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Question to Apple buyer's

A

ArtRus

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hi there! Firs of all sorry about my english grammar because i'm from Russia. 🙂

As you know Russia don's have official Apple Store's, only reseller's whom make very very big price. So, MBP'11 15in, low-end model cost about 3300-3700$. It's just crazy.

I have some friends who go to US for work conference and they can buy me MBP'11 for awesome price but i have some questions:

1) Can i buy in Apple Store MBP with custom configure (SSD + hi-res glossy) or this available only for online order?

2) What about SSD? I know it's cool and fast but if i'm install SSD 128 GB i'm lose HDD. How about SSD timelife if use it every day as master disc. I mean i setup all soft, media, games, Windows 7 etc. It's OK or SSD only for system?

Thank you.
 
Hi, I can still understand you comrade!

Apple stores usually only have the standard models in stock, but occasionally a couple of people I know have picked up another popular configuration.

SSDs are very good, wish I had one! You would probably need an external drive as well (unless you spent millions on the 512GB model!). I wouldn't worry to much about any issues, just enjoy the machine!

In a year or so I'm sure we will see more thunderbolt compatible drives which will be really fast. So for now a firewire/USB may have to do.
 
You mean i need use external hdd over usb port? Games, media etc. i need setup in dedicated hdd? Not good for me... How you think can i just use SSD for all tasks every day, i mean gaming, work, bootcamp (ms word etc.)...

How fast apple can make custom configure? Can they apply order over prhone or only online?
 
ArtRus said:
You mean i need use external hdd over usb port? Games, media etc. i need setup in dedicated hdd? Not good for me... How you think can i just use SSD for all tasks every day, i mean gaming, work, bootcamp (ms word etc.)...

How fast apple can make custom configure? Can they apply order over prhone or only online?
Click to expand...

No, that's not quite what I mean. Put your programs on the SSD, but it could fill up quickly. I'd buy an external USB drive for you music/photos/video files (remember to back up).

When thunderbolt hard drives become more common (and cheap) it would be even better!

Phone orders work fine (1-800-MY-APPLE). At the moment a base 15" with 128GB SSD and hi-res glossy ships in 1-3 business days.
 
No, not so good plug in external hdd every time when you need acces to you itunes library.

What you think about boot camp and game installing on ssd? Windows need some tune before using (i'm about ssd timelife).

Maybe just take 500gb 7200 hdd and 8gb ram?
 
the SSD will have a long lifespan, so don't worry about the SSD dying an early death.

And I don't know how easy it is for you to get other tech products in Russia but there is an alternative that gives you the speed of an SSD but also the large storage space of a hard drive. By buying a product like THIS, you can replace the the DVD drive on your macbook pro and put in a hard drive. So you can have both an SSD and a regular hard drive in your computer. Use the SSD for Mac OSX, all applications, and bootcamp. And use the hard drive to store all your documents, pictures, movies, and music.
 
i know about this solution (optibay) but first i loose cd-rom (i don's need it every day but.....) and second i neet find somewhere third party hdd. How about that?

An if i install hdd in otobay how about sleep and wakeup when laptop is close or open?
 
Hello again! )

For now i decided this conf:

MBP'15 2011, 2.2 Ghz, 8 GB RAM (???), Hi-Res Glossy, 128GB Solid State Drive (???). This conf coast 2.599$ + ~200$ TAX

What's mean my question marks?

1) 8 GB memory from apple for 200$ - worth it? May be take 4gb (stock) and upgrade to 8GB by this for only ~ 83$

2) Apple standart SSD - worth it? 100 bucks not big money but I am not haunted by the fact that this is not the fastest drive at the moment. May be take stock HDD (750/500 GB) and just order Vertex 3 for 300$ in the same store.


What you think about this? How fast Newegg deliver in Huston??
 
If it's possible for you to get pieces from a 3rd party, then do so. You'll save some money.

Then ask your friend to run the computer for a couple days in the US with default hardware

Once in Russia install the new RAM and SSD. If somehow something go wrong, you can always keep original hardware, and sell whatever didn't work for you, for (im guessing) even more than you originally paid.

Cheers
 
Hello all. I buy mbp 2011. Take hi-end 15in with apple ssd 128gb, 8gb ram and glossy screen. Machine is awesome especially after 2008 mb air.

My questions:

1) install windows 7 x32, so computer see only 3gb ram. Need install x64. What drivers setup for video card?

2) run bootcamped crisys 2 and fps is very bad. Strange, i see on youtube videos where this game was very playeble. What's reason? Maybe reason is x32 and wrong video drivers?
 
ArtRus said:
Hello all. I buy mbp 2011. Take hi-end 15in with apple ssd 128gb, 8gb ram and glossy screen. Machine is awesome especially after 2008 mb air.

My questions:

1) install windows 7 x32, so computer see only 3gb ram. Need install x64. What drivers setup for video card?

2) run bootcamped crisys 2 and fps is very bad. Strange, i see on youtube videos where this game was very playeble. What's reason? Maybe reason is x32 and wrong video drivers?
Click to expand...
Did you use Bootcamp to start the installation? If so it would have downloaded a package of drivers and offered to save it to a location of your choosing. Running those drivers under Windows 7 will install all the needed drivers automatically.

Regarding the Crysis framerates, you have the base 15" which does not have a high performance video card. So, you can play Crysis but it will be at a lower framerate unless you adjust the quality settings of the game.
 
Fubar1977 said:
because they have no history of suddenly dying for no good reason at all. (sarcasm).
Stick with HDD for now is my advice.
Click to expand...

Not fair on SSDs.
On modern SSDs the average lifespan is loner then a HDD. The problems came with older models. Not saying you cant get a lemon though (Same with HDD).
 
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