That Apple rep was what we like to call "incompetent". BTW I would go with crucial, fast delivery, great prices.
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Expensive Apple RAM - Is it worth it?
- Thread starter cmcbridejr
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That Apple rep was what we like to call "incompetent". BTW I would go with crucial, fast delivery, great prices.
Btw, if you're going to get Kingston Branded RAM i would recommend paying a few extra dollars to avoid the ValueRAM series. Although they are mac compatible they are known to have quality control issues, i had to have my RAM swapped out 3 times before getting a good pair, but they are a good price thought, 30 bucks for 2 GB of RAM at my local retailer.
In a word NO, do not buy Apple ram, I concur with everybody else, Crucial ram, or any other third party is the way to go, it does not void any warranty.
It does however, save you well over half the cash. Buy Smart.
It does however, save you well over half the cash. Buy Smart.
OWC FTW
Quick shipping, great prices - As much as I'm really into Apple right now (recent switcher), they price gouge you on the RAM and hard drive upgrades....
-Bryan
Quick shipping, great prices - As much as I'm really into Apple right now (recent switcher), they price gouge you on the RAM and hard drive upgrades....
-Bryan
That is a generalization that many MR members would refute.
What is the basis for this comment?
Not so, not so. I had very fast turnaround when I had to send back a module. And, in the end, I don't even think it was a bad stick, I think it was just a tight fit that didn't seat all the way. I always use OWC.
Reseller Ratings - Regarding POST *RMA* SERVICE
1/29/08 10:11 AM
I've been a loyal OWC customer for many years, and have always had great SALES service, so it was surprising to find out that their customer support for POST SALES was so poor. I mean really bad, like I don't ever want to order from them again bad. It's a shame too, since they're one of the few Mac-centric computer parts providers.
So I tried to save a little on an empty dual-bay firewire enclosure, and went for a unit with *COSMETIC DAMAGE*, as it was detailed on the site. A scratch here or there seemed okay, and it's saving me $50, so why not. The unit arrived, has MUCH more then just cosmetic problems (broken fan, crushed firewire port etc.) so I requested a replacement. After dealing with this for over 2 MONTHS, only now am I finally getting a refund for just the enclosure (minus shipping) back to my card.
The quick breakdown down is this - enclosure damaged, contacted support, slow response via email, sent unit back via pre-paid UPS, unit "repaired", received again in exact same condition, sent back again on my own dime, was told no more units in stock to replace it, offered full refund, received store credit minus the shipping, called & emailed and just now was told by Morgan Gray x164 that he'd have accounting process a full refund inc. shipping.
So the gist is - email support almost non-existent. Good luck receiving ANY response in a timely manner. Phone support is very slow with wait times for me clocking in @ 30-40mins. That's for POST SALES. Regular sales and shipping is good, and the products are all high quality. Just don't export support for them.
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I'm not generalizing OWC, I'm just going by the numbers of all the service reviews.
Not even close to true... Apple technicians are not fussed in the slightest where you get your RAM.
To clean the other point up, RAM in every machine but the Mac mini is user upgradeable and does not void any warranty or AppleCare agreements. Just like hard disks in the MacBook and the Mac Pro. You can change them with any kind you like!
It's actually illegal to void warranty if a user installs 3rd party memory/hardware on an apple.
The more users avoid Apple's shameful RAM prices the better. If you seriously need to pay 500% mark-up, simply buy from somewhere else then give the difference to a charity of your choice. Apple's policy will change, eventually, when they realise that their greed is evident to all, and that nobody is falling for it any more.
OK, we have done this debate before.
I would prefer you do not copy and paste some anonymous person's feedback from resellerratings AS IF it were your experience, nor state unequivocably that a reseller has bad support.
If you look at the overall reviews, there was one bad resellerratings report in the past 6 months (the one you quoted). And that was not for RAM, it was for an exceptional product. Yes, OWC messed up that customer's order and took 2 months to sort it out. Their average since then is in the 80% range.
It is inaccurate and IMO irresponsible of you to suggest that OWC has bad support for their RAM (this is a RAM thread)
I say again - have you any basis at all in reality for the statement you made?
I offer this for other members' consideration. This poster has 12 posts since joining MR. 7 of them have been props to MemoryAmerica, and two have them have been slams on OWC.
