How much RAM for a Mac Mini?

[manchurian]

Hi there,
I'm totally new to the Mac World and I just saw the Mac Mini and I'm astounished. I maybe wanna get me such a machine but I have a question: How much memory does such a Mac use to be responsive and snappy? I currently have an IBM T42p notebook with 1GB RAM so I'm used to a fast machine. All I'd want to do is maybe browse the internet, use iTunes, use it for Photo Albums, etc. My ex-co-worker had a Powerbook with a 867MHz CPU and 768MB RAM and from time to time, it was kinda sluggish. He always had the newest updates on his machine, etc.

Thanks for any information on this subject

 

[maya]

I believe it only has ONE ram slot. And the maximum is 1Gig.

Hope that answers your question.

It takes a good 512MB of ram for iLife and Mac OS X.3 to be responsive.

And as always do not buy the ram from Apple. Buy the ram from another vendor and ask an Apple Tech to install it for you.


Please note that some OS X updates have not been that great, some machines were affected more than others.

Cannot comment on your friends PowerBook as I do not have enough information.

 

[manchurian]

I believe it only has ONE ram slot. And the maximum is 1Gig.

Hope that answers your question.

It takes a good 512MB of ram for iLife and Mac OS X.3 to be responsive.

And as always do not buy the ram from Apple. Buy the ram from another vendor and ask an Apple Tech to install it for you.


Please note that some OS X updates have not been that great, some machines were affected more than others.

Cannot comment on your friends PowerBook as I do not have enough information.

Jep, when I tried to configure one, 1GB was the max I could select. So you think 1GB would be optimal for the Mac Mini? Where can I find such an Apple Tech guy? Can I buy just normal standard RAM? Could I do the same with a harddisk?

I think it was a 2nd Gen Powerbook(887 MHz, 1GB RAM, 40GB harddisk, he just told me ) so I don't know how much it changed Apple should make a Apple Store in Switzerland, grmbl.

 

[maya]

Jep, when I tried to configure one, 1GB was the max I could select. So you think 1GB would be optimal for the Mac Mini? Where can I find such an Apple Tech guy? Can I buy just normal standard RAM? Could I do the same with a harddisk?

I think it was a 2nd Gen Powerbook(887 MHz, 1GB RAM, 40GB harddisk, he just told me ) so I don't know how much it changed Apple should make a Apple Store in Switzerland, grmbl.

Mac mini contains PC2700, 333MHz double data rate, synchronous dynamic random-access memory (DDR-SDRAM), one of the fastest memory technologies available today. Double data rate memory (DDR-SDRAM) provides twice the throughput of single data rate SDRAM and boosts overall system performance. Your Mac mini comes with at least 256 megabytes (MB) of memory. You can select additional memory up to 1 Gigabyte. You can upgrade your memory later by taking your system to an Apple Authorized Service Provider.

My understanding is that it uses a standard DDR DIMM and not a SO-DIMM.

Sure you can buy the above classification ram from a 3rd party and call Apple or visit an Apple Retail Store and ask someone to install it for you.

I see no reason why you cannot do this with the HDD as well, check the Apple site to check if it uses a 3.5" or 2.5" size drive.

Since you are in Switzerland, call Apple and ask if there is an Apple Certified Tech shop near you house.

 

[manchurian]

My understanding is that it uses a standard DDR DIMM and not a SO-DIMM.

Sure you can buy the above classification ram from a 3rd party and call Apple or visit an Apple Retail Store and ask someone to install it for you.

I see no reason why you cannot do this with the HDD as well, check the Apple site to check if it uses a 3.5" or 2.5" size drive.

Since you are in Switzerland, call Apple and ask if there is an Apple Certified Tech shop near you house.

Cool, I think I gonna do that. How much does installing RAM and a Harddisk cost?

 

[maya]

Cool, I think I gonna do that. How much does installing RAM and a Harddisk cost?

Search on the web, do a forum search, wait a few days to see if any members here post something good.

Those are some suggestions.

By the way the Mac mini will not take a SATA HDD. Thought I would let you know.

 

[manchurian]

Search on the web, do a forum search, wait a few days to see if any members here post something good.

Those are some suggestions.

