Buying macbook at actual Apple Store?

I got mine at an Apple Store using an educational discount. Just present your student ID for that. I had my RAM upgraded to 1 GB in the store - they took it in the back and installed it that day, but I did have to wait about a hour or so because they were busy. (Then I had to wait another hour while they put the RAM in a different MacBook because the first one didn't work, but that's another story!)

I'm not sure whether they would do a hard drive upgrade the same day or not, though I wouldn't imagine that's any more difficult than a RAM upgrade.

Basic recommendation - get there early before they get busy. If they can do it the same day, you might have to wait (or come back in a couple hours to pick it up).

The software that comes pre-installed will take up about 15 GB on your HD, so the larger the HD - the better. It is not hard to upgrade the RAM or the HD. They are both user serviceable parts and changing them will not void your warranty. Look for third party vendors for RAM and HD's, it will be cheaper then buying that stuff from Apple. That's about all I can think to mention right now. I hope this was helpful. ^_^

As for the hard drive, I've got the 80 GB and for normal use it's sufficient for my needs (even with about 12 GB set aside for Windows). However, I have found that I can fill up the drive completely if I import movies from my video camera, since those files can easily take up several GBs for just one movie. I ended up getting a large external drive (on sale) and partitioned it so I could use one part of it for backing up my MacBook drive (always a good idea), and the other part for storing movie files and other files I don't use frequently. That way I have a backup in case my MacBook dies, and I don't have to upgrade to a larger hard drive.

smilezlie-

yes, you might get same day service if you are lucky. apple stores have numerous macbooks in stock and chances are, they will have one that fits your specs (the higher in customization you go i.e. 2GB RAM or 120GB HD, the less they have in store). if unavailable, they will have to order it online which takes well over a week (orders are being delayed due to back-to-schol high demands).

remember that if you get the 80GB HD, only 65GB is available (other 15GB is used up by preinstalled softwares).

upgrading to 80GB hard drive and 1GB RAM is actually pretty cheap through apple. however, if you decide to upgrade to a bigger hard drive or 2GB RAM, you might want to consider purchasing through 3rd party and install it yourself (very easy and user friendly-does not avoid warranty). here is the link where you can purchase the HD/RAM:

http://www.wiredbynature.org/comp/mac/macbook/mods.php#Ram

how much difference does 100GB HD have compare to 80GB? that 20GB difference is about 5,000 songs. i sense that eventhough you confess that your music collection is "medium", i bet you have thousands of songs. remember that music/videos/photos fill up hard drive space rather quickly. so a bigger hard drive is a good upgrade to consider (i highly recommend). but regarding the RAM, 1GB is very ideal for your use.

the free ipod rebate is great for student. but also, consider the $100 printer rebate. if you are unsure, ask them about the printer rebate offer.

hope this helps!

smilezlie-

for the ipod offer, you NEED to purchase the macbook all together. for the printer rebate, you may purchase it later (before the deadline-but ask apple when you visit just to make sure). make sure you make a copy of your UPC code on your macbook case because you will need it for your printer rebate along with your ipod rebate.

http://www.apple.com/promo/ this website tells you the rebate process.

i was also a life long windows user and it only took me an hour to adjust to the new mac operating system. it is a bit awkward at first but you will realize how complicated windows is. your macbook should have about 2 hours of battery life when you first turn it on. programs and softwares are already installed so no need to worry. just turn on the computer, answer a few information questions and voila! and the airport (wireless internet built in macbook-performs well) will pick up nearby signals and you can possibly use neighboring wireless connection if they don't require a password. if there are no signals, you need to invest in a wireless router ($50-$150). instead of purchasing online, visit your local best buy or compusa and ask them about it. they are usually knowledgeble about this subject. it is very easy to install. since the macbook has wireless card built-in (airport) you do not need to connect the ethernet cord to your macbook. it works wirelessly. so basically, all you need is a wireless router. no need to sign up for stuff if you are already a member of a dsl.

so...you open your macbook, turn it on and type in some info, your macbook will ask you to download the new updates which takes maybe 30 minutes? i forget. then, for now (since you do not have the wireless router) you can connect the ethernet cord and you are internet ready! so total of 40-50 minutes? and to get familar with your macbook, it should take you one hour approx. 🙂

when i first joined a month ago, i was also a mac noobie but through this forum, i became well knowledged and it is a great feeling to help out people here because i, myself, had a great experience here.

hope this helps! and good luck!

How do you connect to the internet now? As long as it's not dialup, you should be able to use the same cord.

If you are on a dialup connection, because the MacBook does not have a built in modem, you would need to buy a USB modem seperately. Are you going away to school or staying home? Most colleges and universities have high-speed wired and wireless internet access on campus so if you're going to be living on campus, the modem would be a waste.

EDIT: Just so you know.. an ethernet cable has a connector that looks like an oversized phone cord connector.

Student deal at the moment:

Buy Macbook (or anything other than a mini), get:
Free nano or up to $179 rebate on the iPod of your choice Example: 30gb ends up being ~$90 because you should get the educational price on the iPod (ie $269 for 30gb) as well as the Macbook.
Buy a printer and receive up to a $99 rebate. All must be purchased at the same time. You will be taxed on the whole deal are the rebates are not instant.
Example:
Macbook (middle White), plus 30gb iPod plus nice $100 printer of your choice $1568 + tax. Then, file forms and collect $279 back. Net = $1289 plus original totals worth of tax. It's a nice offer.

hi,
i bought my macbook and ipod at an apple store and it took about an hour to get everything done. That did include getting applecare which i think might take a little more time but look forward to spending 45 minutes to an hour in an apple store.