Taking care of a new MBP

I really want to take care of my new MBP straight from the start especially so that it will still run great in a year from now.

Can anyone help me with ways to keep it running smooth and safe? One thing I was planning to do was save most files on an external hardrive.

I also wonder if I should buy some security for it, or is it not worth bothering with?

Just on a little side note, is the extra cost for the 320GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm worth it and also for the antiglare screen?

 

You may want to sell it to me ... JK.
I will get a plastic cover or at least invisible shield, buy a keyboard cover to avoid wear out, and most important is apple care .
If you need more HDD now, buy it. Otherwise, it doesnt give you much of extra performance.
Are you still ok with the glossy screen? I know MBP screen is very very expensive.

 

Special care is all you need to take care of it and maybe a good carrying case.

You don't need extra protection like hardshells.

 

i will vouch for the invisible shield... i had it on my black macbook a while back and it was scratch and scuff free the entire time i owned it. it's a great way to drive up resale value later on down the road if thats something that interests you.

don't upgrade the hard drive from apple. just get it from newegg and you will save a ton of money and also have an extra laptop hard drive handy. the antiglare screen is your preference only... if you like glossy screens then dont pay the antiglare premium. if the glare will bother you in bright light situations, then go ahead and order the antiglare screen.

 

+1 for the invisible shield. I have one on my iPod Touch, and that thing doesn't have a scratch or knick on it. And that actually gets beat around more, since it's in my pocket compared to a desk or a notebook sleeve. So, that Invisible Shield will most definitely protect it against the scratches and knicks, but not dents.

 

i think it is important to not shake/move the notebook while it is operating. you can get a

i suggest you get the applecare if you want to keep your notebook for well over a year. i know i do.

also if you plan on travelling, invest in a good bag, i use STM fitted large brink bag (for my 17 MBP). you can also get something like pelican water resistant hardshell case for ultimate protection.

also, always keep a backup strategy, i always backup my data after doing a major work. yes, save your data on external harddrive.

i dont think it is worth it to get the matte screen if you dont really need to (work in office building with lots of fluorocent overhead lighting, or work behind a large, well shined glass window).

the matte screen will make you screen dimmer (remember that the 17" MBP uses high-res screen, which need more lighting than lower-res screen)

harder to clean come cleaning time (coz of the bezel)

easier to scratch than glass (pls confirm)

because of the removal of glass panel, the lid will become less rigid.

i personally will just get the standard glossy screen. the matte screen is too much of a compromise at this point.

 

Get the hard drive from an online store like Newegg or Zipzoomfly. Much cheaper than Apple. You should get the antiglare (matte) if you are sensitive to reflections on glossy screens. The older MBPs were structurally better with the matte screen than the newer MBPs.

 

The hard drive greatly increases speed from what i have read. I have increased my RAM from 2gb to 4gb and have not seen that much of a difference.

 

Thank you everyone for you help and good adivce.

Based on your advice I will go or the Matte screen. I will also check out the invisible shield.

The only thing I worry about is keeping it running smoothly later on as I plan to keep it for along time like I do all my computers, the one I am using now has been very cluttered and doesn't function so well and I don't want it to happen to my MBP.

 

Just remember to "baby" your laptop and everything should go fine. Scratches (tiny ones) will happen over time but this happens over every day usage.

 

Nice, well I only have one question left really, regarding buying Apple Care, is there a certain time you must buy and use it within?

 

You must buy it before the initial 1 year warranty expires.

 

also,make sure to buy AC from ebay:you can get it for half of apple's price!

 

Yep, eBay is great!