15 PB Speedwise: +512MB RAM OR 5400RPM HD???

sonofsylvanus

Since I have the opportunity to replace my faulty notebook, I thought I'd ask:



All other things being equal, what would make my 1.25GHz 15 PB run faster? An extra 512MB of RAM or a 5400RPM HD? I would be using it to simultaneously have open iTunes, a few windows in IE, MS Word, Preview , Konfabulator and Quicktime and be actively using a couple of them at any one time.



Is there an obvious answer? Some Techie explain it to me please?







</off subject> Godammit. Neone else get key flex underneath their "k" and "i" keys?

towel

More RAM. OSX loves RAM. The more you have, the more stuff gets cached, and the faster the whole system feels. Especially when using many apps. A faster (RPM) hard drive will have a less universal speeding effect (best for large files, I suppose), and will negatively impact heat and battery life.

pensieve

You don't deserve a 15" powerbook if you are going to use IE on it.



That said, for your tasks, I'd say the ram is more important. Unfortunately, having to decide between the two is a tough decision. You'll definitely need the ram, but if you want to get a 5400rpm drive, you should get it when you order it. But I'd still get the RAM.





And trash IE with all due haste. Seriously.

sonofsylvanus

Quote:

Originally posted by penseive

You don't deserve a 15" powerbook if you are going to use IE on it.

Piss off!

I only use IE cos I am on a University network and it is more easily compatible with everything. I don't see Safari as being anything amazing anyway. Though I will expaeriment with it further when I get the chance.



Thanks for your responses.

markiv

Go for a RAM upgrade, that would make OS X feel much lighter. As for hard drives upgrade why settle for 5400 rpm when you can go for 7200 rpm. Just my 2 cents.