can I install RAM in my ibook w/o breaking it?

[bluemonkey]

I have a G4 ibook 12" 800mhz with 256 megs of ram and an Airport Extreme card. I will probably be getting a 512 megs of Ram for Christmas to max it out at 640. My question is: can I, a total newbie when it comes to tech/maintenance on computers, install this myself without killing my machine? Next question: how much will CompUSA charge me if I decide to have it done by someone else?

Thanks,
Jason

 

[brap]

My question is: can I, a total newbie when it comes to tech/maintenance on computers, install this myself without killing my machine?

Sure. The directions are, I believe, inside your computer underneath the keyboard. You'll need to lift the kb up, take out the AE card, undo a couple of small screws, and fit the memory. Really not hard to do, although be careful about what screwdriver you use; you really don't want to be rounding those buggers off.

Next question: how much will CompUSA charge me if I decide to have it done by someone else?

Far, far more than they should. DIY.

 

[bluemonkey]

thanks. I'll try to do it myself.
-JF

 

[alywa]

You can do it!

I just installed RAM in my wife's iBook 1Ghz 12". It was a piece of cake.

Instructions are available from apple:

http://www.apple.com/support/ibook/doityourself/

Good luck. You'll be fine!

-alywa

 

[lasuther]

I have the same machine. I installed my own RAM the day I bought it. I've never opened a computer before, but the instructions are clear and very easy.

You can do it.

lasuther

 

[flyfish29]

With the dry air and all this time of year, just beware of static electricity which can read havoc on memory, etc. It should describe what to do in the instructins at apple.com about the static to minimize it.

 

[bluemonkey]

This is all very reassuring, guys. My main concern stems from the fact that the day I got my ibook, I decided to take the keyboard off just for the crap of it, and I seem to have bent it a little while re-seating it as the space bar is a tad higher on the right than it is on the left and the right keys are a little "spongier". Since then, I have been terrified to do anything to it.

-Jason

 

[dsharits]

I think all of the iBook spacebars are a little higher on the right side. I've been hearing a lot about that lately. Mine is, and it has been since I got it three weeks ago.

Daniel

 

[apple4life]

Right side of my iBook spacebar higher too....

The right side of my spacebar is higher too. It sort of bugs me sometimes.... But I didn't know it was a common problem. It'll probably bug me less now, i think....

 

[brap]

The right side of my spacebar is higher too. It sort of bugs me sometimes.... But I didn't know it was a common problem. It'll probably bug me less now, i think....

If you search the Apple support forums for dates around oct-nov 2003 (release of the G4 iBook) you'll find a lot of this discussion. I know, because my old G4-800 had the same issue, don't worry your head

 

[cb911]

just make sure you do get that PDF and read all of the instructions.

i did the RAM on my PowerBook when i got it... and then i re-booted and it didn't recognize it. and this was a 1GB chip as well... but it was all okay, i'd done everything correctly, it was a faulty chip. parts arent' as fragile as you'd think, and from what i remember of installing RAM, you've got to give it a bit of force to get it to slot in. don't be afraid to do that - just apply a firm amount of pressure. you should be fine.

 

[Mechcozmo]

just make sure you do get that PDF and read all of the instructions.

Read em all first. Then read them again. Then as you do it, read the instructions. You really can't mess up that way.

i did the RAM on my PowerBook when i got it... and then i re-booted and it didn't recognize it. and this was a 1GB chip as well... but it was all okay, i'd done everything correctly, it was a faulty chip. parts arent' as fragile as you'd think, and from what i remember of installing RAM, you've got to give it a bit of force to get it to slot in. don't be afraid to do that - just apply a firm amount of pressure. you should be fine.

The iBooks take a bit of force to get the RAM in, don't be afraid. I installed RAM for a buddy of mine and I didn't get it in all the way on the first time. It goes in at an angle. Push hard, like, until it goes in. Then lay it down and clip it in. And if you botch it up the first time, chances are you can just try again. Unless you pressed so hard you ripped the RAM slot off the motherboard... freakin impossible to do, IMO.

 

[California]

Well, be careful because I did rip the Ram holders off the motherboard of my Tibook. Apple happened to be on the phone with me at the time and therefore, they replaced the board for me but -- not without some whining. They knew it should have been a consumer friendly thing to put more ram in and that's why they didn't charge me.

However, I learned my lesson and paid my Apple tech today (talked him down to 15 bucks) to top off the ram in my tibook. Snappy!

 

[Mechcozmo]

Well, be careful because I did rip the Ram holders off the motherboard of my Tibook. Apple happened to be on the phone with me at the time and therefore, they replaced the board for me but -- not without some whining. They knew it should have been a consumer friendly thing to put more ram in and that's why they didn't charge me.

That can't be good....

The iBooks seem pretty sturdy. Also, not a lot of room to leverage yourself to shove the RAM in that hard. It is a user-installable part, so you can't do that much damage, really.