[hkloester]

sorry, im new to all this. I have an old G4 iMac lampshade 1.25Ghz that is only running 256k of Ram. in order to get the current OS working well, i need to upgarde the ram. I can do the easy slot, but the Mac dealer says the "other" slot is an hours work and basically they need to pull the whole mac apart to install the RAM in that internal slot and charge me more than double the ram cost to buy! Could anyhow help wiht a start on "how to go about upgrading" the ram in the 'hard spot'? I'd gladly have a tackle at it before having to consider buying a new imac etc., thanks for your thoughts, cheers

[dowNNshift]

An hour's work is a pretty good quote considering how deep into the iMac that factory memory is.

Consider this, to service your iMac in order to access the factory memory slot you'll need: a custom service stand, new thermal paste, and various Torx drivers. It's not for the faint at heart, nor the non Apple Desktop Certified.

Ask the Authorized Service provider if they'll allow you to provide your own supplied RAM (obviously purchased without their markup), and have them install it for you. If you max out the RAM you'll never have to worry about it again.

If you start hacking at your iMac, be advised that if you break the thermal seal you MUST properly re-apply thermal paste to the mating surfaces. Failure to do so will result in potentially catostrophic overheating.

My advice is to go the Authorized Service Provider route and max your RAM. Shop around, not all Service Providers gouge...

Good luck!

[chipchen]

It shouldn't be "hours"... to ANY Mac shop. I can do it in about 20 minutes. 30 minutes max. 40 if something goes wrong.

If you take it to an Apple Store... they will charge $60 labor flat... problem being you have to buy Apple RAM (and I don't think they sell this speed anymore).

[dowNNshift]

Exactly, a limitation of the Genius Bar at any Apple Store is that they'll only install or support Apple OEM RAM and which in most cases is bloated in price. Hense is why they can get away with a flat 60 dollar fee because of the added profit made from the OEM RAM (plus it doesn't hurt being Apple subsidized).

Service is commonly billed in "hours" as it wouldn't make sense to charge for 42 minutes. Each Service Provider is different -- some places have a 1 hour minimum to cover their costs outside of the actual repair such as documentation or cost of providing additionally required service tools.

Again, not all Service Providers gouge on out-of-warranty repairs -- I encourage you to shop around.