Question about RAM..

[AJ Muni]

hey guys, i just bought my apple ibook in january and made the switch. (THANK GOD, im N-E-V-E-R going back to windows)...i was kinda skeptical when i bought my ibook, cuz i didnt kno much about apple. so i bought the cheapest ibook ( 1.2 ghz, 256 ram, 30gb) but im thinking about now getting a power book. problem is that its kinda expensive, so i thought as an alternative just buying more ram. in your opinion, buying 512 ram to have a total of 768, will i SIGNIFICANTLY notice a change?? as in faster?? thnx guys...

 

[Zman5225]

It would definately make the computer faster. I would opt for the 1gb chip though just so you max out the ram. Better to do it once, instead of twice. If you buy the 512mb now, and later want to upgrade it again then you'd buy the 1gb later. What i'm going to do with my iBook is max the ram, and use it until the new powerbook mactels come out later, in the meantime saving up for it when it does come out. These machines are great though.

Jack

 

[mad jew]

It depends on what you use the iBook for but RAM upgrades are usually the cheapest way to speed up your Mac considerably. I'd get extra RAM over a new PowerBook. 256MB isn't really enough for most OSX uses.

 

[Mechcozmo]

Get the RAM. You will be much happier.

 

[AJ Muni]

cool

thanx for the input guys, i went ahead and ordered the 1gb from crucial for $150 (including shipping). i just wanted to get it faster, i use most apps, mail, itunes etc. but i just hated the "lag" when i had diff apps opened, and the waiting forever seing the icons in the dock bounce. i do eventually want to get a powerbook, but imma try to save up for it. i was thinking of sellin this ibook for $800. u guys think its good price?

 

[wdlove]

thanx for the input guys, i went ahead and ordered the 1gb from crucial for $150 (including shipping). i just wanted to get it faster, i use most apps, mail, itunes etc. but i just hated the "lag" when i had diff apps opened, and the waiting forever seeing the icons in the dock bounce. i do eventually want to get a powerbook, but imma try to save up for it. i was thinking of selling this ibook for $800. u guys think its good price?

I think that you will be very happy with the performance improvement. The 1 GB of RAM will be noticeable. To determine the value of your iBook, eBay is a good place to check current selling prices.

 

[Mechcozmo]

thanx for the input guys, i went ahead and ordered the 1gb from crucial for $150 (including shipping). i just wanted to get it faster, i use most apps, mail, itunes etc. but i just hated the "lag" when i had diff apps opened, and the waiting forever seing the icons in the dock bounce. i do eventually want to get a powerbook, but imma try to save up for it. i was thinking of sellin this ibook for $800. u guys think its good price?

Your iBook will last a while, only thing you may consider would be a hard drive upgrade. But that's down the line.

$800 sounds good... check eBay though.

And the 1GB of RAM will work wonders with speed. Like a new computer, seriously.

 

[AJ Muni]

thanx man

thanx for the feedback guys... ive been seriously considering upgrading my 30 gb HD to something bigger... the only thing is that im kinda scared to do it myself. i saw this page http://www.pbfixit.com/cart/customer/product.php?p=PBF0717 and it doesnt seem that tough.. any1 done it themselves?

 

[Zman5225]

If you're going to slap in a new HD, I'd suggest you at least put in a 5400RPM one vs the 4200RPM one we have in the iBooks now. That'll speed her up plenty! As for difficulty level, i've never done it so I can't comment.

Jack

 

[AJ Muni]

thanks ZMAN...i think imma try it...any1 kno where i can buy the HD ??

 

[Mechcozmo]

thanks ZMAN...i think imma try it...any1 kno where i can buy the HD ??

The iBook is one of the hardest computers to 'operate' on. Unless you want to destroy your Apple warranty, and possibly your iBook, it may be best to buy a hard drive (5400 or 7200 rpm, at least 60GB, 2.5") from a place like NewEgg (Linkety ) and then pay an Apple Store to do it. That way the warranty and iBook stay intact. Because the iBook, the way it works is, you take out almost everything before you can do anything. Very complicated design.

iBooks are complicated laptops, like all Apple products, and their design is nothing less than art. That's why it is so complex.

 

[wdlove]

thanks ZMAN...i think imma try it...any1 kno where i can buy the HD ??

I also would be afraid to open up my iBook. Would only recommend it if you have some technical experience. The Apple Store may not do the installation, but it doesn't hurt to ask. You may have to end up going to an Apple reseller.

 

[AJ Muni]

hmm...imma call apple store right now and see if they would install it..

 

[AJ Muni]

well the "fruity" guy said NO! ....he said that it would void the warranty and that it was impossible to upgrade. he said it was soldiered(dont kno if mispelled) onto the motherboard and it couldnt be replaced...

 

[untamedhysteria]

umm...i've never heard of anyone soldering on a harddrive...he's fus in my opinion.

oh and by the way...i'm a tech.

 

[AJ Muni]

yea he sounded like he was more concerned about his make-up, then my question on the ibook...hey tech have u ever installed an ibook hd?? if so how hard was it....

 

[untamedhysteria]

yes i have...and no it isn't an easy operation since everything is compacted on top of each other. you will really find it easier to just buy an external for storage or boot options...but if you are really wanting to, i took a look at that guide and as long as you follow it through to the T, you won't have an issue *hopefully *....but for you i would recommend taking it to a tech shop that is also apple authorized. That way they will have to cover your warranty if something happens during the process or a little after.

 

[Mechcozmo]

well the "fruity" guy said NO! ....he said that it would void the warranty and that it was impossible to upgrade. he said it was soldiered(dont kno if mispelled) onto the motherboard and it couldnt be replaced...

The technical term for that is 'crap'.

Bring it in to the closest Apple Store. They'll be happy to do it for a service charge.

And I don't recommend attempting it yourself.