[jasonlustig]

So... I have a 15" PB with 512 mb of ram. It is an excellent machine but I get the feeling that it hits the disk a LOT to deal with the swapfile, which is lowering my battery life by a lot and making it slower. My question is- will adding an additional 512 mb ram (to bring it up to 1 gig) make a noticable difference in battery life and general speed? And if I get the ram, where should I get it from?

Thanks,
Jason

[Eug Wanker]

It could make a huge difference in terms of speed, depending on what you do. It may also make a difference in battery life.

I just get my memory locally. Just look for a name brand PC2700 DDR 200-pin SODIMM (assuming it's a 15" AluBook). However, if you're not sure, try Crucial.com.

[BigZaphod]

I have 1GB in mine and I feel like the same thing is happening. Ever since Tiger it seems like the disk is used a LOT more than it was before and swapping seems to happen far more often. While I'm sure another 512mb would make quite a difference for you, I feel that it still isn't really enough - either that, or something is wrong someplace.

As for getting more, I'd suggest popping the RAM cover off and looking up the same brand and such on froogle or something like that. It's far, far cheaper than what Apple will sell it to you for.

[osxisfun]

if you can afford it go to the 1 gig. i am at 1.5 and it feels great unless i have had dozens of apps open for a few days... then i restart.

[jasonlustig]

I am a relatively new switcher (got my pb a little more than a month ago!), so I can't speak for panther but yes it definitely seems like osx is using the disk a LOT. I can't tell for sure (because the PB doesn't have a disk usage light like most PCs do), but I think i can hear the disk spinning but I am not sure if it is the disk or not.

I don't really have the money to get more than 512 at the moment, and I think that there is a certain amount of diminishing returns from adding more and more memory... so adding 512 will have more of a difference than adding another 512 over that.

I know not to get it from apple - which is why I didn't get it with 1 gig to start with (BTO) - and I don't mind having to order online. It's just that I see all sorts of prices all over the place and am not sure which places have good quality ram while still being relatively inexpensive. My old PC laptop had one bad stick of ram and it totally sucked, I don't want the same thing happening with my PB.

Jason

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by BigZaphod

I have 1GB in mine and I feel like the same thing is happening. Ever since Tiger it seems like the disk is used a LOT more than it was before and swapping seems to happen far more often. While I'm sure another 512mb would make quite a difference for you, I feel that it still isn't really enough - either that, or something is wrong someplace.

I have a 1 GB iBook and a 1.5 GB iMac. I hit the disk more with my iBook, but I find it generally adequate. I think it would be fine if it was just me using it, but both my GF and I have accounts on this machine and usually both accounts have software loaded so that eats up memory quickly.

So yes, 1.5 GB is superior, but 1.5 over 1.0 GB is much less of an improvement than 1.0 GB over 512 MB.

My recommendation is that if you use the PowerBook heavily and you plan to keep the machine a while, go to 1.5 GB if you have the money. If not, then 1.0 is fine. I made the decision to stick with 1.0 just because it's only for light to moderate usage, and I plan on selling the iBook next year anyway, and I'm happy with my decision.

[BigZaphod]

Originally Posted by jasonlustig

I can't tell for sure (because the PB doesn't have a disk usage light like most PCs do), but I think i can hear the disk spinning but I am not sure if it is the disk or not.

I have MenuMeters which puts some icons up in your menu bar. One of the options is a disk activity monitor which is a great way to see if it really is your disk slowing you down.

[ibook_steve]

All of this discussion is irrelevent. As has been discussed and mentioned here *many* times before, you can never have too much memory. It is the easiest upgrade there is. Simply buy as much as you can afford.

Steve

[jasonlustig]

BigZaphod, thanks for pointing that out, I'll have to give it a try.

I know I am going to get the memory - I've known that for a while - the real question is, where is the best place to get it? If I, say, stop in at CompUSA, will I get totally gouged, or are all the best prices online?

Jason

[ibook_steve]

I always point everybody to DealRAM:

http://www.dealram.com

Steve

[Al G]

Originally Posted by jasonlustig

If I, say, stop in at CompUSA, will I get totally gouged
Jason

Yes, you will. Even their sale prices are high and usually involve 27 different mail-in rebates. Plus, I have not heard good things about the RAM they carry in terms of compatibility with Macs.

Dealram is a good place to start, but keep in mind, I believe only vendors who have paid them are on the list. Lots of other reputable places are left out.

I personally prefer a Mac specialist who tests their RAM and guarantees compatibility in a specific machine. This way, if the memory doesn't work (hey, it happens sometimes) you know it's just a bad stick rather than having to figure out whether it conforms to Apple's specs--which over the years have sometimes been sufficiently vague as to cause problems.

Other World Computing (www.macsales.com), and DMS (www.datamem.com) are frequently mentioned. My current favorite is www.transintl.com.

[tomrock]

Try to get a 1-gig stick to take you to 1.5. You won't regret it.

Personally, I'm willing to pay a little more to buy at a store where I can instantly return the ram if it doesn't work. CompUSA might be an okay place. Just compare what online places want and decide if the safety factor is worth it for you.

Take your Powerbook manual with you and show them what you need (the specs are on page 57, I think) and make sure they know it's for a Mac.

It's easy to install.