Apple Drops Build-to-Order RAM and Hard Drive Prices, Offers New RAM Options

[Apple...]

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In that case, the more RAM the better?

Only if you actually use the extra memory.

A Mac Pro which is just being used for Mail and Safari will run just as fast on 4GB as it would do on 64GB.

If you're having to ask, you probably don't need more than the standard spec

Ok great, thanks!

 

[hexor]

I just installed 16GB (4GBx4) in my 27" iMac for $213 from OWC and Apple wants $600? Apple makes installing RAM on the iMac fairly easy, please save yourself some money and just buy a screwdriver!

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

I just installed 16GB (4GBx4) in my 27" iMac for $213 from OWC and Apple wants $600? Apple makes installing RAM on the iMac fairly easy, please save yourself some money and just buy a screwdriver!

+1

OWC is great to deal with....

 

[Wokeupinapanic]

1) Yes.
2) Completely and utterly false. The only limitation is your refund would have to be processed by the online store, not a retail store. Otherwise, you certainly can return the product

Actually, you CAN return/exchange CTO machines in retail stores.

 

[briansolomon]

1) Yes.
2) Completely and utterly false. The only limitation is your refund would have to be processed by the online store, not a retail store. Otherwise, you certainly can return the product

He's right. After I upgraded my 06 MacBook to 2 GB and I had to have it replaced they gave me an even better model than what should have replaced the original.

 

[daniel4]

Perhaps you should change "Apple Drops Build-to-Order RAM and Hard Drive Prices, Offers New RAM Options" to "Apple Lowers Build-to-Order RAM and Hard Drive Prices, Offers New RAM Options".

At a glance I thought that Apple was dropping build to order options.

Thanks!

 

[Kebabselector]

Meh. I'll still keep ordering from Crucial.

Same here.

Mac mini upgrades:

UK Apple price for 8gb £240
Real world (Crucial) for 8gb £73

Someone is taking the piss

 

[sim667]

only if you actually use the extra memory.

A mac pro which is just being used for mail and safari will run just as fast on 4gb as it would do on 64gb.

if you're having to ask, you probably don't need more than the standard spec

:d

 

[MacMan86]

Actually, you CAN return/exchange CTO machines in retail stores.

Hmm unless they changed the policy in the few months since I worked at a retail store, this is only in super exceptional circumstances.

A CTO machine has a different model number to the standard off the shelf ones (either starts or ends with a 'Z' - can't remember) and they can't return it though the POS system as it isn't a model that can physically exist in a store's inventory. If the situation really called for it, a manager would make the store take a hit to the value of the new computer, and then I think liase with the online store to sort it out - big headache anyway.

Customer's rarely understood just how completely separate the online store and retail stores are. The online store might as well be Best Buy for the difference it would make

 

[3583582]

Good for them.

 

[iStudentUK]

Customer's rarely understood just how completely separate the online store and retail stores are. The online store might as well be Best Buy for the difference it would make

I agree, but a lot of that is due to the law not Apple policy.

Unless Apple half the price of their RAM they will still be much more expensive than buying it yourself. I've done it to 3 different computers without issue.

 

[TheUndertow]

Harsh there... not all are tech savvy as some of us are. Then there are those like my other half that just feel better if it comes from the factory the way they want it.

The folks I feel for are those that are buying new Mac's and choosing to have Apple install Aperture at $199. Just wonder how Apple is dealing with new customers that get their new systems home and find out about the Mac App Store and see Aperture at $79!!!!

How much is full Logic on the App Store?

Close to pulling the trigger on a few things (new MBP being one of them) and then ultimately Logic and an Apogee I/O A/D converter.

 

[MacMan86]

How much is full Logic on the App Store?

Close to pulling the trigger on a few things (new MBP being one of them) and then ultimately Logic and an Apogee I/O A/D converter.

Neither Logic nor Final Cut are on the Mac App Store. This goes for the full and express versions.

Given that a full installation of Logic is around 47GB, downloading is unlikely to be an option for a while...

 

[Michael73]

I've certainly used OWC for third-party RAM for my MP and it's A LOT cheaper. I added the RAM before I started my own business but now that the MP is my workhorse, I might think twice about using OWC. It has nothing to do with the ease of installation and everything to do with the Apple warranty and the fact they make good on that warranty.

