[mbpcedric]

I have to get a new notebook and the insurance is refunding the purchase price up to 3000. So I can have any cpu. I think I will order a 17 inch, had em in the past an always loved the extra screen space.

What would you get? You can obviously go over 3k but you have to fork in the difference.

[Simon]

Find an extra $149 to add to those 3k so you can get the 2.93 GHz and 7200 rpm options.

[ctt1wbw]

I'd get 325 Dell Mini 9's.

[Ted L. Nancy]

17" 2.93. The base config is over 3K right now with Apple, but 3rd party retailers will offer deals in the next month or two (or you could just cough up the extra $100 right now). Upgrade the HD later to SSD (don't pay Apple $500 for one.. prices continue to fall and the technology just keeps getting better). When you take out the stock HD, slip it into an enclosure and use it for backups. Max out the RAM when the price falls.

[ajprice]

What they said (except for the hundreds of Dells) or...

15" 2.4GHz
4GB RAM
320GB@7200 hard drive
24" Cinema Display (there's your screen space when your at home, and the MB is a little smaller for carrying around)

$3198 ($3098 with a 250GB@7200 drive)

[clockworkwar]

Highest spec Macbook Pro 15"

[iREZ]

mbp 17"
mbp 15"
mba
mb

That's the order I would run with unless I already had a desktop in which case the mba would shoot to the top of the list.

[bshahmardi]

iMac, low end MBA.