[neps]

Hey,

So I bought my Mac Mini at the Soho store in Manhattan. I wanted to bump the ram up to 1G, and the store.apple.com site said this would be $100 additional. The guy working there told me that it would cost $300, so of course I didn't get it at the time. But now I'm wondering what the heck was going on. He showed me the ram module, and it had a $300 dollar sticker, and claimed it was because it was 400MHz ram, that the new 'secret' Mac Minis needed. But now after looking at my mini, and the profiler says 333, I feel like they were trying to either rip me off, or not do the work.

Can people who have bought additional ram for their Minis at the store tell me how much you paid for the extra ram? If they were trying to rip me off, what can I do now? Should I call their manager, should I call a retail complaint line? Do I have something to be pissed about?

Thanks for any advice. And if I'm SOL, can you guys recommend a good dealer for RAM. Thanks.

[mduell]

The salesman was screwing with you, the upgrade should be $100 everywhere.
The silently upgraded Mac minis use the same RAM: DDR400 running at DDR333.

I like to buy from Crucial (link); they want $144 for it, but I'm sure you can sell your 512MB for more than $44.

[Macpilot]

Originally Posted by mduell

The salesman was screwing with you, the upgrade should be $100 everywhere.

Wrong. It is a $300 upgrade at EVERY Apple retail Store.

If you buy a machine off the apple website, you can have it configured with certain configurations that you cannot get at the retail store without going home with extra Ram.

The salesman did not fully explain the following to you, and/or you did not ask.

The mini has ONE RAM SLOT.

The reason the apple store online shows an UPGRADE price of $100 for Ram is because the machine gets sent to YOU with 1 gig of Ram. No Ram has to be removed from the mini because it is "CTO" or configured to order.

At the Apple retail store, the machine already came from the factory with 512 megs of Ram when it shipped to the store. They have to REMOVE that stick, then put in the 1 gig chip, hence the greater price for 1 gig of ram at the retail store. You are buying a mini with 512 already installed, and therefore the store does not away this ram because you already bought it. So essentially, you are paying for 1.5 gigs of Ram that you cannot use. You either keep the removed 512 chip and keep it, or sell it on eBay or give it away.

Apple Store employees are not told to screw or lie with anybody. If you feel you did not get the right story, ask another person there next time.

[yikes600]

^^ What macpilot said. I'd like to add, though, that Apple's prices on RAM— and all accessories for that matter, have always been jacked up. There's no reason to buy it from them unless you don't care about wasting money... it's not like they're selling Apple branded RAM. You can buy the same thing anywhere. I'd recommend OWC for good prices and service. Crucial is very good too, though generally a little more expensive than OWC.

[ghporter]

There's a huge difference between buying a new Mini WITH optional memory and having the memory changed in an Apple Store. What Macpilot said is 100% accurate. When you buy a Mac online, you have it BUILT TO ORDER, which means in this case that they just put in the memory part you specify. There is only one price difference there-the price of the different RAM stick. Having to tear the box open, replace what's there, put it all back together again, and then test the box with the new RAM IS an expensive bit of service because it takes quite a bit of time.

It's ALWAYS better to get the full compliment of memory from the begining rather than upgrade later, particularly with a Mini.

However, in many cases Apple's price for RAM in general is steep-often 70% or more over what you can find it for elsewhere.

[neps]

Hey, I'm okay with being wrong, no big. Macpilot you seem to have taken it a little personally, you don't work for Retail do you? I meant no personal offense.

I guess my issue is this. He didn't explain to me that it was because of that whole process of it not being a BTO machine, he explained that the memory was that expensive because the Mac Mini ram changed with the 1.5gig bump. His words were if it was the 1.42 machine, the ram would be $100 like on Apples website. You see the difference? I can understand the BTO, but it's obvious this guy had no clue.

The thing is too, the RAM was $300 dollars if I bought it, walked out the door and installed it myself, or if they did it. So these mentions of them having to open the box, replace the ram, seal it back up - really isn't what is factored in the cost. Them installing the RAM was 'free'.