By the way the Mac mini will not take a SATA HDD. Thought I would let you know.

Yeh, that's what I thought, I could actually also get an external firewire harddisk and boot of that(the co worker booted his powerbook from time to time of a iPod )

 

[maya]

Yeh, that's what I thought, I could actually also get an external firewire harddisk and boot of that(the co worker booted his powerbook from time to time of a iPod )

Booting any Mac from an iPod is a very very bad idea. It will shorten the iPod's HDD life since it was not meant to spin for long and constantly.

 

[jadam]

Booting any Mac from an iPod is a very very bad idea. It will shorten the iPod's HDD life since it was not meant to spin for long and constantly.

Has anyone's iPod's HDD even died yet from over use?

 

[sorryiwasdreami]

Hi there,
I'm totally new to the Mac World and I just saw the Mac Mini and I'm astounished. I maybe wanna get me such a machine but I have a question: How much memory does such a Mac use to be responsive and snappy? I currently have an IBM T42p notebook with 1GB RAM so I'm used to a fast machine. All I'd want to do is maybe browse the internet, use iTunes, use it for Photo Albums, etc. My ex-co-worker had a Powerbook with a 867MHz CPU and 768MB RAM and from time to time, it was kinda sluggish. He always had the newest updates on his machine, etc.

Thanks for any information on this subject

One thing you are going to notice right off the bat between Windows XP and OSX is this "snappy" quality, the response you get when clicking. The two operating systems have completely opposite feels.

In windows, generally when you click something, it pops very suddenly, hard, loud, and icy cold. For example, you get that type of reponse when closeing an "okay" window or something. I may be using bizzare adjectives to describe the feel here, but hopefully they will help.

The feel of Panther is soft, warm, liquid, cushion-y, smooth, and subtle. You will notice right away, no matter how much ram you have, that OSx will "feel" more sluggish than windows xp. However, launching applications is faster, rendering any kind of graphic load is faster, and running many programs at once is one of the best things a Mac can do.

That being said, more ram is always better; I would get as much as you can afford. It may take a week or two to get used to Panther's finese, but once you do, going back to work on your windows machine will seem so much less pleasant.

The feel of a Mac and OSx is what we Mac-heads are talking about when we don't understand why people continue to use windows. That and putting up with malware. It's really two different worlds.

 

[blueknight]

more space!

to upgrade mac mini HD you can pull yours apart and fit new bits but why bother when you have Firewire and USB 2.0 options..? Get yourself and inexpensive external disk and you can use it as backup and on other machines you might have also. As for memory get the full 1G as it really isn't that expensive... you could get tech to fit it but if you can use a screwdriver why not have a go yourself? I am an electronics engineer so I like playing myself

 

[manchurian]

to upgrade mac mini HD you can pull yours apart and fit new bits but why bother when you have Firewire and USB 2.0 options..? Get yourself and inexpensive external disk and you can use it as backup and on other machines you might have also. As for memory get the full 1G as it really isn't that expensive... you could get tech to fit it but if you can use a screwdriver why not have a go yourself? I am an electronics engineer so I like playing myself

Yeah, I could do it myself but I'd be pi**ed if it would void the warranty And that's true, an external harddisk would also be a good option. I can always hookup a USB hub for even more devices, right? (up to 127 IIRC). The 1G from Apple is a $500 upgrade which is quite costy, might get a 1GB stick from a 3rd party as suggested.

 

[robbieduncan]

Yeah, I could do it myself but I'd be pi**ed if it would void the warranty And that's true, an external harddisk would also be a good option. I can always hookup a USB hub for even more devices, right? (up to 127 IIRC). The 1G from Apple is a $500 upgrade which is quite costy, might get a 1GB stick from a 3rd party as suggested.

Yep USB (or FireWire) hubs allow you to use virtually any number of external devices. Personally I'd go with FireWire for external disks, but the choice is yours...

 

[manchurian]

Yep USB (or FireWire) hubs allow you to use virtually any number of external devices. Personally I'd go with FireWire for external disks, but the choice is yours...

