[Ken6800]

Okay guys, I am the proud owner of a new 12" Rev. Combo stock with 256mb of RAM.

For a quickie review, I am very happy with the new machine apart from two problems- firstly, the screen is a tad small for my liking, but I suppose sacrificing portability would be the only alternative with the 15", so eh.

Secondly, there is a stuck red pixel just on the dock which I did not notice upon initial inspection at the store, but I suppose I have to grin and bear it- rubbing does nothing. Ah well, thems the way things are, the store says they can't do anything and that's understandable so... ergh.

Apart from that, the one thing that struck me is the slowdown when running on the stock 256. If I run the background changer utility on a five second change, inevitably the machine gets stuck and I have to reboot. Also, Office 2004 is starting a bit slowly for what is supposed to be the latest and the greatest! I experienced similar problems on my 500Mhz Tibook, and I'm sure you'll agree that this is supposed to be a much faster machine!

Okay, on to my question- regarding RAM, if I were to install another 512 myself and I find out the ram slot is duff or not working, would this constitute an inexperienced person fixing the RAM and, therefore, Apple would not fix the slot, or not? I don't want to take any chances, especially after reading that clear warning in the instruction manual.

Secondly, regarding RAM purchasing, what is the difference between PC2100 and PC2700 DDR333 RAM? Are they interchangable? I'm just wondering, because most SODIMM Ram adverts only state that the RAM is DDR333, and I'm a tad worried about compatibility.

OK thanks for reading, and for others with stock stuck pixels, I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!!

[iREZ]

The new Rev C 12" only takes PC2700, Rev B 12" could take both PC2700 as well as PC2100, but only work at PC2100 speed. As for the RAM upgrade, its a good idea to add a 512 chip to your machine, you'll notice a big jump in speed. I wouldn't have the desktop change in the background while on 256MB, I'm pretty sure thats the reason your PB is acting a little slower then what is expected. Installing RAM is no biggie, just follow the directions and you'll be set, hope this helped.

[Ken6800]

Yeah it does help, thanks! Guess I shall have to make sure any RAM I buy is PC2700 then!

[CubeWannaB]

I did this with my month old 12" rev C. The hardest part about upgrading the ram was working with the mini screws they've got. My "small" screwdriver was still a bit too big and how they're a little worn.

Once I got the extra 512mb in there the machine became noticably faster.

[Ken6800]

I just turned over my PB to have a look. God, they are small aren't they???

Like everything else about this machine I suppose!

Speaking of which, this screen is beginning to get on my nerves. Apart from the fact I keep looking at that stuck pixel and cursing to myself, I think I might have to increase the text size in Safari, I think I'm developing a squint and I'm only 22!

If only it was as easy as the 15" Ti- you just popped up the keyboard to replace the ram.

Still don't understand the difference between PC2700 and PC 2100- surely the DDR333 bit is the important part.

[Fellow2000]

Originally posted by Ken6800:
I just turned over my PB to have a look. God, they are small aren't they???

Like everything else about this machine I suppose!

Speaking of which, this screen is beginning to get on my nerves. Apart from the fact I keep looking at that stuck pixel and cursing to myself, I think I might have to increase the text size in Safari, I think I'm developing a squint and I'm only 22!

If only it was as easy as the 15" Ti- you just popped up the keyboard to replace the ram.

Still don't understand the difference between PC2700 and PC 2100- surely the DDR333 bit is the important part.

DDR333 and pc2700 are the same thing. It is known as Double Data Rate Ram PC2700 at 333mhz. PC2100 runs at 266mhz if I remember correctly. The Rev. B and A 12" powerbooks only ran on PC2100 266mhz ram, but you could still use 2700, it just only went as fast as 2100. So, now the Rev. C's use the same RAM as the rest of the powerbook line. Its faster RAM, that's all that matters.

DDR333mhz is pretty much becoming a standard these days. There are slower speeds and there are faster speeds, but 333 is probably the most common. You shouldn't have a problem finding it at all. When I first got my powerbook, I went to Fry's Electronics. I got a 512mb stick of PC2700 333 for $90 dollars US and a new mini screwdriver for $.30. $90.30 is not a bad price for such a good upgrade in my opinion, especially since Apple charges over twice that.

Most brands of RAM will work fine. I have heard that powerbooks can be picky, but I have no heard it related to any one brand. The one I bought was Samsung I believe and it worked just fine. Apple uses some other generic brand also, its not like they make their own.

As far as replacing the RAM, it is fairly simple. You open the door, slide the RAM in, put down the clip, close the door and you are done. The RAM is a user-accessible bay, meaning that it will not void your warranty if you do it yourself. Voiding your warranty only happens when you have to get inside the case, say when you want to replace a hard drive.

The screen is small, but it is supposed to be. I would even prefer it to be a little smaller. I wouldn't complain about an 11 inch powerbook with 1024x768 resolution at all. Apple is notorious for having poor DPI on their screens. They make them right in the middle so it makes both kinds of people happy, the squinters and the resolution freaks. Other companies such as Dell Computers will sell laptops with SXGA and UXGA screens, allowing for extremely high DPI and resolutions on a small laptop screen. This is one feature I would love if Apple did. I have a 20" Apple Cinema Display that gets the same resolution that my friend gets on his dell laptop with a 15" wide-screen display.

The 12" out of all models does have the highest DPI though. If you want things a little bigger, go with the 15" powerbook. It's not much bigger but I notice it so you might as well. If you want a really low DPI screen where you can really see clearly, check out the 14" iBook. It's screen is 14" but still runs at 1024x768.

Sorry to hear about your stuck pixel, but it does happen. We all have to live with it if we want to enjoy the cheap LCD prices we all pay. But I feel for you. I just sold my Rev. B 12" to upgrade to a Rev. C and getting a screen with stuck or broken pixels is really the only reason that was holding me back. That would bother me to death, especially after spending so much money on it.