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Phat Bastard · May 26, 2003, 11:36 PM

I need a definitive answer. Will the 12" Powerbook support (and make use of) a 1 GB DDR SODIMM chip?

If you've installed one, please speak up.

Hozie · May 27, 2003, 01:23 AM

I haven't installed one, but you can be sure that it'll work. Apple officially supports up to 1gb in the RAM-slot, so you shouldn't have a problem with it. This has been covered a number of times before though...

Mohammed Al-Sabah · May 27, 2003, 07:18 AM

i think it will work the 12' pb ... lets hope for the best !

Phat Bastard · May 27, 2003, 11:46 AM

Sure, this has been covered many times before, but never has there be a definitive answer. People have speculated like crazy, saying "there's no reason why it won't work" and things of that nature, but I was hoping that some people have ACTUALLY INSTALLED one, and can say, "yes, this DOES WORK."

Hozie · May 27, 2003, 11:51 AM

Maybe so, but Apple OFFICIALLY supports it. Read the 12" tech doc and you'll see an entry for a maximum of 1024MB of RAM in the external slot. Trust me, it'll work.

CheesePuff · May 27, 2003, 07:40 PM

Originally posted by Phat Bastard:
Sure, this has been covered many times before, but never has there be a definitive answer. People have speculated like crazy, saying "there's no reason why it won't work" and things of that nature, but I was hoping that some people have ACTUALLY INSTALLED one, and can say, "yes, this DOES WORK."

There is... that Japanese web site showed pictures of the RAM chip installed and a screen shot of Mac OS X accepting it.

SOLIDAge · May 27, 2003, 08:02 PM

if someone wants to link me to a place i can get a 1gig chip, i'll do it!

mosch · May 27, 2003, 10:01 PM

Originally posted by solidage:
if someone wants to link me to a place i can get a 1gig chip, i'll do it!

getting one isn't a problem. getting one for anything resembling a sane price is the problem. They're currently in the same price range as 2GB DIMMs.

Phat Bastard · May 27, 2003, 10:35 PM

I spoke with Apple Care today and they said that the tech document has an entry for the 1 GB SO-DIMM because in the future they plan on releasing a 12" that can support the 1 GB chip. According to them, the current 12" models DO NOT support the 1 GB chip.

Personally I don't believe them--they are most likely trying to ensure that I had some ideas about upgrading to the new 12" that officially supports the 1 GB chip in the future. That isn't going to happen...so the issue is still open, even if the documentation has an entry on the chip. It doesn't explicitly say the chip is supported in the current 12 inchers so the jury is still out.

CheesePuff, don't you mean that German site is the one with the screenshot showing the 1 GB chip is supported? It's www.dsp-memory.de. But screenshots can be doctored...I just need someone on this side of the Atlantic to say "yes, I did it."

The pricing is another issue...I have a source for the RAM but I haven't asked them how much the chip is, so all this could be moot!!

MaxPower2k3 · May 27, 2003, 10:55 PM

http://www.dsp-memory.de/1gb/pb1gb.jpg

if that's fake, they did a damn good job on it, since it isnt a screen shot, but an actual photo of the screen -- at an angle, even. to get the pixel grid and angle to line up would be more trouble than it's worth, and would take more skill than i see put into the rest of the site (unless they had someone else do it and paid them in 1GB ram chips

)

atomium · May 27, 2003, 11:44 PM

Originally posted by MaxPower2k3:
http://www.dsp-memory.de/1gb/pb1gb.jpg

if that's fake, they did a damn good job on it, since it isnt a screen shot, but an actual photo of the screen.

Well, don't let that be your determining factor. Take a screenshot of your desktop with System Profiler open. Doctor it in PhotoShop. Set the screenshot as your desktop image. Grab camera. Done deal. In fact, i'd even argue that taking a photo of the screen would help mask any imperfections in the doctoring job.

-atomium

MaxPower2k3 · May 27, 2003, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by atomium:
Well, don't let that be your determining factor. Take a screenshot of your desktop with System Profiler open. Doctor it in PhotoShop. Set the screenshot as your desktop image. Grab camera. Done deal. In fact, i'd even argue that taking a photo of the screen would help mask any imperfections in the doctoring job.

-atomium

ah, true, i didn't think of that.

icruise · May 28, 2003, 02:31 AM

If you don't believe photographic proof, why would you believe some anonymous poster on these forums?

