[bobmoore]

I'm ready to order a 13-inch Macbook Pro. Should I order a 500 gb 5400 rpm drive, or get the minimum drive available and install a Seagate 7200 rpm drive myself? Guess I'm concerned over the power draw of a 7200 rpm drive. Battery life is important.

[Iago]

I have 5400 in my MacBook Pro which I use for Photoshop, Illustrator, movies, et cetera. No complaints!

[PB PM]

There would be a slight decrease in battery life from the faster drive, but whether or not it would be a significant difference would totally depend on how you use your machine.

[Dorian Gray]

The power consumption of a hard disk in a MacBook Pro is nearly irrelevant, since it's so low compared to the overall power consumption. In any case the 7200 rpm Seagate is particularly efficient, and may even draw less power than an average 5400 rpm drive. I wouldn't worry about any of this. What I would worry about is how much Apple charges for the upgrade compared to buying it online and installing it yourself.

[PB PM]

Considering that Apple doesn't have a 7200 rpm drive option for the 13" model, you have to do it yourself.

[bobmoore]

I'm very comfortable upgrading the computer myself. I replaced the drive in my Black Macbook, and understand the MBP is as easy.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by bobmoore I'm very comfortable upgrading the computer myself. I replaced the drive in my Black Macbook, and understand the MBP is as easy.

It's actually easier than the plastic model. I'm sure you'll be fine.

[zsummers]

We'd need to know a bit about your usage patterns--but if you're performing tasks that would benefit from the faster harddrive, the increase in your productivity may actually offset the (tiny) increase in energy consumption. In other words, the 60 seconds you don't spend watching a spinning rainbow colored beachball will probably save you more power than the difference in drives.

And installation is a breeze on the new MBPs.

/bullshitting.