My case in point is that last year I noticed in System Profiler that my machine was reading 11GB of RAM instead of the normal 12GB. I went through the normal channels...called AppleCare then went to the store so they could visually inspect. While the Geniuses were almost certain it was the Apple installed RAM and not the riser card, since I was still under AppleCare, they replaced both original stock 1GB RAM sticks AND the riser card. Total cost to me $0 (actually just the AppleCare I bought back in 2008 and paid only 1/2 price for when CompUSA was liquidating), if I hadn't had AC, over $700 according to the store.

Looking back, I thank my lucky stars it was the Apple installed RAM and not the OWC stuff.

 

[MacMan86]

I've certainly used OWC for third-party RAM for my MP and it's A LOT cheaper. I added the RAM before I started my own business but now that the MP is my workhorse, I might think twice about using OWC. It has nothing to do with the ease of installation and everything to do with the Apple warranty and the fact they make good on that warranty.

My case in point is that last year I noticed in System Profiler that my machine was reading 11GB of RAM instead of the normal 12GB. I went through the normal channels...called AppleCare then went to the store so they could visually inspect. While the Geniuses were almost certain it was the Apple installed RAM and not the riser card, since I was still under AppleCare, they replaced both original stock 1GB RAM sticks AND the riser card. Total cost to me $0 (actually just the AppleCare I bought back in 2008 and paid only 1/2 price for when CompUSA was liquidating), if I hadn't had AC, over $700 according to the store.

Looking back, I thank my lucky stars it was the Apple installed RAM and not the OWC stuff.

This is a misconception. Had you brought in the Mac Pro filled with OWC RAM for the same problem, the Geniuses would have booked it in, temporarily removed the OWC RAM and replaced it with known good Apple sourced RAM. They would have tested to see if the problem occurred, replacing the riser card if it did. If it didn't they would have given it back to you at no charge and told you to contact OWC and to use their warranty. If you had bought the RAM from Crucial for instance, it would have been covered by their lifetime warranty - far better than the 3 years with AppleCare.

I used to be a Genius and I know this to be the case. Apple actively encourage people to buy third party RAM - it poses no warranty issues

 

[camholder]

Many people can't install RAM. Yes many people are truely incompentnet with screw drivers and don't even own one. They would have to pay $100 to have the $80 RAM installed.

What nonsense! If it's been built anyway or still at the distribution centre it takes 5min to swap out by someone who doesn't need much more than minimum wage.

The only word for Apple's RAM and HDD pricing policy is extortion.

 

[John.B]

Neither Logic nor Final Cut are on the Mac App Store. This goes for the full and express versions.

Given that a full installation of Logic is around 47GB, downloading is unlikely to be an option for a while...

Agreed.

Though it would be nice if they would start selling Logic and Final Cut on a memory stick, like they now do with OSX for the MBA.

I've certainly used OWC for third-party RAM for my MP and it's A LOT cheaper. I added the RAM before I started my own business but now that the MP is my workhorse, I might think twice about using OWC. It has nothing to do with the ease of installation and everything to do with the Apple warranty and the fact they make good on that warranty.

My case in point is that last year I noticed in System Profiler that my machine was reading 11GB of RAM instead of the normal 12GB. I went through the normal channels...called AppleCare then went to the store so they could visually inspect. While the Geniuses were almost certain it was the Apple installed RAM and not the riser card, since I was still under AppleCare, they replaced both original stock 1GB RAM sticks AND the riser card. Total cost to me $0 (actually just the AppleCare I bought back in 2008 and paid only 1/2 price for when CompUSA was liquidating), if I hadn't had AC, over $700 according to the store.

Looking back, I thank my lucky stars it was the Apple installed RAM and not the OWC stuff.

If you keep the old Apple memory, you can just put it back in before you return the Mac for service... It's not like you are going to get much trade-in value for it anyway.

The only word for Apple's RAM and HDD pricing policy is extortion.

Extortion is a pretty strong word, considering that nobody is making you buy it. According to the latest iFixIt.com teardown, it's still fairly easy to replace memory and hard drives on the new MBPs.


Edit: From the iFixIt.com teardown of the Early 2011 MBP:

The lower case is secured by ten Phillips #00 screws. There are no pentalobe screws since Apple still considers the RAM and hard drive to be user-replaceable.

