Switcher needs hardware help

[Lause]

Hi guys,

Im not completely a new mac guy, as I had the black MacBook for 2 month before selling it again (its was computer nr. 3, and didnt have time to use it).

I am going to study in USA for 4,5 month come September (Im from Denmark) and Apple prices are a lot cheaper in USA than Denmark. So I have set my heart out for a MBP 15" i5 (the low end one) for some casual gaming, surfing, movies and school.

First off I think 4GB RAM will suffice, and I can change them myself if I need more. As for HDD I don't know what to do. I'm thinking about just getting stock HDD and then change it to a SDD - But will the guarantee fall if I change it my self? And if I don't wan't to change to SDD what HDD should I get from Apple then?

Then I'm gonna the Anti-Glare screen, as I have a friend that has the Glossy - and he recommends me the AG one.

As for software I'm thinking about getting Office for Mac, so I have the stuff I need. But could I get a better deal by going to a store to pick it up, compared to ordering it online?

Also gonna get the "free" printer and iPod - and Apple Care.

What about a time machine for back-ups? Would that be required?

Think thats it - Thank you so much, in advance, for your help!

 

[Hellhammer]

Upgrading the hard drive does not void you warranty, Apple even provides instructions how to do it. I would just get the stock HD and eventually upgrade to SSD

As for Office for Mac, you can download the trial and try it before buying. Also, give a try for iWork and OpenOffice

 

[Bernard SG]

For backup, Time Machine (software) is integrated to Mac OS X.
If you thought Time Capsule it's not necessary at all for your needs. A value for money third party external HD will suffice. Choose a capacity about 2x the data you expect to have on your MBP.

 

[Lause]

Nice that you can switch the HDD without breaking warranty. Then I'll just get the standard HDD and change it up when I have the money or see a good deal.

Yeah - I was talking about Time Capsule thing, and not Time Machine. I will get a "standard" wired external HDD and do it with that. I guess they are not as pricey as a Capsule. On a side note: What about transferring files from my old PC to mac?

On the screen - I'm not gonna do any video or picture editing, so I'm gonna stick with AG.

 

[Bernard SG]

On a side note: What about transferring files from my old PC to mac?

Mac OS X can read NTFS and read/write FAT32 (restriction being that it can't write files bigger than 4 GB) and also CD/DVD data.
If the amount of data is not too big, I'd use a physical media to transfer.
Otherwise, you need to use a network solution using file-sharing from your PC. I haven't tried it so I can't provide details.