Technology How Much RAM?

[alwaysaangel]

I'm getting my MacBook Pro sometime this month (I hope! I'm waiting for the update) and I'm trying to decide how much RAM I need.

They typically come with 1GB. But its only $158 for 2GB, so I'm thinking maybe I need to splurge but I need the opinion of someone who either already has a MacBook Pro or someone who is just good with computers and what all these numbers mean to help me.

At any given time I will probably have open:

Mozilla (several tabs)
AIM
Skype (with video chat)
Powerpoint (several open with >20 pages each)
Word
itunes playing OR a media player with a downloaded TV show playing
BitTorrent (or Azuereus) downloading said TV shows

So will 1GB suffice to do all this at once smoothly or should I splurge and get the 2GB one?

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[Dr Who]

This is a no brainer! Of course you should get as much memory as you can, the more the better. If you want to future- proof your computer somewhat then try to get more RAM, as programs become more and more memory intensive in the future.
From your description I imagine your are going for the least expensive 15" macbook pro. If I were you I would get the more expensive 15" model. Shelling out $500 more you get a more robust CPU, 2 GB of memory and a graphics card that is TWICE as powerful (256 vs 128) as the one you are looking at. Im not saying $500 is pocket change, but it does give you a much more powerfull machine and extends the productive life of your macbook pro by a considerable margin. Remember, you want a computer that will last you at least for the next 4 years, maybe even more. With this in mind $500 is not such a bad investment.

Now if you want a macbook but already have an old laptop that works ok I would REALLY recommend waiting a bit before you buy. Apple is about to release the new models by this summer. The new macbook pros will probably have new, better CPU's, updated graphics and memory options. I also read in quite a few places that they will switch from an LCD to a LED screen. LED screens are brighter, have better color and consume much less battery power than LCD screens. As you can see this is a major upgrade from the present models. If you have the patience its worth the wait.
I myself bought a 24" imac which I absolutely love, but come summer and Apple rolls out the new models I will probably kick myself for not waiting a few months.

Dr Who

 

[alwaysaangel]

This is a no brainer! Of course you should get as much memory as you can, the more the better. If you want to future- proof your computer somewhat then try to get more RAM, as programs become more and more memory intensive in the future.
From your description I imagine your are going for the least expensive 15" macbook pro. If I were you I would get the more expensive 15" model. Shelling out $500 more you get a more robust CPU, 2 GB of memory and a graphics card that is TWICE as powerful (256 vs 128) as the one you are looking at. Im not saying $500 is pocket change, but it does give you a much more powerfull machine and extends the productive life of your macbook pro by a considerable margin. Remember, you want a computer that will last you at least for the next 4 years, maybe even more. With this in mind $500 is not such a bad investment.

Now if you want a macbook but already have an old laptop that works ok I would REALLY recommend waiting a bit before you buy. Apple is about to release the new models by this summer. The new macbook pros will probably have new, better CPU's, updated graphics and memory options. I also read in quite a few places that they will switch from an LCD to a LED screen. LED screens are brighter, have better color and consume much less battery power than LCD screens. As you can see this is a major upgrade from the present models. If you have the patience its worth the wait.
I myself bought a 24" imac which I absolutely love, but come summer and Apple rolls out the new models I will probably kick myself for not waiting a few months.

Dr Who

Yeah I'm waiting until the Santa Rosa comes out to buy.

The problem with going to the higher end MBP is that I could barely justify myself needing the MacBook Pro over the MacBook. So I'm never going to be able to justify another 500 bump for the faster one. But I'll probably go ahead and splurge on the RAM.

 

[deleted87716]

Get 2 GB. You won't regret it.

 

[MR. C]

I got my MBP with the lowest amount of ram possible (2x256).. then ordered two 1Gb sticks online. Apple overcharges for their ram IMO. And unlike older macs the MBP's ram is easy to access and change.

as far as MBP compared to MB.

I like the keyboard on the MBP better, both the feel of the keys and the back light.
The MBP also has a better graphics card that isnt part of the mother board.. Im not sure if the MB's card is integrated or not, but my old iBook was.. and when the graphics card blew I had to get a new comp.
The case of the MB seems to scratch to easy, and you get the aluminum case for the pro.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I got my MBP with the lowest amount of ram possible (2x256).. then ordered two 1Gb sticks online. Apple overcharges for their ram IMO. And unlike older macs the MBP's ram is easy to access and change.

as far as MBP compared to MB.

