I expect you've probably already done this, but try installing

It's now out of warrenty and apprently the RRS problem only really surfaces on somewhat older equipment anyway.  I've been wondering about perhaps buying a second hand system and replacing the hardrive with my one. Would that work?

I'm in a horrible dilema about it... On one hand I'm furious at Apple because I've effectively paid a lot of money for a system that's now useless, out of warrenty and going to cost £400 to fix (a fix that might not even work). However, on the other hand I couldn't go back to owning a PC with all the visuses, spyware terrible OS and crashing etc.  If anyone happens to be selling a MacbookPro for a decent price, I'd love to take it off their hands

It should work as long as the MacBook you buy is similar to yours. Some of the hardware changed from generation to generation.

As for the MacBook Pro, if/when you can afford it, get it! It'll be one of the best computers you've ever owned. I've had two now, as my first one was a lemon (bought it not long after they had first come out), and I had a million and one problems with it, persisting from a few months after I got it. Apple replaced it with my current one outside of warranty, but only because they admitted that the number of issues I'd had were way beyond what you would expect from a relatively recent computer and that they'd first began before the warranty expired (even though it had already been in for service several times). The one I've got now is absolutely fantastic - best computer I've ever had...

I mentioned it to a friend earlier this evening and he recommended that because nearly all the work I do is in my living room, I should just buy a Mac Mini, hook it up to my AV setup and get a wireless mouseand keyboard.  I half agree with it actually, seeing as it's the same spec as a basic Macbook and I don't really have the use for a laptop now that I once did.  My laptop use was mainly on trains and taking to uni, and even if I go home, I suspect that it's quite easy to pack a Mini in a suitacase and hook it up to a spare computer monitor and mouse lying in the office.

My main concern would be that I use a projector but then if I use a computer for 5 hours per night and a bit ovre over the weekend, that's about 40 hours per week = about 2100 hours per year. At that rate (and because my bulb is 4000 hours) it works out at about a new £200 bulb every two years.  In 5 years (the break eevn cost) I'd have loads of cash and almost certainly be wanting a new system anyway.

As they say, I think I need to think about it over the next few days

Would I expect anything else😁

Are the Macbook and the Macbook Pro you're comparing both current, as similar spec as you can get, models??

BTW - young fellow me lad, you seem to have stopped PM'ing me about your music - I still play your last EP in my car (albeit a lowly Ford Focus without B&O sound system)

I think thats their point - from a hardware point of view you can buy pretty much the same horsepower for a lot less with a Macbook - with a Macbook Pro you get a larger screen with a higher resolution  - the question being what do you need you notebook for - to do what you need to do or to impress other Macites?