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gotquestions · Dec 19, 2002, 12:16 AM

i am trying to decide whether to get my powerbook through apple or through a reseller like macconnection or macmall. the resellers are offering some pretty sweet deals that are tough to pass up. however immediately i think i should go through apple because the ram is probably higher quality from them. does anyone have any idea what type of ram they are dumping in our brand new powerbooks. info about apple's ram and any reseller's would be great. thanks

starkey · Dec 19, 2002, 12:26 AM

The reason I went thru Apple was for the double your RAM. The powerbook comes with 2x 256 chips, so I'm not sure if you get the free 512 chip from the reseller if you have to buy a 512 chip to have a gig of RAM. At Apple they took out the two 256 chips and put in the two 512s. I was able to goto an Apple store that was in a tax free state so it was worth it. I'm not sure of the kind of RAM but since I got the applecare, and Apple installed I feel pretty confident with it. Good luck.

iDORK · Dec 19, 2002, 01:01 AM

Originally posted by gotquestions:
i am trying to decide whether to get my powerbook through apple or through a reseller like macconnection or macmall. the resellers are offering some pretty sweet deals that are tough to pass up. however immediately i think i should go through apple because the ram is probably higher quality from them. does anyone have any idea what type of ram they are dumping in our brand new powerbooks. info about apple's ram and any reseller's would be great. thanks

I purchased my PowerBook 1Ghz SuperDrive from MacWarehouse with 512MB (2x256MB) and both of them are Hynix. I am not sure if Apple will install the same Hynix SoDIMM with their 1GB SDRAM promotion but my Hynix was factory installed by Apple and not MacWarehouse.

I went ahead and upgraded the 1GB SDRAM myself by purchasing 2x512MB PC133 SODIMM from Samsung and has been running flawlessly.

gotquestions · Dec 19, 2002, 01:40 AM

at this point pretty much every mac reseller i have checked is running the double your ram promotion. they charge the install fee instead of the 40 dollars like apple.

my question is more....is the ram macconnection/macmall/macwarehouse/maczone putting in for their double up programs lower quality than apple's?

if so i will gladly pay the 40 dollars and all the sales tax and stuff to go through apple. but you walk away from things like no sales tax, free printers, free bags, and free extra batteries.

seanyepez · Dec 19, 2002, 01:42 AM

RAM quality really doesn't matter. The RAM they install will function. The RAM that comes with the PowerBook is Samsung PC-133 memory designated "CL3."

seanyepez · Dec 19, 2002, 01:49 AM

All these businesses use good-quality memory in their notebooks. Perhaps I was wrong in saying "RAM quality doesn't matter," but the memory the companies will use is comparable to the stuff Apple is using.

Apple basically buys memory from the lowest bidder be it Samsung or Hynix. It varies from week to week.

drews · Dec 19, 2002, 06:39 PM

I bought a PBSD a couple of weeks ago from the Apple store in the Valley Fair mall and asked for the $40 deal - they told me they didn't have 1GB PowerBooks in stock but I could come back later to top it off to 1GB. I went back to get the upgrade this week but they insisted on charging me an extra $30 to install it - they refused to simply trade my 256MB chips new 512MBs (Apple's policy supposedly). I didn't make a fuss but it doesn't seem quite fair - any thoughts?

Drew

seanyepez · Dec 19, 2002, 06:41 PM

Apple Stores tend to only install RAM and software for you if you buy AppleCare with the machine.

seanyepez · Dec 19, 2002, 06:42 PM

Honestly, you could have installed the chips yourself in about thirty seconds. All you have to do is pop open the keyboard, swap out the memory modules, and give the smaller chips back to the Apple people.

Over Achiever · Dec 19, 2002, 07:32 PM

But if all RAM is the same...

Then why does MemoryX sell Samsumg RAM that claims to draw less power and generate less heat? Isn't that a reason RAM is more expensive?

sydric · Dec 19, 2002, 07:45 PM

Bought the PB G4 1 GHz from MacConnection last month. Came with the free RAM upgrade to 1 GB. They put the 2 256MB RAM chips that they took out of the PB in the box with the computer. I now have 2 extra 256 MB RAM chips. Also, the top side 512 MB that MacConnection installed is Edge Brand.

wilburguy · 09:10 PM

WARNING!
Ordering your new PowerBook from Apple with the extra memory make your computer a "build to order" and therfore not elegible for the 10 day money back return policy.

gotquestions · Dec 20, 2002, 01:07 AM

yeah i guess i am looking for posts like sydric's.

just wanted to know that these resellers are putting in decent ram with all the free memory giveaways going on right now.

edge is obviously a good brand of ram.

all2ofme · Dec 20, 2002, 06:28 AM

Really nice of Macconnection to put the old ones in there with the machine. I want to upgrade a friend's iBook as a favour for some work he's done for me, so that makes a cheap way to do it, considering I'm planning on getting my machine from Macconnection anyway...

Does anyone know if this is standard practice with them?

John123 · Dec 20, 2002, 06:35 AM

The RAM quality is fine. If you can get your machine cheaper online (most of the time, you can, if for no other reason than tax), do it. I did....