Upgrading PowerBook RAM

[danny_boy]

Hi,

I've read lots of posts regarding it's worth upgrading the RAM inside the PowerBook. I have also noted the prices of Apple RAM our very expensive.

My questions are can I use third party RAM? I've seen a few threads on this topic, but they have been fairly mixed. My next question is, if I can use third party RAM what are good maufactures to use?

So far Ive looked on CRUCIAL as thats the only RAM manufacture I know. I'm living in the UK so if anyone knows some good websites to by RAM from that would be great.

Many Thanks

Danny

[Brad]

Yes, you can use third-party RAM. People simply advise not to get the dirt-cheap, generic no-name brand because it might not be fully up to spec. Apple's machines are sensitive to the quality of the RAM and can reject it or crash randomly if the RAM isn't good.

Crucial is good. I've used its RAM in my Macs at home and at work without fail.

[kryoxalys]

correct me if I'm wrong, but I've heard that the RAM in powerbooks are in fact Samsung (which you can no doubt buy for less)

[Dorian Gray]

Buying RAM from Apple would be pretty silly. Sticks of RAM don't take on magical properties just because Apple sells it, but they do magically double in price.

As for where to get it in the UK: I bought it from Crucial and had no problems. However, be aware that although Crucial makes high-quality memory, their UK website employs dirty tricks to encourage Apple customers to pay more than they should. Try this: go to Crucial's UK website (http://www.crucial.com/uk) and use their Memory Adviser Tool to show you the options available for the 1.2 GHz G4 iBook (my computer). The 512 MB module costs £60.22 (excluding VAT). Now clear your cookies and manually navigate to the DDR 200-pin SODIMM choices. You will see that the EXACT SAME module now costs a much more reasonable £35.58.

Apple users are statistically more affluent than Windows users (must have missed me on that survey...) so maybe Crucial reckons Apple users won't shop around too much for the lowest price. However, if I had known that Crucial did this, I wouldn't have bought memory from them on principle. As it happened, I didn't trust Crucial's "memory adviser" to pick the right RAM for my computer anyway, so I paid only the lower price (which was twice what it is now!).

[Brad]

Apple users are statistically more affluent than Windows users (must have missed me on that survey...)
...and better educated (http://news.com.com/2100-1040-943519.html?tag=fd_top), among other things.

[danny_boy]

Buying RAM from Apple would be pretty silly. Sticks of RAM don't take on magical properties just because Apple sells it, but they do magically double in price.

As for where to get it in the UK: I bought it from Crucial and had no problems. However, be aware that although Crucial makes high-quality memory, their UK website employs dirty tricks to encourage Apple customers to pay more than they should. Try this: go to Crucial's UK website (http://www.crucial.com/uk) and use their Memory Adviser Tool to show you the options available for the 1.2 GHz G4 iBook (my computer). The 512 MB module costs £60.22 (excluding VAT). Now clear your cookies and manually navigate to the DDR 200-pin SODIMM choices. You will see that the EXACT SAME module now costs a much more reasonable £35.58.

Apple users are statistically more affluent than Windows users (must have missed me on that survey...) so maybe Crucial reckons Apple users won't shop around too much for the lowest price. However, if I had known that Crucial did this, I wouldn't have bought memory from them on principle. As it happened, I didn't trust Crucial's "memory adviser" to pick the right RAM for my computer anyway, so I paid only the lower price (which was twice what it is now!).

Thanx for all your replies. Im gonna head over to CRUCIAL now and try that trick you suggested "Dorian Gray"

Cheers

Danny

[_Ω_]

Trick no worky for me.

[danny_boy]

Hey,

Same here didn't work for me. Althought the price wasn't bad for 512MB RAM. I've now got to decide weather to buy a 1GB RAM dimm or the 512MB Dimm.

Also would anyone be able to tell me if RAM prices are different/chaper in the US as they are in the UK? As im purchasing my PowerBook next month and I'm of to San Francisco in Sept.

Danny