I like the keyboard on the MBP better, both the feel of the keys and the back light.
The MBP also has a better graphics card that isnt part of the mother board.. Im not sure if the MB's card is integrated or not, but my old iBook was.. and when the graphics card blew I had to get a new comp.
The case of the MB seems to scratch to easy, and you get the aluminum case for the pro.

Thanks, yeah I think I'm just going to get another GB from NewEgg and have my bf help me install it.

And those are a lot of my reasons for MBP. I like how it looks better, it seems sturdier, its a bigger screen. But ultimately a friend of mine convinced me by pointing out that MB doesn't come with the anti-glare matte finished screen. And I HATE the glossy screens. Especially if I'm going to be staring at the darned thing for hours on end everyday thoughout med school. So I finally justified that $700 but I don't game or do anything complicated enough to justify another jump to the higher end 15".

 

[TMP-SMX]

The RAM upgrade prices from the apple store will go down when they update the laptops. The prices match what the prices were when they were last updated.

The thing is about RAM is that you should keep one of the chips that are sent to you by apple in the original setup to keep your warranty.

 

[Dr Who]

My advice is wait before buying an Apple Laptop until the end of June. All the evidence and rumors seem to point to Apple refreshing their laptop line by the end of June. It might be a faster CPU, more memory, updated graphics... I dont know, just wait. My friend bought a first gen macbook last year with the core duo 1, 80 Gig hard drive and 512 mb of RAM for $1500, only to find out that one month later Apple was selling the same macbook with a core duo2, a 120 Gb hard drive and 1Gb of RAM for the exact same price he paid.

The fact that Apple refreshes their products so often pisses many people off, as it makes their spanking new Apple almost obsolete overnight. If you already have a good enough laptop and patience then I would really suggest waiting until November. That is when Apple will role out their new, totally redisigned Macbooks, MBP's and Imacs. Seems the screens will switch from LCDs to LEDs, which are brighter and consume much less battery power. I imagine that with the new screens come new cases, so why not wait 6 more months. This is of course if you have a perfectly good old laptop to use until then.

 

[tscottturner]

So will 1GB suffice to do all this at once smoothly or should I splurge and get the 2GB one?

You've made a great choice by deciding to get a mac, but unless you just have to have the 15" screen of the pro (or just want to spend the money), the macbook makes much more sense for school. No matter what you get, don't expect it to last more than 3 years - that's the typical lifespan of a notebook computer, especially if you keep your software up to date. There isn't that much of a difference in the speed of the processor, you don't need a video card with 128 mb, much less 256 unless you plan on playing some major video games. The macbook only has 64mb, but I can run OS X AND all of the fancy eye candy in Windows Vista without any problems. As someone else mentioned, don't buy the RAM from Apple, get 2GB from somewhere else online. I hate glossy screens too, but it's not as bad as you might think - certainly not $700 bad. If you do some research on the web, you will see the same thing repeated over and over - the glossy screen on the macbook isn't as bad as everyone thought it was going to be. I've had a 15" Powerbook (and 12") in the past, but my black macbook is a much better combination of size and power.

 

[alwaysaangel]

You've made a great choice by deciding to get a mac, but unless you just have to have the 15" screen of the pro (or just want to spend the money), the macbook makes much more sense for school. No matter what you get, don't expect it to last more than 3 years - that's the typical lifespan of a notebook computer, especially if you keep your software up to date. There isn't that much of a difference in the speed of the processor, you don't need a video card with 128 mb, much less 256 unless you plan on playing some major video games. The macbook only has 64mb, but I can run OS X AND all of the fancy eye candy in Windows Vista without any problems. As someone else mentioned, don't buy the RAM from Apple, get 2GB from somewhere else online. I hate glossy screens too, but it's not as bad as you might think - certainly not $700 bad. If you do some research on the web, you will see the same thing repeated over and over - the glossy screen on the macbook isn't as bad as everyone thought it was going to be. I've had a 15" Powerbook (and 12") in the past, but my black macbook is a much better combination of size and power.

Yeah I would actually prefer the 13" size - but I hate the look of macbooks, the glossy screen gives me a headache, and the keyboard is hard for me to type on. So I'm opting for the MBP, but I think I'm going to get a 1GB for now and upgrade on my own later if I want to.

I know you say the glossy isn't so bad but for me it is, I've played with it on others computers and it really really bothers me. I'm really sensitive to glare and it really does give me a headache so I just can't do it.

But thanks for the tips.