I would compare apple prices with others. Their RAM isn't always super expensive.

Have checked this: still looking at about $800 for 8GB of third-party here (two 4 GB modules).

this thread is so homoerotic full of 15 inchers and 17 inchers and thickness and RAM...as to all of you thinking 17 inches is unwieldy i roll with a 22 incher IN MAH PANTS

Duly noted.
Now back to bed peypey, dont want you to get detention for sleeping in class.

Edit: btw, didnt the new macbook pro have overheating problems?

They declared this a feature, I think.

Yeah, I used to think Apple overcharged for extra RAM, but I've since found that they stay competitive there. My plan would be to go for the mid-range RAM, then in a year or two upgrade the rest since by then it'll probably cost a quarter what it does now for the RAM. Meanwhile I still need to buy two more GB for my MacBook, and it'll serve me for three more years or so, all the way through my masters degree more than likely. Once I'm done with that and get a real job offer, I think I'll celebrate by buying whatever version of the MacBook Pro they've got by then. I'm crossing my fingers for a 30-inch, 20GHz silver-plated MacBook Pro with five terabytes of RAM and a twenty exabyte hard drive. And a click-wheel instead of a keyboard.

Haven't noticed much heat from the 17" MBP yet, but that could be because I'm used to the massive heat dished out by a 15" PB Ti