Ah ok, wasn't sure if I Firewire was also as "extendable" as USB I'll surely go the Firewire route Aaaaaaaaaaaaa..... shall I really order one... just ordered a 20GB iPod

 

[robbieduncan]

Ah ok, wasn't sure if I Firewire was also as "extendable" as USB I'll surely go the Firewire route Aaaaaaaaaaaaa..... shall I really order one... just ordered a 20GB iPod

Most FiewWire drive housings have 2 ports on them allowing for daisy chaining of devices without hubs, so in many ways it's more extendable than USB!

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Booting any Mac from an iPod is a very very bad idea. It will shorten the iPod's HDD life since it was not meant to spin for long and constantly.

I thought the iPod drives were standard 1.8" HDDs. Are they the same used in micro notebook computers? Now I will say that I doubt that the MicroDrives used in the iPod mini could stand up to such use.

 

[robbieduncan]

I thought the iPod drives were standard 1.8" HDDs. Are they the same used in micro notebook computers? Now I will say that I doubt that the MicroDrives used in the iPod mini could stand up to such use.

Standard notebook drives are 2.5". The iPod ones are smaller. It has been said that continuous running of an iPod causes the drive to get very hot which is not good for it.

 

[Sol]

512 MB is the sweet spot

While more RAM is better for any computer, the 1 GB option is too expensive for the budget Mac. I think that 512 MB will be enough for the applications that this computer is intended to run; ie, eMail, web browsing, music etc. It would be better to have 512 MB of memory and to spend the rest of your budget on the upgrade to SuperDrive and Wi-Fi.

 

[csubear]

I remember seeing somewhere that if you wanted to get ram installed and not void you warrenty you can take it to an apple store and they will do it free of charge. At least thats what I remember being told with with my powerbook.

 

[Toe]

Find RAM specs here:
http://www.apple.com/macmini/specs.html
"256MB of PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM, expandable to up to 1GB"

And the (surprising) note on that says:
"Memory upgrade must be performed by an Apple Authorized Service provider."

If you want to pop open the case yourself (possibly breaks a piece of tape which then voids the warranty, or possibly does not break any tape and only voids your warranty if Apple actually finds out that you put in your own RAM), go to:
http://www.ramseeker.com/
to find prices from different resellers (ones who know Macs and will be able to help you with the process).

Enjoy!

__________________
iMac G5 at work, AlBook 12" at home.
Do detailed specs even matter anymore?

 

[Peyote]

If you want to pop open the case yourself (possibly breaks a piece of tape which then voids the warranty, or possibly does not break any tape and only voids your warranty if Apple actually finds out that you put in your own RAM)

I've been thinking about this myself....thing is, if there is a piece of take that breaks when you open the case, then it would break when a technician opened it too. Of course, there could be tape on the RAM as well.

 

[Toe]

I've been thinking about this myself....thing is, if there is a piece of take that breaks when you open the case, then it would break when a technician opened it too. Of course, there could be tape on the RAM as well.

In cases like this, I believe the techs are provided with replacement tape with a custom imprint on it.

__________________
Taglines suk.

 

[Peyote]

In cases like this, I believe the techs are provided with replacement tape with a custom imprint on it.

So you think that there is tape on the outside of the case? I don't think Apple would allow something like that on their spiffy design. I don't doubt that there is tape somewhere, and I'm sure that the techs replace it when it's broken, but my point is that I doubt that the tape is on the case. I think it's more likely that there is tape on the RAM.

 

[jxyama]

basically, how much are you willing to pay for the small size premium? for the price of Mini + 1 GB RAM ($500 + $425), you can basically get an eMac ($800) with comparable specs (but with a monitor, keyboard and mouse) and a third party 1 GB RAM ($150).
<p>
personally, given the cost, 512 MB is the most reasonable amount, i'd say.

 

[Peyote]

basically, how much are you willing to pay for the small size premium? for the price of Mini + 1 GB RAM ($500 + $450), you can get an eMac ($800) with comparable specs (but with a monitor, keyboard and mouse) and a third party 1 GB RAM ($150).
<p>
personally, given the cost, 512 MB is the most reasonable amount, i'd say.

You can buy third party 1GB ram and have Apple install it (for probably around $50). I'll be ordering a Mac Mini in 2 weeks, and that's what I'll be doing.