Apple System - Need Advice

[CIncyHR]

Im purchasing a new Apple Powerbook G4 and just wanted to get advice on the system-

Powebook G4 (1.67 GHz processor)
15.2" Screen
2 GB RAM (plan on using this for video editing someday, thus the excessive memory)
80 GB Hard Drive (dont need more, I prefer to just use externals)
Super Drive DVD/CD Burner

Any other suggestions for upgrades/downgrades? Also, should i pay $250 for the protection plan? What do you think? Only doubt I have about it is that for $270 less I can get a 1 GB memory chips that only take sup one of the slots, and I could put another chip in the other one later. Anybody have any feedback on that?

Thanks for the help.

Well, ram is cheaper if you buy it yourself. I'd just get less ram and add more later. 1GB is fine for most things. The APP is nice... it's easy to break a laptop.

One thing that is important to think about is the fact that Apple is switching to Intel chips soon. This means that in the future, Applications may not work on your laptop. Or, they may run at reduced speed. If you plan on using this laptop for 1-2 years and then getting a new one, I think you're safe. But, if you plan on using it for much longer than that, you might want to wait. Apple should be coming out w/ the new Intel based laptops within the year, I think.

I agree with JustinHoMi's suggestions on RAM and the Intel switch. Also, regarding the extended warranty, you can buy it any time during the first year, which is when the "standard" warranty is active. Generally though, Apple machines have a much lower failure rate than other computer companies, and most "lemon"-type hardware failures happen right away.

[astroglide]

the ram is likely a waste. buy it aftermarket when you need it. i wouldn't buy the warranty either, but isn't their standard warranty 90 days? pretty weak. the devices seem to hold up fine, but people have MASSIVE problems with the clips holding the lid shut. moreso on powerbooks than ibooks as i understand it. look on ebay and you'll probably see a million things regarding them.

i know 2 people with powerbooks. one has had their latches warranty-replaced like 4 times now from apple and the in-house techs told them it's a rampant problem and accounts for the lion's share of their warranty work. the other one broke too and he bought some kind of $50 3rd-party steel ones on ebay because he had heard that replacing them with factory ones would just mean another eventual failure.

not trying to scare you with this, just relaying what i know. they are only latches for what it's worth, and i would think this would be a top priority for apple in terms of solving the problem on newer models.

afaik the intels aren't due out until "sometime in 2006".

Yeah, I've had to replace latches, and hinges. Both of my Dad's computers had problems (iMac, iBook), which needed extended warranty repair. His iMac had a bad modem, and he dropped the iBook. Things can happen, it just depends on whether you want to risk it or not. I'm guessing you're a gambler /images/graemlins/wink.gif, so maybe it won't be worth it to you.

Rumor has it that Apple may start putting Intel chips in iMacs as early as January, and laptops only a month or two later.

[burningyen]

If you plan on playing poker: VirtualPC and a 2-button scrollwheel mouse.

Hehe yeah. Or if you wait until the Intel Macs arrive, you'll probably be able to run windows applications without emulation. I have a prerelease version of OS X for Intel on my PC, and I actually got pokerstars halfway running.