[stenz77]

I bought my wife a 1GB chip for her G4 iBook. I ordered a PC2100 for it, but they sent me a PC2700. When I put it in the iBook, it doesn't recognize it - so I ordered another chip (from another place - Amazon this time), hoping that they send me the correct thing.

Now, I am not sure if the RAM isn't working due to the wrong speed, if the chip is bad, or if I am just not installing it properly.

Assuming that the chip actually works - can any of you tell me if there is any hope that it would work in a G4 800Mhz iMac? My in-laws currently have one of those and I figure I can help them out, or at least try, if that RAM would work in there.

I looked on the Crucial site and it appears that the iMac 800Mhz G4 takes "144pin SO DIMM SDRAM PC133" which doesn't sound terribly compatible with what the iBook RAM is - but the chip photo looks similar.

I figure you guys here are the experts, so this is the best place to ask such a question.

[Ozzpot]

Unless the world of computers has changed in the last few months, I think you'll find iBook RAM to be COMPLETELY DIFFERENT to iMac RAM. Physically half the size for a start.

Buying RAM for Macs is notoriously hard to get right if you don't know what you're doing. The best thing to do is buy from Crucial or some reputable place like that, that lets you choose RAM specifically for your EXACT model of computer. If it is wrong it is their fault, but they know what they're doing.

[stenz77]

Okay - perhaps the image that Crucial had up for the iMac RAM was simply incorrect and that is why it looked similar.

I tried to buy through Crucial, but I live in Bermuda and they gave me a hassle with the billing process. I then went to 18004Memory and while they got my order right in the invoices and whatnot, they didn't send the exact thing I ordered.
I am now trying through Amazon who appears to have a tie in with Viking memory.

So clearly if it is the wrong size, that won't work at all - I can grasp that.

But say if for some theoretical reason the size is correct - how much does the speed of the RAM matter (the difference between PC133 and PC2700)?

[Ozzpot]

I think it does matter in things like iBooks. I had trouble when I upgraded mine to the extent that the RAM type, capacity and speed were all compatible, but it was double sided and not single sided or something stupid like that and it wouldn't work.

It used to be the case with PCs anyway (I used to work in a PC store!) that you could put any speed of RAM in your machine (as long as it was the right type - SD, DDR, etc), but all the RAM would run at the speed of the slowest stick. Even then there were a lot of instances where the motherboard wouldn't put up with this.

I'm afraid Macs are very finicky about RAM, and the only really sure way of buying the right stuff is to get it from Apple, but you have to pay practically double it seems for the same stuff. Crucial really is the best way of doing it. If anyone knows of a more Bermuda-friendly alternative, please tell.

Good luck!! :-)