With the ten #00 screws removed from the bottom of the case:

 

[drummingcraig]

The memory is certainly still spendy, but $50 for a 320GB=>500GB HD upgrade seems like a decent deal. Especially for the non-tech savvy.

 

[daniel4]

Apple uses Tier 1 direct manufactured memory which is supposed to have superior reliability compared to 2nd Tier memory resold under different names.

Just search for "RAM Kernel Panic" on Google and you can see why they're so picky.

 

[CopperX]

Apple uses Tier 1 direct manufactured memory which is supposed to have superior reliability compared to 2nd Tier memory resold under different names.

Just search for "RAM Kernel Panic" on Google and you can see why they're so picky.

Well ... if they are SO PICKY why don't they use ECC memory and get rid of 99.99% of RAM problems?

 

[ruftytufty]

Apple uses Tier 1 direct manufactured memory which is supposed to have superior reliability compared to 2nd Tier memory resold under different names.

Just search for "RAM Kernel Panic" on Google and you can see why they're so picky.

Not to start a whole discussion on memory quality, rather trying to head this one off ...

Apple does use top-quality memory, from mfrs like Micron, Samsung, Nanya, and Hynix.

And ... 3rd party memory does vary in quality, but one can get top-quality memory - just as good as what Apple uses - by going to a known-reliable brand or supplier, for a fraction of the cost of Apple-supplied RAM. Crucial has a very good reputation as such, using mostly, perhaps entirely, Micron memory. OWC has a good reputation. There are also other good brands and suppliers. That's why other posters in this thread are so vocal about Apple's prices being so high. Look at reviews for the memory/supplier before you buy (newegg is a great source for reviews of stuff like this). The differences between requirements for Mac vs. PC memory are much smaller (if any?) since the switch to Intel processors, since the motherboards are pretty much the same when it comes to memory access.

The gold standard to find out whether the memory you purchased is top quality is whether memtest (or GUI version Rember) will run without producing any errors at all. 1st tier should pass, 2nd tier probably won't.

E.g. I used to like memory supplied by Data Memory systems - good price and quality. But, about 5 yrs ago, I bought memory from them for a PowerMac G5 that failed memtest. A replacement batch failed also. Returned it for a refund, bought Crucial, and it passed memtest no problems.

memtest is harder on memory than anything else you are likely to do (i.e. you might run a system for years w/no problems using memory that produces errors under memtest).

There are lots of threads about all of this elsewhere - Google/Yahoo/Bing are your friends.

 

[John.B]

Well ... if they are SO PICKY why don't they use ECC memory and get rid of 99.99% of RAM problems?

There is no reason to use ECC RAM if it's not needed (it's mostly for workstation or server applications, think Mac Pro not MBP).

The problem with picky memory tends to be in the timings they do or don't support. That can be true for ECC memory as well.

 

[karohan]

They're still way too expensive.

 

[gnasher729]

What nonsense! If it's been built anyway or still at the distribution centre it takes 5min to swap out by someone who doesn't need much more than minimum wage.

The only word for Apple's RAM and HDD pricing policy is extortion.

What a nonsense. Every single computer manufacturer will charge you the same for extra memory, or extra storage. They charge the actual cost of the item, plus some generous markup to make profit. And everybody knows it.

Nobody forces you in any way to buy the RAM from Apple. Any healthy person can install it themselves very easily. And I would bet that if you have a physical or mental handicap that makes it impossible for you to install memory yourself, some Apple genius would do it for you for free.

Expensive != extortion.

 

[MacMan86]

What a nonsense. Every single computer manufacturer will charge you the same for extra memory, or extra storage. They charge the actual cost of the item, plus some generous markup to make profit. And everybody knows it.

Nobody forces you in any way to buy the RAM from Apple. Any healthy person can install it themselves very easily. And I would bet that if you have a physical or mental handicap that makes it impossible for you to install memory yourself, some Apple genius would do it for you for free.

Expensive != extortion.

An Apple Genius would never install 3rd party RAM for a customer, for free or for money. They are only allowed to install Apple RAM for one very simple reason. If the Genius makes a meal of the RAM install and breaks it, the store can write it off and they can get a new batch from their storeroom. If the Genius breaks your 3rd party RAM, they can't replace it and neither can you under the warranty of the 3rd party supplier as it's accidental damage.

That's Apple's policy