[ghporter]

The Apple Store guy does seem to have misled you in addition to everything else. I think Macpilot was detailing the way an Apple Store upgrade is different from choosing an upgrade in ordering a BTO machine. AND he was responding to mduell's assertion that the upgrade should be $100 everywhere, not to you.

[James41]

Changing the ram on a Mac Mini is no big deal. Anyone who doesn't have two hands full of thumbs can do it in less than an hour. Yes, you need the proper tool, you can get it for a couple of bucks at any hardware store.

Apple ram prices are way over priced, you can get a gig chip of quality ram from $85 to $100 bucks, why pay Apples price.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by Macpilot

Wrong. It is a $300 upgrade at EVERY Apple retail Store.

If you buy a machine off the apple website, you can have it configured with certain configurations that you cannot get at the retail store without going home with extra Ram.

The salesman did not fully explain the following to you, and/or you did not ask.

The mini has ONE RAM SLOT.

The reason the apple store online shows an UPGRADE price of $100 for Ram is because the machine gets sent to YOU with 1 gig of Ram. No Ram has to be removed from the mini because it is "CTO" or configured to order.

At the Apple retail store, the machine already came from the factory with 512 megs of Ram when it shipped to the store. They have to REMOVE that stick, then put in the 1 gig chip, hence the greater price for 1 gig of ram at the retail store. You are buying a mini with 512 already installed, and therefore the store does not away this ram because you already bought it. So essentially, you are paying for 1.5 gigs of Ram that you cannot use. You either keep the removed 512 chip and keep it, or sell it on eBay or give it away.

Apple Store employees are not told to screw or lie with anybody. If you feel you did not get the right story, ask another person there next time.

Are you seriously saying that the 512MB stock module is valued at $200?
I'd like to ammend my earlier comment; either the salesman is screwing with you or Apple is screwing with you.

Originally Posted by neps

I guess my issue is this. He didn't explain to me that it was because of that whole process of it not being a BTO machine, he explained that the memory was that expensive because the Mac Mini ram changed with the 1.5gig bump. His words were if it was the 1.42 machine, the ram would be $100 like on Apples website. You see the difference? I can understand the BTO, but it's obvious this guy had no clue.

The thing is too, the RAM was $300 dollars if I bought it, walked out the door and installed it myself, or if they did it. So these mentions of them having to open the box, replace the ram, seal it back up - really isn't what is factored in the cost. Them installing the RAM was 'free'.

$100 to upgrade the RAM (assuming they keep the old 512MB) is reasonable. $300 for a 1GB module is more than double retail. As I said above, someone is screwing with you.

[cindyding0412]

I used to think it easy and cheap to bump the ram up,

but now it seems that I was wrong ...

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by James41

Changing the ram on a Mac Mini is no big deal. Anyone who doesn't have two hands full of thumbs can do it in less than an hour. Yes, you need the proper tool, you can get it for a couple of bucks at any hardware store.

Apple ram prices are way over priced, you can get a gig chip of quality ram from $85 to $100 bucks, why pay Apples price.

I agree with you on almost all of it. But some people are a bit anxious about cracking a case that doesn't just come apart with a few screws, and in particular a case with fairly well hidden catches. Upping the RAM when I order my Mini will be worth the extra $90 (with the student discount) they charge for the 1GB stick as much for the fuss I won't have to go through as the fact that the 1GB of RAM will have Apple's warranty behind it.

I still say it's always better to max out the RAM when you order the computer than to add some later.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I still say it's always better to max out the RAM when you order the computer than to add some later.

Sometimes. On the Mac mini, Apple's memory prices are reasonable. On the other Mac lines, sometimes they're reasonable (less than 110% of retail), sometimes they're not (triple retail).

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mduell

Sometimes. On the Mac mini, Apple's memory prices are reasonable. On the other Mac lines, sometimes they're reasonable (less than 110% of retail), sometimes they're not (triple retail).

