[fwarhola]

Thinking of buying an iMac 24 inch 3.06 MHz Intel Duo (latest) with 2 GB (1 x 1 GB) and want to self install the 2 x 2 GB Memory chips upgrade to get 4 GB

Finding web site pricing around $129 to $!69 for 2 2GB chips
Using Photoshop alot...
Digital Photography capture

Questions...
This would be non-apple ram...could this cause any potential problems?
Would this self install void some of the purchased AppleCare warranty?
Any suggestions for install problems?
Any pitfalls here?

Thanks..

[imitchellg5]

1) No, but make sure that it has a lifetime warranty just in case.
2) Nope.
3) Nope. Just take your time, and don't be rushed. RAM is pretty easy to install.
4) Nope.

RAM is the best upgrade that you can make to your Mac. It improves overall speed and longevity.

[fwarhola]

thanks for the quick and knowledgeable reply...

F

[mduell]

Two of these and you're good to go.

[chipchen]

I prefer Crucial, name brand stuff. That's here:

Newegg.com - Crucial 4GB (2 x 2GB) 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Laptop Memory - Laptop Memory

But if you're not too worried about that.. there's also this:

Newegg.com - pqi POWER Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 200-Pin DDR2 SO-DIMM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Laptop Memory - Laptop Memory

[ghporter]

I"m with chipchen on choosing name-brand RAM, and particularly with Crucial, since they actually manufacture their own products (as well as the products a lot of other people sell). To me, the relatively small price premium is worth the peace of mind that they'll be around if there's some sort of problem with their product.

Installing the RAM is extremely easy, but as imitchell says, taking your time and being careful is definitely the way to go. Read the instructions first. Read them twice. THEN start the work. My iMac's RAM sockets have proven to be the easiest to seat SO-DIMMs in that I've ever encountered. It's almost a pleasure to physically do this upgrade, and you'll enjoy the improvements it makes.

[Helmling]

I have a related question:

Who's been paying attention to the lifecycle on the iMac? When was the last update and when do we expect another? I'm thinking of buying this year, but I don't know if I should wait. Oh, and does anyone think there's any chance of Blu-Ray drives hitting the iMac line this year?

[ghporter]

The iMac was just updated in May (or was it April?), so it's probably a solid choice for quite a while.

[imitchellg5]

Like Glenn says, they were just updated so it's a great time to buy right now. Blu-Ray drives won't make their way into the iMac line this year, and I'm doubtful that they'll make it into any Mac before January. The next iMac update will probably be this fall or winter, but it should be a fairly substantial update. If you're an average user, you might not care, if you are a processor and graphics intensive user, it might be enough to make you hold off until then (if you can). If you can't, the current iMacs are great, they're pretty powerful for a consumer machine.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Helmling 

I have a related question:

Who's been paying attention to the lifecycle on the iMac? When was the last update and when do we expect another? I'm thinking of buying this year, but I don't know if I should wait. Oh, and does anyone think there's any chance of Blu-Ray drives hitting the iMac line this year?

See my sig.
BluRay has been a possibility for all Mac lines for several years now; Apple would rather push iTMS downloads/rentals so they get a cut.

[Helmling]

Originally Posted by mduell 

See my sig.
BluRay has been a possibility for all Mac lines for several years now; Apple would rather push iTMS downloads/rentals so they get a cut.

LOL...you are an update forecasting machine! Thanks, all!

[Simon]

Expect new iMacs just in time for Xmas shopping. 2.8 GHz Penryns with 6 MB L2 (3.06 GHz X9100 and/or 2.53 GHz quad QX9300 as BTO likely) running on a Cantiga's 1066 MHz FSB. Expect a GPU upgrade and larger disks. No BR.