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new MBP - but wich HD?

pit29

pit29

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 23, 2006
622
8
The Golden State
Hello!

I'm going to buy an C2D MBP in the next few days (actually, going to order. AppleStore said they estimate 2 weeks :-( ). I will go for the 2.33 15'', 3GB. Now I'm wondering about the different HD... Which would you chose? Does the lower rpm on the 200GB translates into a markedly speed loss? I greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Thanks!
Pit
 
I'd say go for the bigger hard drive if you can spare the cash. Macbooks come loaded with 50gigs worth of pre-installed software so you've lost at least 50gigs right there and with the standard config. you're only left with around 70gigs to play with. You can always format your new machine and choose not to install all the junk that was pre-installed and maybe save about 6gigs or so but imo that's not a significant gain and if you're like me who likes to keep everything on their machines whether or not they need them you'll find yourself running out of space pretty soon if you have an intensive video and music collection like I do.

It would seem that I'm basing most of my advice on what I need for myself however you should think for yourself how much space you are going to need. If you're the kind that just installs the necessary programs you need and maybe some videos and music then 70gigs is more than enough for you. However if you're a dvd ripping freak like me you will run out of space pretty damn fast. It all comes to preference in the end. Some people like having lots of free space anyway even if they're not going to use it, waste of money but hey, if you have some to spare then why not, lots of hdd space never hurts :p
 
sulhaq said:
I'd say go for the bigger hard drive if you can spare the cash. Macbooks come loaded with 50gigs worth of pre-installed software so you've lost at least 50gigs right there and with the standard config. you're only left with around 70gigs to play with. You can always format your new machine and choose not to install all the junk that was pre-installed and maybe save about 6gigs or so but imo that's not a significant gain and if you're like me who likes to keep everything on their machines whether or not they need them you'll find yourself running out of space pretty soon if you have an intensive video and music collection like I do.
Click to expand...
You save a lot more than 6gbs reformatting. Oh, and 50gbs seems extreme, even for the stock install, but I don't remember. My OSX install took up less than 5gbs of space, though, if I remember correctly (after I removed everything I didn't need).

Also, just so ya know, the 120gb HD will come to you with only about 111gb actually usable. I'd probably bank on about 100gbs after OSX.

For me, that's plenty for a portable. I store the big files (video, mostly) on an external. But like sulhaq said, it really depends on your needs. Really, IMO, if you're actually heavy into video (I mean ripping/saving.. not making), then you're better off spending your money on a big ole external than you are upgrading your internal. Laptop HDs are a lot more expensive than 3.5", so you get better bang for your buck going the external route.
 
Sorry. What I meant to say was that Mac OS X + Pre-Installed Software take up about 50gbs of space. I might be wrong it's been a few months since I returned my macbooks but I swear I remember it almost took up around 50gbs when I looked at the hard drive properties.

Also yeah, it says 120gb but actual formatted capacity will be a lot less, so you're losing around 6-10gb there as well.
 
I would go for the 160 GB, personally. The 200 GB is only 4200RPM, which will be slower when transferring files or doing video editing. If you need a ton of storage, you're better off using external storage anyway, for what its worth.
 
That is an excellent option. You can always get external storage. Remember if you buy a customized mac from the online store it takes forever to deliver on top of the fact that you cannot swap it out at any retail apple store....
 
haha 50 GB? u do realize that my PB 12" has only 60GB Hdd, with Tiger and full iLife/iWork '06 plus at least 20GB in music, plus almost all the Family Guy/ect. episodes...(they are only about 174mb each), with tons of space to spare.... Previous Pro users dealt with much smaller Hdds, even live musicians/videographers....so I vote to just get the factory Hdd (for the upper-end model) and not worry about it, you can always upgrade that part later once higher-capacity and faster drives are released.

Re: Usable Space....I believe the number would be closer to 10GB> for system apps in extreme instances. Imho Garageband and iDvd/iMovie PROJECTS waste tons of space, but if you're doing those, you really just need an external for archiving anyway....

For me, I hope to pick up a 15" loaded one, but FACTORY since it will ship faster, more easily returnable/servicable, (my bro got a custom MB and it took weeks to even fix...) plus there is (imho) negligable difference in Hdd size. Once you start needing over 100GB, u might as well invest in externals... or a desktop
 
sulhaq said:
Sorry. What I meant to say was that Mac OS X + Pre-Installed Software take up about 50gbs of space. I might be wrong it's been a few months since I returned my macbooks but I swear I remember it almost took up around 50gbs when I looked at the hard drive properties.

Also yeah, it says 120gb but actual formatted capacity will be a lot less, so you're losing around 6-10gb there as well.
Click to expand...

:eek:

It certainly does not take up 50GB. Unless you have Garageband + all the accessory packs installed!
 
Yeah, I'll third or fourth or whatever, no way 50GB. Definitely do a clean install and remove all the languages and stuff you don't need to free up some space. But I would go for the stock drive, what is it 160. The 200 will be slower and not worth it in the end. Also I would save the money and go with the 2GB RAM unless you think you really need 3. You can always upgrade it later when it isn't an extra $575 or whatever your discount gets you.
 
You decide you know what you want to store you decide what you need. Stop making people choose for you.
 
pit29 said:
Does the lower rpm on the 200GB translates into a markedly speed loss? I greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions.

Thanks!
Pit
Click to expand...

I've got no idea, but some have argued that the greater data density on the larger drive makes up for the lower RPMs.

so the prudent thing is to wait for Macworlds reviews, which should be up in a few days.

BTW, 3Gb memory? Ti salu.
 
upon receiving my MBP with 80 GB hard drive, all default software installed (garageband- iLife, etc), plus iWork, I still had close to 60 GB left... Mac OS X takes up at most 20 GB in its default configuration
 
here's a question for ya. 120 is defintely enough for my all my software, media, etc. what i'm concerned about is running out of space w/ my windows partition. i plan on keeping it pretty small - around 10 or 15 gigs. if i do need more space for programs though can i run them off an external hard drive?
 
If you are planning to dual boot OSX/Windows or run any pro applications, you'll want to get at least the 120GB HD.

Now that they are out, I'd try to get the 160 GB perpendicular drive if you can swing it and don't mind the BTO shipping delay.

Otherwise, just go for a Western Digital MyBook Pro external 7200 RPM 250 GB drive when you have the chance.
 
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