Component: Operating System
Analysis: I currently have Mac OS X 10.4, aka Tiger. The current version of OS X is 10.5, called Leopard. As the computer gets older the chance for disk failure becomes more pronounced. As the main hub for media and documents it is vital to keep the data backed up regularly. While the monthly backups through rsync work it would be more convenient to move to Leopard's "Time Machine" application which would include the ability to make iterative backups for modified files. Also, certain applications no longer support upgrades for my current version of OS X as they move to Leopard. There are also a notable number of improvements in Leopard that would make it a beneficial upgrade, such as Spaces, a new Finder (finally) and upgrades to iPhoto and iMovie. As the the next version of OS X will be coming out in September, called Snow Leopard, it may be beneficial to wait; otherwise I would only have the current version for about two months.
Goal: Upgrade to current version to increase OS stability and make my computer compatible with new/updated applications
When: Pending release of Snow Leopard
Budget: $130
Actual Total Cost: TBD
Item: Snow Leopard Mac OS X 10.6
Result: TBD
Component: Memory
Analysis: With two users 1GB of RAM is not really enough. The computer too often presents us with a "beach ball" while it takes time to free up RAM. This slows us down and is annoying.
Goal: Install enough RAM for everyday usage so that no slowdowns are experienced; 2GB should do it.
When: Immediately. No known dependencies.
Budget: $75
Actual Total Cost: $33.65 (cheap! why didn't I do this earlier?)
Item: 1GBx2, 200-pin SODIMM
Result: Success. Works as expected. No slowdowns since install.
Component: Hard Drive
Analysis: With copious quantities of pictures, movies and music our 120GB hard drive is filling up fast. Also, a slightly faster hard drive would be appreciated. However, we still need to keep an eye on power usage and heat generation. Tom's Hardware had a great article about choosing a notebook hard drive recently and I used that as a large part of my research to find a suitable drive. Note: I can't believe how far hard drive prices have fallen. It used to be $1/GB, now it is in the range of 17¢/GB, even for a 2.5" drive. Wow.
Goal: Upgrade hard drive to accommodate for current and potential storage needs. Drive capacity above 250GB recommended but open to larger drives if a good deal is found.
When: Purchased item but install pending release of Snow Leopard for convenience.
Budget: $75
Actual Total Cost: $84.99 (though, perhaps I should have waited until the dependency is met to see if the price would have come down even more)
Item: Toshiba 500GB 5400 RPM 8MB Cache (I admit it might be overkill, and I went over budget)
Result: TBD
Component: Backup Hard Drive
Analysis: I currently have a 500GB external hard drive I assembled from a hard drive and enclosure procured from NewEgg.com but it is currently being used as a backup for my desktop computers. As my desktops hold more information than my laptop it would be convenient to requisition the 500GB for my MacBook which will match it's future drive capacity. This will also afford me to opportunity to replace the exteral hard drive with one more suited for desktop backups, such as a 1TB* hard drive(!). I smile every time I say the word terabyte*.
Goal: Replace current drive with a 1TB* version
When: Immediate
Budget: $150
Actual Total Cost: $99.99 hard drive + $19.99 enclosure = $119.98
Items: Western Digital 1TB* 7200 RPM 32MB Cache installed in a Rosewill 3.5" Black USB 2.0 External Enclosure
Result: Success. Works so well for the price that my brother also ordered one.
That ought to do it. The current total projected cost of the MacBook upgrade project is $375. I will provide an update in September.
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