 13" MBP with i5 processor (current computer is a PC from 2010 with i3 processor and 320GB HDD). My debate is whether to buy in store and get the model with the 320GB HDD or build a custom MBP online and upgrade to the 500 or 750 GB HDD (the only upgrade I would do). I tend to think that the more storage capacity the better, and that that keeps it more future proof, but even on my current PC I have 194 GB free of 267, lol, so I'm wondering if I might as well just buy the base, 320GB model in store?

What would you do? Part of me is just impatient and likes to get things in store vs. in the mail; but part of me also wonders whether it's worth the wait and money to upgrade when chances are I won't use the extra space...yet I know it's always good to have? Thanks in advance!

 

Buy the base model in the store. Setup a Time Machine backup with an external HDD. Buy a new HDD or SSD on Newegg. When you get your bigger HDD, just image the new drive with the latest Time Machine backup. I'd recommend either the Seagate Momentus XT or a cheaper option is the WD Black.

Alternatively you could just have an external drive to store all your files.

 

I strongly recommend you select an SSD; the (enormous) performance benefit alone makes them worth both the cost and the sacrifice of capacity.

I believe that only the SSD which Apple ships with the MacBook Pro supports TRIM in OS X, whereas third party SSDs do not.

 

If you read the OP's original question, it was regarding adding a bigger HDD for space. You are not going to get SSD's larger than 320GB for any small amount of cash and so based on the OP's statement that he may just buy the base model, I assume price is a factor along with HDD size.

You might consider reading the original post before throwing out that SSDs are the solution to every problem. The performance may be great but the size is the main criteria.

 

I read the post to which I responded. I was asked what I would do were I in the OP's position. If I were in the OP's position, I would opt for an SSD, and I explained, in brief, why I would do this.

According to the OP:

In other words, the OP uses 73 GB of his hard drive, on a computer s/he has been using for approximately a year. This makes a 128GB SSD (with an external hard drive should further storage be required) or a 256GB SSD rather feasible. The former option is surely not beyond the means of someone who is purchasing a MacBook Pro, base model or not.

I did not state or imply that SSDs are a cure-all; rather, I proposed, on the basis of the facts I was given, that an SSD was the best option for the OP to explore. Storage capacity may be the OP's main criterion, but, given what the OP says, it shouldn't be. Good advice ought to be given on the basis of what is sensible, and not on what the person to whom you are giving advice might first regard as sensible. Clearly, this is a subtlety which you have yet to comprehend.

 

@beyondthesmile
FWIW, it is cheapest to buy a larger hard drive after market rather than through Apple. If you aren't really using all the space then it really makes no sense to futureproof as you have not really had to worry about filling the drive. The performance of that machine will be good with stock specs.
If you do decide that you aren't really going to have that much stuff on the drive, take Morgan's suggestion and invest in an SSD (for the performance).
In my opinion, there is no need to go and spend money when you really don't need to, and since it sounds like 320GB is plenty of room for now, just stick with the base model till you change you mind or your needs change.

The point is to answer the OP's question and not to offer unsolicited advice about the merits of an SSD vs a standard HDD, as those are aplenty. The question was whether the OP needed more space as is evident from the title of this post. Since the OP didn't really even broach the topic of SSDs or whether they were a viable option, it might be best to simply answer the question and not divert the conversation.

 

You are not going to do much in the way of "futureproofing" with the selection of the HDD. If you logically think that you are not going to need the capacity right away, the last place you want to buy a HDD upgrade is from Apple.

By the time you "need" the capacity, you'll be able to pick up a HDD for a fraction of the price of today, and probably get an even larger drive, if you so desire...and still have money leftover to buy a cloning kit-if need be.

In fact, your drive options will expand the longer you wait. Later, you may want to go with something like a hybrid drive, and you will still be ahead dollar-wise.

 

There is always the Optibay route later down the line. It essentially replaces the internal optical drive with a secondary hard drive. That way you can have a smaller primary SSD for booting OS X and running all your programs while having another hard drive for storing all of your files and media. Either way, there are far more options (with many being less expensive and better) than what Apple offers and unless you plan on filling up a 500GB or 750GB hard drive, there is no point in getting a MBP with one now. You could always slap one in there later down the line if you ever manage to fill up a 320GB hard drive but you have yet to do that with your current system.

Additionally, by the time you actually manage to fill the stock 320GB hard drive up, SSD and hard drive prices will have come down so you can actually get better hardware with larger capacities for less money (this assumes that it takes you at least a year to fill up the 320GB hard drive). All-in-all, I think it is best to just wait things out and only go with the SSD option now if you find yourself banging your head against the wall at the thought of waiting the unbearable 40 seconds for OS X to boot or 5 seconds for iTunes to load.

 

I agree with this. In fact, with my Momentus XT, iTunes loads in just 1-2 seconds because I use it so frequently.

In my case, iTunes, Safari, iPhoto...my 3 most commonly used apps open in 1-2 seconds, comparable if not just a fraction slower than an SSD.

 

Thank you very much everyone! This was so helpful.

 

I answered the question and the advice I gave was solicited; my response was not a diversion, and it was unnecessary for the OP to mention SSDs in order for me to recommend them. There's not much more I can say that I haven't already said.