I’m pretty happy with my Macbook Pro. But on the day I bought it, I started planning upgrades: I’m a geek, after all.

The first thing on my list- upgrade from the default 2 GB to 4 GB of RAM. That was done about a week after I bought the machine. Second on my list: a larger and faster hard drive. 120 GB of storage on a 5400 RPM drive is nice, but 240 GB at 7200 RPM… that would be just the ticket.

The biggest drives I could find in the right form factor running at 7200 RPM only provide 200 GB of storage. If I’m going to go through the hassle of installing a new hard drive, 80 GB of additional storage just isn’t adequate- double my current storage is the least I’ll make the effort for. I’m still waiting for such a beast to become available, but Fujitsu has just announced pretty much the drive I’m looking for: up to 320 GB of storage spinning at 7200 RPM in a 2.5″ laptop form factor. It is apparently scheduled for release in June of this year.

Do I really need 320 GB, or even 240 GB, of storage? My answer is that I can expand what I store to fill any disk capacity I find in my possession. I’ll see what kind of price Fujitsu puts on their new drives when they finally ship later this year…

If there is one thing that can make me giddy when I’m working on a computer upgrade project, it is a well-designed case or chassis. Well-designed means:

• the pieces slot together with minimal effort
• I can open the box without special tools or fiddly screws
• the edges and corners are nicely turned with no sharp edges
• the paint/finish is clean, smooth, and elegant
• there is more than adequate room for all the necessary cables
• all marks/writing/labels are clear and easily read during assembly and future disassembly
• the chassis as a whole feels massively solid and robust: no wobbles, no crappy plastic-y bits
• lots of spare parts and cables included
• good cooling/heat management design, with space for additional/optional fans where appropriate

My favorite case manufacturer to date has been Antec. Their cases generally meet or exceed all the items on my list of requirements. My most recent full computer chassis from them was the P180: it’s a fantastic case, and I’m very happy with it.

Choosing a hard drive enclosure early this year seemed like a no brainer since I like Antec cases so much. I bought Antec’s MX-1 “actively cooled” enclosure. It looked like typical Antec: well made, easy to open, all screws easily accessible and nicely sized, with excellent cooling. Unfortunately, after just a bit over six months of use it died…rather completely. And finding a replacement wasn’t a picnic…

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