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.