Hozie · May 28, 2003, 07:03 AM

Originally posted by Phat Bastard:
I spoke with Apple Care today and they said that the tech document has an entry for the 1 GB SO-DIMM because in the future they plan on releasing a 12" that can support the 1 GB chip. According to them, the current 12" models DO NOT support the 1 GB chip.

AppleCare wouldn't know what will be coming out or not. It's that simple. The 12" supports 1gig because there's absolutely no reason (either hard-or software-wise) why it shouldn't. In fact, if someone had the guts and the skill to de-solder the base 128mb and put a 256mb stick in its place, it'd probably still be supported. RAM in general is a thorny issue, but in this case (escpecially because Apple has explicitely said that the 12" could support it) it's not.

fldsfslmn · May 28, 2003, 10:43 AM

some people have expressed a worry that the 1 gig chip will create enough heat to make it a non-viable option in 12" powerbooks.

i was thinking about this last night and i couldn't find or remember anything to suggest adding RAM will cause a machine to run hotter. the bottom line is that the 512 mb and 1 gig chips are functionally the same as far as the hardware is concerned. sure the POST can count your RAM when you boot up, but it's not smart enough to question what it sees.

if anything i think 12" powerbooks may run a little cooler with 1 gig of RAM ... give OS X all that extra room to breathe!

not that i'm concerned ... i find my pb12" warm but no hotter than any other laptop.

The Placid Casual · May 28, 2003, 10:58 AM

As soon as the modules drop in price I'm instlling one in my 12" PB...

At the moment they are �750 ($1000?) from Crucial here in the UK...

I like RAM as much as the next guy, but...

Shaddim · May 28, 2003, 11:12 AM

I'm waiting for it to get to $400-500US.

ASIMO · May 28, 2003, 07:08 PM

I shall hold my breath for the $60 one.

That would be cash price, of course, effective a -3% incentive.

ibook_steve · May 28, 2003, 07:38 PM

Originally posted by Phat Bastard:
Sure, this has been covered many times before, but never has there be a definitive answer. People have speculated like crazy, saying "there's no reason why it won't work" and things of that nature, but I was hoping that some people have ACTUALLY INSTALLED one, and can say, "yes, this DOES WORK."

Yes, this DOES WORK.

Steve

superlarry · May 29, 2003, 01:01 AM

be careful if you see a 1 GB powerbook RAM deal out there - there are two up on slashdot that are really 2x512 MB (which wouldn't work on the 12" since there's only one slot)

seanyepez · 07:10 AM

Apple's PowerBook line will probably be updated in late June or the beginning of July, right after their second-quarter employee promotion ends on June 27th. Apple will announce "official" support for 1-gigabyte memory modules then. Apple may take the opportunity to increase the 12-inch PowerBook's amount of on-board memory to 256 megabytes. The option to include a 1-gigabyte memory module in a built-to-order, 12-inch PowerBook will likely be $550, and you can be sure that Apple is looking to heavily market the fact that their portables will offer generous amounts of memory at extremely competitive prices.

The upcoming update will most likely be very comprehensive, and it's likely that a completely iBook will debut out at the same time. Apple will opt to use either a GeForce FX Go 5600 or Mobility RADEON 9600 in its PowerBook like with the 12-inch PowerBook getting the standard model with 32 megabytes of on-chip memory and the 15- and 17-inch PowerBooks getting the "Ultra" or "Pro" model with 64 megabytes of on-chip memory.

Daniel Bayer · May 29, 2003, 02:35 PM

What about my 1GHZ ti??

2GB would be nice.

Daniel Bayer · May 29, 2003, 02:37 PM

What about my 1GHZ ti??

2GB would be nice....Wait...this is DDR were talking about here....ooops!

escher · May 29, 2003, 09:24 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
Apple's PowerBook line will probably be updated in late June or the beginning of July, right after their second-quarter employee promotion ends on June 27th.

Good to see you get back to the rumormonging, seanyepez! I'm waiting for the Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook (or a new iBook, if it's any good) so any news is good news.

Escher

seanyepez · May 30, 2003, 01:16 AM

Originally posted by escher:
Good to see you get back to the rumormonging, seanyepez! I'm waiting for the Rev.B 12-inch PowerBook (or a new iBook, if it's any good) so any news is good news.

Escher

I'm only speculating as to what might happen.

escher · Jun 3, 2003, 01:09 PM

Originally posted by seanyepez:
I'm only speculating as to what might happen.

Alright.

I'm waiting for Rev.B anyway, even in the face of recent price cuts. (I could now get a 12-inch for the low, low, educational price of $1499!)

Escher