Buy RAM now or wait? (Macbook)

[Brandhaus]

I have done a search, and read other posts, but they didn't really answer my question. I would rather purchase the Macbook C2D through amazon so I don't have to pay tax, but it seems like RAM prices are so high right now, and I can get it through apple cheaper. I can however wait on the RAM if I have to (would like to eventually upgrade to the 2GB. My question is, should I just purchase it through amazon, and buy ram through someone like crucial. Will Ram prices eventually come back down?

Thanks,

Don

 

[clevin]

well, depends how long you wanna wait and how cheap you can get from apple, I thought you can found <$200 for 2GB ram at newegg.com ?

 

[NYmacAttack]

Even though Apple charges tax if you ever have a warranty problem having apple ram in the machine makes it a lot easier. You will find that they will always blame your problem on third part equipment even if it something as simple as RAM.

 

[CanadaRAM]

Historically, RAM prices will come back down. When? How low? Nobody knows.

RAM pricing for a given type of RAM typically and over the long term follows a "smile" curve. Expensive when first introduced, followed by a rapid drop as competition and supply carch up with demand, a general continuing movement downwards as supply and sales volume reach 'commodity' levels, then a gradual move upwards as the foundries move to new RAM chip types and production capability is scaled back, lastly a sharp increase as production is discontinued and remaining demand outstrips remaining supply (recent examples, EDO and RAMBus).

The current (since mid-August) upward spike in DDR and DDR2 prices I believe is short term, I don't think we are near the terminal upslope on these. We have seen a bit of easing in the DDR2 pricing in the past week or 2.

 

[jessep28]

Historically, RAM prices will come back down. When? How low? Nobody knows.

RAM pricing for a given type of RAM typically and over the long term follows a "smile" curve. Expensive when first introduced, followed by a rapid drop as competition and supply carch up with demand, a general continuing movement downwards as supply and sales volume reach 'commodity' levels, then a gradual move upwards as the foundries move to new RAM chip types and production capability is scaled back, lastly a sharp increase as production is discontinued and remaining demand outstrips remaining supply (recent examples, EDO and RAMBus).

The current (since mid-August) upward spike in DDR and DDR2 prices I believe is short term, I don't think we are near the terminal upslope on these. We have seen a bit of easing in the DDR2 pricing in the past week or 2.

Exactly.

Product Life Cycle (same thing he said, only shorter)


Intro
Growth
Maturity
Decline

 

[macg4]

what are ram prices based on? im guessing supply/demand like everything else