12" PB HD/Ram buying q.

[SweetCakes]

I hope this is in the right section...

I'm thinking about buying the "new" PB 12" [Yes I'm aware the 12" pb wasn't upgraded and I know the intel switch coming later on. I've decided to get the pb 12" because my pc is dying and I plan to keep this one for two years or so and grab a Rev. B or C pb later.

I also know apple ram is overpriced but am a novice and have no clue what kind to get or where to buy.

If I buy an upgraded hd and ram from apple, do they install it for you? If they do, what are the chances of them accidentally damaging my pb in the process? How difficult is it to install yourself?

If I upgrade the hard drive and ram from elsewhere, will it void the warranty?

Where can I get the specific hd and memory for the "new" 12"?

Thanks in advance.
Katie

 

[CanadaRAM]

Hi Katie

If you order from the Apple Store online, then they will build the components into the machine for you and deliver it ready to rock. This is called a Build to Order (BTO, not to be confused with the 70's Canadian band...). It will extend the delivery time of your order, and BTOs cannot be sent back for refund (check the terms and conditions on Apple's site for details) . You can also do a BTO through an Apple Store retail or an Apple dealer.

The downsides: Apple RAM is Way over priced. You'll get Apple warranty on the RAM and hard drive, one year (three if you buy Applecare), however third party RAM besides being cheaper comes with a lifetime warranty typically, and third party hard drives 3 - 5 years depending on make.

Installing your own RAM is easy and does not void your Apple warranty. Installing your own hard drive in the 12" is not easy, and may void the Apple warranty.

My recommendation is to buy the Powerbook stock, add your own 1 Gb RAM module for the max, 1.25 Gb, and instead of upgrading the internal drive, invest in a Firewire case and a 3.5" IDE "desktop" hard drive to use as backup and as 'overflow' storage for your internal. 80 Gb should be enough for anything you want to travel with, and your external drive could have 160 - 250 Gb of additional space for long term storage.

So the BTO Powerbook from Apple would be US$1849 with 1.25 Gb RAM total and 100 Gb hard drive total

The stock Powerbook is US$1,499, a 1 Gb RAM module from DMS is $144, and a Firewire case and 160 Gb hard drive should be about $155 combined; for US$1,798 -- with 1.25 Gb RAM and 240 Gb of hard drive space total.

Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com

 

[SweetCakes]

Thanks for your informative reply Trevor. I didn't know BTO's couldn't be refunded.. hmm, your suggestion makes more sense in the long run. I was planning on using an external display and so an external hd isn't a problem either. I'm pretty confident about installing ram so I suppose that's ok too. *edit* I'll read up on the warranty before doing so. Appreciate the help!

 

[mashinhead]

check http://www.ramseeker.com