Okay, I did it! I went to an Apple Store today and bought the new base model Mac Pro, 2.8Ghz. I also added the Wi-Fi option. They said they had several Mac Pro's in stock and also the Wi-Fi option. They just charged me $43 for the option and installed it for free in about an hour. I had the idea it was user installable but the guy claimed it requires soldering and I definitely don't want to do it. I decided to do all the expansion on my own to save money so here are some questions I have.
1. Memory-First, I have 2GB now. This computer will be used regularly by two people so will often have two ID's on. Also, there will be a lot of multitasking such as running Office Word while Adobe Photoshop CS3 is running, Mail, Safari, iCal, maybe Numbers, things like that. Both of the users are heavy multitaskers. We will be installing Windows on it with either VMWare or Parallels. We're still trying to choose which Virtualization program to use and appreciate any advice with that. The question is how much memory I should have. I know someone with a MBP who has used both VMWare and Parallels and claimed 3GB was sluggish but it was good with 4GB but should I go to 6GB or maybe even 8GB?
The second part of that question is what memory should I get? I have had good luck with Corsair in a Mac Mini. Also, do I have to add the memory in pairs? I have read it has 2 cards with 4 slots each. Can I add two 1GB sticks or can I add 1 2GB stick, etc?
2. Hard Drive. I plan to replace the hard drive inside and go to likely 750GB and then add 2 1TB hard drives in bays 2 and 3. I plan to use the version of RAID which will mirror those two drives. I don't need a super fast drive. I don't want the slowest on the market but I want something medium speed but most important is a reliable drive at a good price since I'm buying 3 hard drives.
3. Monitor-I'm looking for a good 20-22" LCD Monitor. Once again I don't need the most state of the art, best picture, just something that is maybe a little above average. Any suggestions?
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