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macbook pro apple add-on prices, worth?

volcom883

volcom883

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 29, 2008
188
1
istanbul
hi,
thinking of buying the macbook pro once new ones launched. i would like to add some stuff to it but was wondering whether its cheaper/better to get them directly from apple or from another shop?

the following prices include a 14% student discount.


official apple add-on prices:
- 4GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x2GB = £102/$177

- 200GB Serial ATA @ 7200 rpm = £24/$42

- Apple Remote = £13 /$22

-Higher Education 3yrs AppleCare Protection Plan for MacBook Pro - Auto-enroll = £58/$100


any thing else i could/should get?


your advice would be appreciated.

thanking you
 
If you buy from the Apple Store for Higher Education (at http://apple.procureweb.ac.uk) then you get a 3 year warranty included for free. The only advantage to buying AppleCare is that it will allow you to return the laptop to Apple in a different country if it breaks down. It will not cover you against any accidental damage or theft. In short - a waste of money.

The other prices will most likely change when the new laptops are released but one thing always stays constant - Apple overcharges for RAM. Look elsewhere and fit it yourself, it really is not difficult to do.
 
From what I have heard, the 7200rpm disks are not worth it. Just makes more noice and generate more heat - for very little speed increase.

The RAM you should definitly get from 3rd party vendor.

Get the remote, I use mine all the time.
 
ok so i get the 3yrs warranty for free anyway as a student! thats sweet!

ok so i wont get the 7200rpm drive.

i will get the RAM upgrade from a 3rd party(could i fit it myself? if not, im sure many shops can be trusted dunno they might exchange some stuff - oh yeah does it avoid the warranty if added?)

ok yes i will get the remote it must be very handy! are there any other remotes for macbook pro ontrolling more stuff? like generic ones?

and thanks again guys



edit: hey the apple remote is being sold by many sellers for about £5/$8.5. they cant be fake can they?

edit again: this is what it says on the apple uk website: Buy an iPod.
Purchase an iPod nano or an iPod touch with your Mac and qualify for a rebate of up to £95.* i thought i could get a nano for free. so whats this discount deal about?

edit again and again: foudn the discount chart. its basically 95 quid off of any ipod 8 or 16 gb chart found here
 
The RAM is user replaceable in the current MBP (no it doesn't void the warranty) so I would assume that would be the case with the new ones. The is a guide on the apple website on how to do it.

RAM upgrade Guide for current model:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1270


The iPods were offered free in the US. Since the new models were introduced before the promo started in the UK you don't get them free but at a nice discount.
 
warranty

volcom883 said:
ok so i get the 3yrs warranty for free anyway as a student! thats sweet!

ok so i wont get the 7200rpm drive.

i will get the RAM upgrade from a 3rd party(could i fit it myself? if not, im sure many shops can be trusted dunno they might exchange some stuff - oh yeah does it avoid the warranty if added?)

ok yes i will get the remote it must be very handy! are there any other remotes for macbook pro ontrolling more stuff? like generic ones?

and thanks again guys



edit: hey the apple remote is being sold by many sellers for about £5/$8.5. they cant be fake can they?

edit again: this is what it says on the apple uk website: Buy an iPod.
Purchase an iPod nano or an iPod touch with your Mac and qualify for a rebate of up to £95.* i thought i could get a nano for free. so whats this discount deal about?

edit again and again: foudn the discount chart. its basically 95 quid off of any ipod 8 or 16 gb chart found here
Click to expand...

were are you reading the 3 year warranty for a student. i am a student got the student discount and have a 1 year warranty. apple remotes you can find them anywere just buy from a trusted seller. make sure you read the techhouse blog on this site. ram and driver from apple are overpriced right now to upgrade a mb to 250 is $90 i can buy a 250 hard drive for $70
 
jbrenn said:
were are you reading the 3 year warranty for a student. i am a student got the student discount and have a 1 year warranty.
Click to expand...

All UK Higher Education (University) students get 3 years warranty for free, and about 75% off applecare, and up to 15% discount on Macs. The only details about this that I can find are on the specific UK education store pages, which are only accessible via a UK-HE network.
 
thomasp said:
All UK Higher Education (University) students get 3 years warranty for free
Click to expand...
so no need to do or buy anything else i guess. simply buy the mac through the uni computers and thats it 3 yrs warranty on it! right?

by the way, hadnt noticed but they are also doing £60/$100 rebate on printers including one which i may even get for free!
http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/campaigns/printer_promo_sep08?mco=NzQxNTk
could you help me to choose one? i would preferably want a wifi one but they are quite expensive. so shall i get the HP C4480 for free or add £20/£35 for the CANON MX310? or any other worth the extra money?

tip: uk customers wishing to get an apple computer, dont forget quidco for extra 6% discount
 
thomasp said:
All UK Higher Education (University) students get 3 years warranty for free, and about 75% off applecare, and up to 15% discount on Macs. The only details about this that I can find are on the specific UK education store pages, which are only accessible via a UK-HE network.
Click to expand...

Wow, that's awesome!
 
I have never heard my 7200RPM hard drive. My 5400RPM WD Passport makes noise.

Several sources say its faster, I haven't compared thoroughly myself though. But it's cheap - so I went for it. If you're planning on 4GB RAM you might as well go for the fastest drive as well.

There are several threads debating on 5400 vs. 7200, a few of them led me to choosing the 7200.
 
I think replacing the HD on the current MBP voids the warranty, but I'm not 100% on that. The new MBP is rumored to have a more easily swappable HD, which might allow for user upgrades without voiding the warranty.......

EDIT: And MBPs don't come with the remote. At least, mine didn't.
 
volcom883 said:
ok so you guys think that 7200 rpm upgrade is worth £24/$42 ?
Click to expand...

What do you need more: more space or more speed? I would go for more space.

And RAM+HD upgrade may not be necessary when new MBPs come out as they could already be with 4 GB and larger HD.
 
For memory, compare what Apple would charge vs. what you can get from third party vendors. If it's cheaper from a third party go that route. The only exception for me to this rule is a Mac Mini. Any instuctions that require the use of a putty knife doesn't sound like too much fun.

Replacing the hard drive in a MPB will violate the warranty on the computer, so if you do want the upgrade go with Apple.

For me Applecare is a no-brainer, get it.

I can't answer about the remote since I've never used my for my MBP. I got it back in the days when Apple actually included it with the laptop.

Just by $.02.
 
eXan said:
What do you need more: more space or more speed? I would go for more space.
Click to expand...
yes i want it for speed dont care about space..
ok $45 just for extra speed is a lot but i see it this way: for something which i intend to use at least 3-4 years is not really that much... isnt it?
 
You're in a delicate balance then.
If you want, you can install your own 320GB+ 7200RPM drive.
Personally I went for speed because I have an external drive which has a partition for backup and another for added storage (the added storage is backed up onto an old iPod).

So. Think hard.

EDIT : Also, since I was getting 4GB RAM, I didn't want the drive to lag even a little bit :D
 
I put a 7200 rpm HDD in my MBP and it was the single most improvement I have ever seen in a Notebook.
 
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