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doubtingtom · Oct 15, 2003, 12:14 PM

So I just received my 12 inch powerbook today and was very excited. I installed a 512 meg chip before I even booted it up for the first time.

But I had lots of problems with the computer. Crashes, software crashing, internet crashing. Finally I was able to install the 10.2.8 update but my computer wouldn't boot. At that point I decided, maybe it is the ram, and took it out, but the computer still wouldn't boot. So I put the ram back in and did a software reinstall. That worked for a while, but then I started having a problems again. After running Apple's Hardware Test, Disk Repair, Permissions repair, I had not luck.

I then revisted the Ram. I took it out, and now things are running fine. I've installed the update and no crashes so far. This got me checking the manual which clearly states that the ram speed should be pc2700. Mine was of course 2100 (like Crucial says they sell).

Does anyone know of why advertisers are saying they are selling 2100 ram for the Powerbook 12 inch rev. B requires 2700 ram and has anyone else had similar problems.

I haven't used my machine enough with the RAM out to definitely conclude it was the Ram causing problems, but just the speed discrepancy has given me pause. Though Apple's Hardware Test (simple test not the extended one) said the Ram was fine.

Any thoughts?

schk · Oct 15, 2003, 12:41 PM

12" PBs do not require PC2700 RAM, but it can be used as it is backwards compatible. The 12" RAM runs at 266Mhz which is what PC2100 is rated at. You may have just got some bad RAM.

stotan · Oct 15, 2003, 01:10 PM

Originally posted by doubtingtom:
Does anyone know of why advertisers are saying they are selling 2100 ram for the Powerbook 12 inch rev. B requires 2700 ram and has anyone else had similar problems.
Any thoughts? [/B]

this is what apple specs say:
http://developer.apple.com/documenta...ion/index.html

there is also detailed specs on all parts of the powerbook 12

Fellow2000 · Oct 15, 2003, 01:25 PM

Originally posted by doubtingtom:
So I just received my 12 inch powerbook today and was very excited. I installed a 512 meg chip before I even booted it up for the first time.

But I had lots of problems with the computer. Crashes, software crashing, internet crashing. Finally I was able to install the 10.2.8 update but my computer wouldn't boot. At that point I decided, maybe it is the ram, and took it out, but the computer still wouldn't boot. So I put the ram back in and did a software reinstall. That worked for a while, but then I started having a problems again. After running Apple's Hardware Test, Disk Repair, Permissions repair, I had not luck.

I then revisted the Ram. I took it out, and now things are running fine. I've installed the update and no crashes so far. This got me checking the manual which clearly states that the ram speed should be pc2700. Mine was of course 2100 (like Crucial says they sell).

Does anyone know of why advertisers are saying they are selling 2100 ram for the Powerbook 12 inch rev. B requires 2700 ram and has anyone else had similar problems.

I haven't used my machine enough with the RAM out to definitely conclude it was the Ram causing problems, but just the speed discrepancy has given me pause. Though Apple's Hardware Test (simple test not the extended one) said the Ram was fine.

Any thoughts?

I am also not sure where you got this information. The 12" powerbook uses pc2100 at 266mhz while the 15' and 17' models use pc2700 at 333mhz.

The RAM you bought is the right kind, you might have just recieved a defective chip or shorted it when you were installing it. Did you make sure that you were static grounded somewhere?

If you cannot get it to work, I would just send it back to crucial as DOA.

doubtingtom · Oct 15, 2003, 05:52 PM

Thanks for the help.

Okay, I guess I will take it back. Unfortunately I didn't get it from Crucial, or my favorite TransIntl. I am in Japan, and got it from a local store.

I got the information from the manual, which details that you need 2700, but from everything else I had read 2100 was what I needed.

Glad to know I wasn't completely going crazy.

chrikenn · 07:39 PM

Hmm... I just opened my "About this Mac" and it says my my "Bus Speed" is "133". Is that correct? Or should it be 266?... I'm on a powerbook g4 12" rev b. 1ghz.

Thanks.

Originally posted by schk:
12" PBs do not require PC2700 RAM, but it can be used as it is backwards compatible. The 12" RAM runs at 266Mhz which is what PC2100 is rated at. You may have just got some bad RAM.

Tariq-1 · Oct 15, 2003, 07:43 PM

Yes, 133 is correct. The Ram is DDR or Double Data Rate so you Double the actual bus speed to get 266.

Tariq

Originally posted by chrikenn:
Hmm... I just opened my "About this Mac" and it says my my "Bus Speed" is "133". Is that correct? Or should it be 266?... I'm on a powerbook g4 12" rev b. 1ghz.

Thanks.