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> How do people insure that their photos are not a victim of a HD breakdown?

> If buying new, are there any cheaper alternatives to Applecare and
which store has the best prices? (It seems to be fairly cutthroat).

I bought mine on eBay, from a high-feedback-rated high-volume seller,
using PayPal for protection against a bogus license. Savings vary. No
sales tax.

> The number of models out there makes things extremely confusing. I'm
also not clear: Are the original Apple drives always slow? So a 7200
RPM is the way to go?

I replaced my internal 250GB 4200RPM drive with a 320GB 7200RPM from
OWC, following their installation directions. I bought it in a bundle
with a portable USB enclosure, and cloned my old drive to the new one
after deactivating my Adobe applications. I'm not sure if I get the
full advantage of the faster drive, because I didn't test the
performance before the switch, so I don't have anything to compare
with the new drive. The increased capacity is a good reason, major
speed increase or not, and the utility of a small portable external
drive is a close second. Now, 500GB 7200RPM internal drives are
available for somewhat less than their initial price.

4GB RAM is the least to consider, and it's adequate for most work.
More RAM usually boosts performance more noticeably than faster
drives.

> I feel like I'm studying for an engineering degree every time I buy
something....

Until machines truly think, that's how it is<G>.

> I'm in California, so buying here adds 10% to my bill.

Some online vendors charge sales tax to some or all states, some do
not tax sales to some states, or all states. Some ship free, some
bundle AppleCare with a bit of a discount.

HTH

Regards,

Peter
_______________________
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

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