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Dell Switcher · Sep 20, 2003, 10:33 PM

After switching in March 2003 by buying iMac 17, I have decided to buy Mac notebook rather than PC notebook. Love the iMac and OS X and have placed my PC desktop upstairs in the Rec (or wreck) room.

I have 1G RAM in the iMac but wonder if that much RAM is needed for PB. Most of my usage is extensive internet (usually 2-4 browsers at one time), business applications (mainly MS Office), and Mac apps such as iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, Mail.

My questions: Would 512MB be sufficient RAM since I do not do video editing and only need one Virtual PC (installed on iMac)? I have been told that OS X works better much more RAM.

Next, how important is hard drive speed 5400 vs 4200? Would one notice the difference since iMac is 7200?

What is best device to have several USB connections? I use a Belkin 4 USB Hub with my iMac

spalding12 · Sep 21, 2003, 05:26 AM

good morning....
some answers to your questions...

1. the more RAM the better... THAT is ALWAYS true
that being said, you must know that APPLE HAS INsufficient RAM sticks to fills orders, whether in its stores (where it has NONE, because that item is "constrained") or at the head office itself. therefore, you will have to decide about whether you want them to install RAM before you get the powerbook and have to wait for it, or get it now with the 512 and then buy RAM later and install it yourself... which is very easy.

2. i have gone round and round (excuse the pun) about the 4200 vs. 5400 drive myself. everyone seems to think that the 5400 would be better, but that delays the shipment BTO as well. i live near an apple store but they only carry the stock configuration, of course. UNLIKE the RAM issue, you CANNOT EASILY exchange the drive later. i say, for only $112.00 get the 5400, if you can wait to get the powerbook.

3. that belkin of which you spoke is fine. 4-port USB hubs are a dime-a-dozen and most work about the same. that was the whole idea of the USB setup in the first place. you can definitely save money there.

IMHO

greg

The Placid Casual · Sep 21, 2003, 06:29 AM

Originally posted by Dell Switcher:
After switching in March 2003 by buying iMac 17, I have decided to buy Mac notebook rather than PC notebook. Love the iMac and OS X and have placed my PC desktop upstairs in the Rec (or wreck) room.

I have 1G RAM in the iMac but wonder if that much RAM is needed for PB. Most of my usage is extensive internet (usually 2-4 browsers at one time), business applications (mainly MS Office), and Mac apps such as iTunes, iPhoto, iCal, Mail.

My questions: Would 512MB be sufficient RAM since I do not do video editing and only need one Virtual PC (installed on iMac)? I have been told that OS X works better much more RAM.

Next, how important is hard drive speed 5400 vs 4200? Would one notice the difference since iMac is 7200?

What is best device to have several USB connections? I use a Belkin 4 USB Hub with my iMac

Congrats on the switch, and the upcoming notebook purchase...

In answer to your questions;

Hmmm, RAM is always good, and OS X does indeed totally love RAM...

But, I would guess you would be fine with 512MB in the short term... I use a Ti867 with just over 512MB and do similar stuff to you, and it is fine... I would like 1Gig, but as the machine runs so well I really can't justify it...

Hard drive speed is a tough one... I personally don't really notice that much difference, but some people claim that they do. I think it is hard to be objective on this, as everyone's perception is different...

However, I suspect you would be very impressed with any new PB and 512MB+ RAM... they really are very sweet machines and will do all you ask of them and more...

Peace,

Marc

spotze23 · Sep 21, 2003, 06:34 AM

hey. i bought one, too. i waited since january..
it sould be there on monday.

are there really two 256 sticks in the 1,25 ghz version? i hope theres one 512 stick in it.

what about dead pixels? i know there was a diskussion before.

all2ofme · Sep 21, 2003, 09:36 AM

Yes, there are two of them. The Apple store lists all this - there's an upgrade fee for going to one single stick.

Originally posted by spotze23:
are there really two 256 sticks in the 1,25 ghz version? i hope theres one 512 stick in it.

deathandtaxes · Sep 21, 2003, 11:15 AM

The stock configuration on the 1.25Ghz is 2X256 chips. I had to pay an extra $100 to have 1X512 installed. This delayed my shipping time by several days (ordered 9/16, shipping 9/23, I hope). Since a 512 chip is only $100 retail, I could have swapped the 2X256 for 2X512 for $200, AND had the 2X256 chips for spare or resale. I'd probably recommend that to anyone planning to buy. Same net cost.
I would have loved to put a 1gig chip in but those suckers are $600 retail. Anyone know of a cheaper price?

Montanan · Sep 21, 2003, 11:27 AM

My $ 0.02 ...

I suspect that you'll do just fine with 512k of RAM installed. And as others have said, if you later feel the need to increase your RAM, you can upgrade with 3rd-party RAM more cheaply than the additional Apple RAM would cost you now.

And I decided to stick with the stock 4200 drive, as well. It's a good-performing drive, by all accounts, and the added cost for the 5400 drive seems excessive to me. I'm not sure that most people would notice a real-life difference in performance. Besides, the higher RPM drive will almost certainly increase power consumption -- thus lowering battery life -- and may also cause the PB to run hotter, as well.