Macbook Pro Mid 2011 Upgradeable?

Question

I am looking to buy a new macbook pro once Lion comes out and comes on the new macs
But I am wondering if I can install my own hard drive in the current line of MBPs
I ask because Apple made the iMac hard drives in the new line proprietary so that you cant just buy a drive from newegg to replace the stock drive. So I need to know if I have to pay up front for the part, or if I can buy a new HDD offline later on to upgrade my storage capacity

Answer 1

ch0b1ts2600 is dead on.
You'll need a 00 micro phillips head screwdriver (prefereably magnetic) and a compartmentalized plastic container to replace all the screws into the right holes. Also you need to work on something that will catch the small screws, like a sheet or a large matt. They are very tiny.
Here is a dead simple guide.
http://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repair/MacBook-Pro-17-Inch-Unibody-Hard-Drive-Replac ement/3401/1
When you get the drive, use the free Carbon Copy Cloner to clone your internal drive to a blank (first Disk Utility > Erase w/ Security Option Zero, HFS+ Journaled formatted) USB or (better) FireWire 800 drive.
http://www.bombich.com/
You then hold option and boot from the clone, run Disk Utility > Repair Permisisons on both drives and check out the clone, make sure it works.
Then you do the hardware swtich, hold option and boot off the clone and then format the drive like above and reverse clone.
Piece of cake.
As a extra, you should run all of OnyX's maintanence and cleaning aspects too.
http://www.titanium.free.fr/