Most cost effective way to order a Mac?

So as everyone has already concluded around here, Apple severely overcharges for upgrades. I was wondering, when ordering a new notebook which areas are best to leave as base and upgrade yourself and which are best to upgrade through Apple? For instance, hard drive, memory, etc.

Along with that, which of the applications would you recommend? Final cut, iWork, Aperture, Logic Express. Is Magsafe airline adapter worth it? What about Applecare?

What would you guys recommend who have ordered several notebooks already?

 

AFAIK the RAM is the only user-upgradeable component. I believe upgrading the HDD (which is possible) cancels your warranty.

 

I know upgrading RAM does not void your warranty. However, upgrading the harddrive on a MBP will void the warranty unless it is installed by an Apple certified location. I believe upgrading the harddrive on a MB will not void the warranty mainly because the task is much more user-friendly than upgrading on a MBP. The best option is to purchase a Mac with the standard amount of RAM and upgrade yourself. You might want to upgrade the harddrive directly through Apple though.

I do not know what you mean by purchasing Magsafe. Magsafe connector is simply the power connector that comes with your laptop.

As for Applecare, I do recommend purchasing it especially if you're accident-prone!

Goodluck with your purchase!

 

I know that my Dad upgraded to a 500 GB HD in his MBP and he said he had to take a lot of components apart in order to do that. However, I would likely be purchasing a Macbook instead so this probably wouldn't be much of a problem then.

Would still like some suggestions on whether all of the Apps are worth it. Are they more expensive if you buy them separate?

 

Man, I wished I could have a 500GB internal HD. This 120GB is simply not cutting it! And yes, the MB upgrades should be much easier than the MBP upgrade.

I'm not sure about the software you wanted to purchase. I have both Microsoft Office 2004 and 2008. I prefer the 2004 version over the 2008. I have never really used iWorks in depth, so I can't give you any information on that. As for the other software, you might want to check with for student discounts (if you are/ still in college).

 

Get the baseline model and do all the upgrades yourself. Comparing prices to newegg.com, Apple greatly overcharges all upgrades. AppleCare is a must (go to ebay for that and make sure to take advantage of live.com's 25% off). Software is expensive, don't feel you have to buy professional software especially if you are not going to use it. All Mac's come with the iLife suite which is great for casual stuff.

 

I'd buy the mid level macbook and ugrade ram and HD at home. Upgrading the HDD urself will not void the warranty on a MB.

I'd look at opensource software for office suites before buying iWork

 

Thanks for your input.

Can anyone point me in the direction of rumored upgrades for the MB's next revision? LED backlit, case redesign, etc. Also, is Apple like other OEM's where it's best not to buy a first revision of anything? Do you save much money if you buy a current rig that is going to be replaced? (like the XPS).

 

The rumors on the new MB generally hint at a new case (aluminum now), the new Intel chipset (though there are some that believe Apple will drop Intel, a move I don't comprehend at all), and some believe LED backlighting will be introduced too - a pretty likely circumstance, since the Pro's had it for a while now and Apple has stated that all screens will be LED backlit in some time. I'd check tuaw.com, macrumors.com or appleinsider.com for the latest on rumors.

Macs don't seem to be affected as much by the "reduced price before new model" syndrome, since Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about their upgrade roadmap and it's tough to get an idea as to when an update is coming. In fact, Macbook update rumors have been going strong for well over a year now. My general advice to anyone is: if you can wait, wait. The mere fact you're asking if you should wait probably means you can. If you need a computer now, though, the current Macbook is a very solid computer - I'm not sure what your needs are, exactly, but it should suit you well unless you need intense processing power or even moderate graphics capability.

As far as what to order: upgrading RAM and the HD on a Macbook is quite easy and won't void your warranty, so unless you really don't want to do those yourself for some reason, I'd definitely recommend not paying Apple for those upgrades. Unfortunately, I don't believe there's any way to leave the RAM at 1 GB and the HD at the lowest available and get the CPU and DVD-RW upgrades, so if you want those two you'll have to pay for the 160 GB HD and the extra gig of RAM (and if you want a BlackBook, you'll have to shell out even more in unnecessary upgrades).

 

As far as software is concerned, iWork and Aperture 2.1 are great IMO. I used the trial version of both for 30 days before buying. iWork and Aperture trials are pre-installed and I definitely recommend giving them a shot before you buy as I've heard a lot of people not liking them (it's a personal preference).

I wanted to like iPhoto for its simplicity but I kept hitting the wall with its limited and destructive editing features which lead me to try Aperture, and what a difference.

I bought Office 2008 and I regret it. I use Office 2007 on PC at home and 2007 IMO blows the 2008 (mac) version by a country mile. If I had to do it again, on the mac side I would stick with iWork 08 (but that may not work for many people as iWork also has its limitations - especially with Numbers vs Excel).

Some people may not agree but I much prefer Outlook 2007 over Entourage 2008; day and night difference for me.

I'm not much into conspiracy theories but I can't help but feel as though MSFT sabotaged the mac version of Office.

As far as applecare is concerned, I'm a big believer in it but make sure not to buy it from apple. For the MBP, applecare is $399. I got mine from an apple reseller (on sale) for $199. The same goes for MobileMe; Apple charges 50% more than what you can get it for elsewhere.

RAM is also something that I wouldn't get from apple.

 

definitely just order one of the default configurations. probably the cheapest one. that holds true for the macbook and macbook pro...

do you need professional movie editing software? i would only buy final cut if i was in the video production field and i was going to make money with it. same for logic (except the music production industry) and aperture (photography).

imovie, garageband, and iphoto are the easier to use, consumer oriented applications. i would start with these. if you just want to keep your photo's organized, do some light movie or audio editing, these will be plenty. they are part of the ilife suite that comes with the mac. if you are a professional, you should buy the prosumer applications, and you will need to take a class or read a book to understand how to operate them.

is the magsafe airline adapter worth it? you tell me. do you fly on planes often? ever? do you need more than a battery worth of laptop usage on a plane? consider also that you could just buy a second battery, that would extend your plane usage and you could also use it normally.

 

Great suggestions that you are all throwing out, much appreciated. I have a way better understanding of the programs now. If I do order a Mac I will have to give imovie, garageband and iphoto a shot. The other stuff seems like overkill for a person like me.

I am by no means in need of a new notebook at the moment. More likely to buy sometime in the next 4-6 months. Just trying to get a feel for what's on the Apple market. My sights are set on something smaller for traveling, so I've been trying to keep up on some of the smaller Sony's as well as Apple.