No, this is only true for the MacBook Pro. To access the RAM on the MacBook Pros you have to take the case apart, voiding your warranty. Since the RAM in the MacBook, iMac, and Mac Pro can be reached without the case being taken apart, it doesn't void the warranty.
I'm sorry, Ianer - I know you're new to MR and all, but have you ever seen a MacBook Pro? Did you look at the link provided to the Apple "how to install memory yourself" instructions?
Please, check your facts before embarrassing yourself.
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Why does Apple even bother selling RAM? I know of not one person who has ever bought RAM from Apple. GEEZ, you would think they would quit offering something at such a ridiculous price...excuse me... INSANELY STUPID price!
Buying overpriced memory makes sense in two main cases:
(i) You are, or trying to pretend you are, Bill Gates.
(ii) You are on a timed budged that is about to expire for the given fiscal year. When you need to spend money within a limited time in a "use it or lose it" situation, overpriced things suddenly make sense and, moreover, are a blessing.
Buying overpriced memory in any other case is a waste of money.
(i) You are, or trying to pretend you are, Bill Gates.
(ii) You are on a timed budged that is about to expire for the given fiscal year. When you need to spend money within a limited time in a "use it or lose it" situation, overpriced things suddenly make sense and, moreover, are a blessing.
Buying overpriced memory in any other case is a waste of money.
There are a lot of stories from people here who were told by apple store employees that upgrading the ram yourself will void your warranty. There are plenty of apple reps who will lie to you just to make a sale.
Don't buy Apple RAM but don't buy discount RAM either. Crucial, Samsung, Hynix, and Micron are all solid brands which don't cost near to Apple's prices. In fact, Apple uses Hynix, Samsung, and Micron RAM themselves.
That said, not all RAM is created equal, so do buy from a known quantity. Just because somebody "didn't have any problems" with the cheap RAM they bought doesn't mean it performs as well and with as few errors as better RAM. Apple overcharges but also always uses great RAM. If you can buy the same stuff at a fraction of the price, why would save an extra $10 and get something which is less of a sure thing?
As for those arguing about OWC. I order from them about 2-4 times per month for the past 4 years and I think their service is slipping. They've taken a long time to respond to several different inquiries, sometimes not at all, and recently they shipped me a memory chip which was flopping around in its plastic case and wasn't in a anti-static bag. Still, they have a good selection of memory and good prices usually.
And I know for a fact that Apple considers memory to be user serviceable, thus not voiding any warrantees. Heck, they tell you how in their manuals and sometimes even in diagrams on the computer itself.
That said, not all RAM is created equal, so do buy from a known quantity. Just because somebody "didn't have any problems" with the cheap RAM they bought doesn't mean it performs as well and with as few errors as better RAM. Apple overcharges but also always uses great RAM. If you can buy the same stuff at a fraction of the price, why would save an extra $10 and get something which is less of a sure thing?
As for those arguing about OWC. I order from them about 2-4 times per month for the past 4 years and I think their service is slipping. They've taken a long time to respond to several different inquiries, sometimes not at all, and recently they shipped me a memory chip which was flopping around in its plastic case and wasn't in a anti-static bag. Still, they have a good selection of memory and good prices usually.
And I know for a fact that Apple considers memory to be user serviceable, thus not voiding any warrantees. Heck, they tell you how in their manuals and sometimes even in diagrams on the computer itself.
Just another post to reinforce the completely safe use of 3rd party ram at less than 1/3 the price of "Apple Ram".
Happy Mushkin Ram user here, and currently 2 @ 2GB sticks are less than $80 at CanadaComputers. Even though the Macbook can't "see" or use it all, I'm getting it. Ram's dirt cheap these days so there is NO reason to pay Apple's usorious (sp?) prices for an upgrade.
The upgrade from 1GB to the current 2GB took all of 5 minutes, and most of that was searching for the right tip for the screwdriver.
Happy Mushkin Ram user here, and currently 2 @ 2GB sticks are less than $80 at CanadaComputers. Even though the Macbook can't "see" or use it all, I'm getting it. Ram's dirt cheap these days so there is NO reason to pay Apple's usorious (sp?) prices for an upgrade.
The upgrade from 1GB to the current 2GB took all of 5 minutes, and most of that was searching for the right tip for the screwdriver.
