I wanted to buy my girlfriend an ibook for her birthday. I wanted to know about the base level one. How does it run with the amount of ram it comes with? Do you think there will be an update to these soon?
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iBook 800 Buying Question
- Thread starter robotrenegade
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The iBooks were JUST updated, so there's practically no chance of that. Personally, I recommend no less than 256MB of RAM. 128MB is the absolute minimum requirement for OS X to run. The more RAM you give OS X, the more it likes you.
Re: iBook 800 Buying Question
It comes with 128 MB standard. I would recommend no less than 384 MB of RAM (i.e. buy an extra 256). 256 MB DIMMs can be had for quite cheap these days (under $50). Look at www.dealram.com.
It is not that hard to upgrade it yourself, but you *will* need to have a small screwdriver that is the right size (because you have to open up a small panel underneath the keyboard). It is really quite simple except for undoing those one or two screws that hold the panel closed.
They just updated the iBook - it is unlikely to see any more revisions for at least a few months.
It comes with 128 MB standard. I would recommend no less than 384 MB of RAM (i.e. buy an extra 256). 256 MB DIMMs can be had for quite cheap these days (under $50). Look at www.dealram.com.
It is not that hard to upgrade it yourself, but you *will* need to have a small screwdriver that is the right size (because you have to open up a small panel underneath the keyboard). It is really quite simple except for undoing those one or two screws that hold the panel closed.
They just updated the iBook - it is unlikely to see any more revisions for at least a few months.
it will run fine with 128 MB as long as you're only doing one thing at a time, and that thing isn't a monster like photoshop (or you could possibly run two very small things at the same time)
i had to do that for a while, and i managed. i was using the computer for school, and it worked. word was a little slow, but it wasn't too bad web surfing and using ichat at the same time (but AIM was a whole different story...). once i got a chance to get a 512 chip, it was like a whole new computer, though. if you can't do better than 128, it will work. but i highly suggest upgrading (through a source other than apple). dealram and crucial are good places to look.
i had to do that for a while, and i managed. i was using the computer for school, and it worked. word was a little slow, but it wasn't too bad web surfing and using ichat at the same time (but AIM was a whole different story...). once i got a chance to get a 512 chip, it was like a whole new computer, though. if you can't do better than 128, it will work. but i highly suggest upgrading (through a source other than apple). dealram and crucial are good places to look.
Buy it from a reseller, they always throw in extra RAM. I have an 800MHz with 384MB RAM (reseller gave me the extra 256MB), and I am quite happy with its performance.
P.S. Buying an iBook for your girlfriend? Holy crap
I certainly hope she appreciates it. Careful, though, she's going to be expecting a ring next
P.S. Buying an iBook for your girlfriend? Holy crap
I certainly hope she appreciates it. Careful, though, she's going to be expecting a ring next
I'd recommend if you can afford it, to put a 512 in there for 640 total. If you find down the road that 384 isn't enough, you'd have to pull out the 256 and replace it with a 512 anyway.
From what I've seen, the retailers charge you about as much for installation as you can buy the memory for yourself.
From what I've seen, the retailers charge you about as much for installation as you can buy the memory for yourself.
My 800 ran.. umm... ok with 128MB of RAM. Running more than one application at once resulted in a serious slowdown. Upgrading to 384 like I had in my old 500 helped a lot.
Excuse the diversion here, but the numbers in this thread brought back a little deja' vu. Back about 1984, I paid $440 for 18 of the then new 256 KILObit ram chips (512KB total w/parity) to upgrade my IBM/XT to 640 KILObytes on the motherboard. Max it out! That was back when Bill Gates said 640K is all anyone would ever need!
I have a 700 MHz iBook, and i don't know if it is some freakish thing, but ive only got 384 megs, yet i can run iTunes, photoshop, Safari, and Word without noticing a large change in performance. However, DEFENITALLY buy the extra 256 megs, as it makes a huge difference from 128, where you experience major slowdown while running one thing
Yeah. I can do all that while encoding in iTunes (with excellent quality rips - no skips), and using iChat.Originally posted by zap23
I have a 700 MHz iBook, and i don't know if it is some freakish thing, but ive only got 384 megs, yet i can run iTunes, photoshop, Safari, and Word without noticing a large change in performance. However, DEFENITALLY buy the extra 256 megs, as it makes a huge difference from 128, where you experience major slowdown while running one thing
Thanks Guys
We went and got it today. I got her the 900mgz one, with 652 ram. My girlfriend loves it, thanks guys.
We went and got it today. I got her the 900mgz one, with 652 ram. My girlfriend loves it, thanks guys.
Ha ha ha - yeah I got screwed too (the only way to look at it), but I got 512KB ram with a realtime clock for my Amiga for about the same price... hmm with parity (probably a good thing back then too - even the resistors gave off EM noise)? Bottom line is you can never have too much RAM at these prices - maxed is best.
My first computer had 64KB of ram - if you took the four AA batteries out of the top, even when it was off the harddrive failed. Oh yeah, it was a 50mb harddrive too. You'd end up reformatting the drive every 3 or 4 months when the batteries went flat - there was no way of telling. Man, PC's have come a long way!