Their RAM prices for the Mini have been plummeting; when I started looking at going with 1GB from the factory it cost more than twice what it does now. I haven't been watching other models, but either they're going to be falling too or they're trying to dump a lot of 1GB RAM all of a sudden-and only on the Mini. Otherwise I completely agree with you; Apple seems to charge a "nusiance fee" for RAM upgrades, like they don't want to do them.

[far200]

I found this at the mac store web site for canada......... 1 gig $130 extra.......

Memory
More memory (RAM) increases performance and enables your computer to perform faster and better. Choose additional DDR333 SDRAM options for your Mac mini.
Learn more

512MB DDR333 SDRAM - 1 DIMM
1GB DDR333 SDRAM - 1 DIMM [Add $130]

Just tell the sales person to go to the mac site with you there..........

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Otherwise I completely agree with you; Apple seems to charge a "nusiance fee" for RAM upgrades, like they don't want to do them.

Like $1200 for a 2GB non-ECC PC2-4200 DIMM in the iMac? That's easily triple, if not hextuple, retail.
The additional amount of time to add a memory module (since the 512MB is soldered in) could be significant. About a month ago Dell was complaining that adding the Intel/Centrino and Microsoft/Windows stickers to their laptops added 30 seconds to the 4 minute assembly time. Both Apple and Dell want to squeeze every unit they can out of the companies that build their computers for them.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by mduell

Like $1200 for a 2GB non-ECC PC2-4200 DIMM in the iMac? That's easily triple, if not hextuple, retail.
The additional amount of time to add a memory module (since the 512MB is soldered in) could be significant. About a month ago Dell was complaining that adding the Intel/Centrino and Microsoft/Windows stickers to their laptops added 30 seconds to the 4 minute assembly time. Both Apple and Dell want to squeeze every unit they can out of the companies that build their computers for them.

Considering tear-down, installation, button-up and thorough testing, I figure the "book time" for an iMac memory job should be somewhere around four hours. Most shops charge anywhere from $70-$150 per hour here in South Central Texas, so that's anywhere from $280-$600 right there; figure a median of $400 for a four hour job.

Kingston's KVR533D2N4/2G 2GB RAM part (which matches your specs) costs $744.00 direct. Counting on my fingers and using my labor figures from above, I come up with $1144 before or any other charges.

Where do you find 2GB DDR2 sticks for $200 or $300?

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ghporter

Considering tear-down, installation, button-up and thorough testing, I figure the "book time" for an iMac memory job should be somewhere around four hours. Most shops charge anywhere from $70-$150 per hour here in South Central Texas, so that's anywhere from $280-$600 right there; figure a median of $400 for a four hour job.

Kingston's KVR533D2N4/2G 2GB RAM part (which matches your specs) costs $744.00 direct. Counting on my fingers and using my labor figures from above, I come up with $1144 before or any other charges.

Where do you find 2GB DDR2 sticks for $200 or $300?

I meant putting the extra RAM in during initial assembly, not after the sale.

Newegg has 2GB PC2-4200 non-ECC for $250 and ECC for $300.

[Laurence]

You really shouldn't be thinking about the Apple warrantee as any RAM purchased from Crucial, OWC, etc will likely come with a lifetime warrantee as opposed to Apple's one year warrantee on almost everything. Same thing with HDs... Seagates have a 5 year warrantee and most others have at least a 3 year warrantee. After market components in general always have a better warrantee than Apple's.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Laurence

You really shouldn't be thinking about the Apple warrantee as any RAM purchased from Crucial, OWC, etc will likely come with a lifetime warrantee as opposed to Apple's one year warrantee on almost everything. Same thing with HDs... Seagates have a 5 year warrantee and most others have at least a 3 year warrantee. After market components in general always have a better warrantee than Apple's.

But Apple warrants what they put together to work together. Sometimes things happen that keep aftermarket parts from working with the system you put them in, which gives an Apple warranty a slightly different spin.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by ghporter

But Apple warrants what they put together to work together. Sometimes things happen that keep aftermarket parts from working with the system you put them in, which gives an Apple warranty a slightly different spin.

If you use the memory selector at Crucial.com, Crucial will also gaurentee your Mac and their RAM will work together. Some other stores have similar warranties.