iBook price question

[cleo]

I bought a 12" iBook at the Tampa Apple Store on Saturday. I added RAM and an Airport card. They made me pay $30 to install each (so a total of $60). It seems that when I configure the system I purchased at the online Apple Store, that $60 isn't included. Was I jipped? Is there anything I can do about it now?

 

[eyelikeart]

not getting screwed...but...

if I had to take a guess...since u are buying it built with the extra RAM directly from Apple...

there's either no surcharge since it's techinically being built to a specification...

or there is a hidden charge in the price of the RAM (eg., another $75 for 256)...

u aren't getting screwed by the fact that they charge $30 since most companies charge that much....

but in my opinion...u are getting screwed by having them do it and having to pay the $30...I'm not sure how easy it is to add RAM to an iBook...but I'd imagine it's not that hard at all...I know my TiBook was easy...

 

[AlphaTech]

Sounds to me like you got the wrong end on that deal. I won't pay someone else to install stuff in any of my systems (unless it is warranty work). Memory is one of the easiest things to install.

I don't think that you can do much about it now (after the fact). Try calling them to get some clarification as to why you were charged for installing the items, when they were both being done at the same time.

How much did you pay for the extra RAM, and how large a chip is it??

 

[Taft]

Don't pay for install.

Unless you are getting an incredible deal on components, never add the components and get charged for install. Like AlphTech said, memory is really easy to install, so is the Airport card. I always buy my extra components seperately unless I get them for free or at an incredible discount.

Then again, maybe you aren't comfortable opening up your computer--some people aren't.

Matthew

 

[AlphaTech]

mrtrumbe, true enough... Not everyone is comfortable with getting up to their elbows inside a computer . For me, installing memory is a snap in just about all Mac systems. The worst takes about 10 minutes total to install, the best is about a minute or two. TiBooks are very easy.

Airport cards can be a little more difficult, depending on how the slots are set up. On the old iBook, they were very easy (a minute or two to install). I haven't seen, or tried in the newer generation iBooks, so don't know if it is the same or not.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Re: Don't pay for install.

Originally posted by mrtrumbe
maybe you aren't comfortable opening up your computer--some people aren't.

You have to make the determination yourself - Is $60 to install these parts worth it, or not. If your not comfortable looking to the guts of your iBook and just want to use it and not worry about the hardware, thats fine. But if you're just unsure about what to do, don't want to screw up and break something, well, you should try and learn, it would save you money. Find a friend or colleague who knows what they're doing and go over what you should or shouldn't do. Take this as a lesson and next time you won't be as worried about getting your hands dirty installing a new harddrive.

Good luck.

 

[cleo]

Thanks for all the feedback. I think I did overpay a bit, but that's the downside to instant gratification, I suppose. At any rate, this is definitely not the last Apple product I will ever buy, so I'll have plenty of opportunities to be a better educated (and possibly more patient ) consumer.

 

[eyelikeart]

re: comfort

I know I was completely scared to do anything to my TiBook the first time I attempted opening it up...

but RAM is easy....just lift up the keyboard

opening up the bottom requires some finesse...I still don't have an airport card yet though....just replaced the hard drive...

 

[oldMac]

Cleo

Hi Cleo,

Unless you've got a good set of jewler's screwdrivers, then having them add the RAM probably wasn't that bad of a deal. I've seen some folks really screw up their RAM plate on the iBook by "forcing" it with the wrong sized screwdriver.

Alas... the Airport card is a 20 second job that requires no tools.

But, hey... you've got a new iBook. That kind of makes up for a lot, doesn't it?

 

[AlphaTech]

I purchased a few screw drivers from Sears over a year ago and they are not really the jewler's type. They are their precision ones, which gives some of them longer shafts (very helpful in opening up other computers, or pulling parts ). You won't need anything larger then a no. 1 or no. 2 philips screwdriver, and about the same in flat head. You might want to pick up some torx head drivers though (from t6 to t9 or t10 if you can). There are more then a few screws inside the new Mac's (laptops mostly) that use those. Again, Sears is a good source for them. Yes, they might cost a few dollars more, but it they EVER break, they replace them, no questions asked.