Ordered Crucial memory

[M. Malone]

Hey all, I have a 12" Powerbook g4 1ghz, with two 256 RAM, I am getting one stick of gig which will take the total to 1280 mb, I'm so excited, but my question is, where the hell can I get it installed, the Apple store said they won't do it. I have installed ram into PCs, but my Powerbook is too precious for me to do it, I might hurt it.

 

[jeremy.king]

If you have done PC installs, you'll find the PB to be even easier.

http://www.info.apple.com/usen/cip/pdf/pbg4/pbg4-12in-mem.pdf

 

[Lord Blackadder]

Look for a Certified Apple Service center in your area, they will install the RAM for a fee.

But you should be able to install it yourself no sweat. Just go slow.

 

[M. Malone]

Thanks for the replies, I also wanted to ask, I hear about "Laptops shutting down due to overheat" can this happen due to the fact that my Powerbook's memory is at its max?

 

[Will Cheyney]

The Apple Store wouldn't do it for you...? How very strange.
As for overheat issues, it would only here perhaps happen if your PowerBook is faulty. Under normal use is shouldn't be possible - so don't worry! I've never heard of any such stories happen in my whole career as a Mac user (i.e. my whole life). Basically, it wont happen

 

[M. Malone]

The Apple Store wouldn't do it for you...? How very strange.
As for overheat issues, it would only here perhaps happen if your PowerBook is faulty. Under normal use is shouldn't be possible - so don't worry! I've never heard of any such stories happen in my whole career as a Mac user (i.e. my whole life). Basically, it wont happen

Thanks for your assurance

and the Apple store I went to said they wouldn't do it, I got 3 of them around my area, I'll call around, I was under the impression none of them would do it.

 

[joecool85]

Thanks for the replies, I also wanted to ask, I hear about "Laptops shutting down due to overheat" can this happen due to the fact that my Powerbook's memory is at its max?

No.

 

[Makosuke]

No.

Seconded. If it overheats, it ain't the RAM's fault (should even run cooler thanks to less disk access).

And I just installed a 512MB stick in one of those--it's very easy so long as you go slow and have a very tiny screwdriver (0?) to open the little door on the bottom with. Shouldn't be that hard to find someone to do it for free/cheap if you're not comortable with that, though--it takes 5 minutes, max.

(By the way, if you're concerned about heat, are you running 10.4? I upgraded one from 10.2 to 10.4, and the fan comes on WAY more now, which results in ti being a lot cooler to the touch... though it never overheated before, either.)

 

[QCassidy352]

I've installed RAM in lots of macs with no trouble, including that exact model, and I'm not at all a tech or even very familiar with hardware modifications. You just lift up the keyboard, unscrew the tiny screws (I did it with a knife point - no screwdriver needed!), put the RAM in at a ~45 degree angle, and press down until it clicks. No sweat!

 

[p0intblank]

I've installed RAM in lots of macs with no trouble, including that exact model, and I'm not at all a tech or even very familiar with hardware modifications. You just lift up the keyboard, unscrew the tiny screws (I did it with a knife point - no screwdriver needed!), put the RAM in at a ~45 degree angle, and press down until it clicks. No sweat!

Life up the keyboard? You install it on the bottom of your PowerBook by removing the battery.

 

[QCassidy352]

Life up the keyboard? You install it on the bottom of your PowerBook by removing the battery.

oh, hehe, well don't I feel silly. I've spent too long with an ibook, I guess!

Yes, you're completely right, of course. On the ibooks you lift up the keyboard to get at the RAM, but powerbooks have those nice solid keyboards so you go in via the battery... Thanks for catching that.

 

[stevietheb]

You might find this guide helpful:

PBFixIt

 

[p0intblank]

oh, hehe, well don't I feel silly. I've spent too long with an ibook, I guess!

Yes, you're completely right, of course. On the ibooks you lift up the keyboard to get at the RAM, but powerbooks have those nice solid keyboards so you go in via the battery... Thanks for catching that.

I didn't know it was different on the iBook... you actually have to remove the keyboard to add the RAM? You'd think it would be easier.

 

[reberto]

I didn't know it was different on the iBook... you actually have to remove the keyboard to add the RAM? You'd think it would be easier.

Yah. Its two tabs and then you take out the airport card (if you have one) unscrew 2 tiny screws and then put the ram in!

 

[Veritas&Equitas]

The Apple Store wouldn't do it for you...? How very strange.

Apple Technicians refuse to install any 3rd party memory; Apple policy.

 

[M. Malone]

thank you guys very much, I really appreciate all your help, it seems easier than I thought

 

[Makosuke]

Life up the keyboard? You install it on the bottom of your PowerBook by removing the battery.

Might want to check again; you install the airport card into the battery compartment (so easy, but man do you have to push hard), but though you should always take the battery out to be safe, you install RAM in that little door in the middle, not the battery compartment.

I kinda prefer the iBook (and old PowerBook) system since it's so easy to flip the keyboard up and there're no screws to loose, but the "attached" keyboard certainly is more solid. (Also, you can fidget with the tabs--fun!)

The guide linked by stevietheb is very good--anybody could handle it with that in front of them.