To SSD or not to SSD?

[phantom5251]

I think I've settled on getting the 15 inch MBP. I would definitely like to go high res, but don't necessarily need anti glare. I do a lot for school and work on the computer, so I would think the more screen real estate would be easier on the eyes? But what I was wondering, should I make that my only upgrade in the initial order from Apple? I've heard many say it's better to go that route, rather than pay the Apple tax, and just upgrade one's machine after the fact, i.e. SSD, RAM and the like? Or just take the plunge now? Thanks for the help!

Edit: Forgot to add, am trying to keep it under $2K if possible. Does the 5400 rpm vs. 7200 rpm make a difference in the hard drive as well?

 

[velocityg4]

If you feel you could install the parts yourself and OS X then I say buy the parts aftermarket. It is quite easy to do both.

Those upgrade prices from Apple are pretty high. But no more so than if you had a technician install them and OS X after the purchase.

I would also recommend getting a generic Optibay knockoff through eBay and placing the 500GB hard drive in that. Then a 64GB or 128GB SSD for OS X and applications while using the 500GB for your files. This is assuming you store a lot of data on your computer and don't need to carry an optical drive around with you. You can pickup external slim DVD burners for very little now.

One huge advantage of buying an SSD yourself rather than through Apple is you have control over the drive you are getting. Some SSD's are much faster than others and can max out the SATA II interface in Macbooks.