Mac Mini .....Cheap Ram?

[iKwick7]

For everyone debating the issue of whether installing RAM voids your warranty, it apparently does. I installed a gig of RAM in my mini. It worked flawlessly for more than 4 months, and then the hard drive went out. Now they claim that since I opened it, I somehow broke it. How's that for being honest with them.

Here is the email:
---
Dear (my name),

(Removed), enclosed is your quote to complete your repair.

As I explained to you at the bar when you brought your unit into the store, the Mac Mini has no customer installable parts.

Since the unit was opened, this unit is now OOW.

After reassembling & testing the unit, I confirmed that the HD & optical drive need to be replaced. Since this is not a covered repair, I have not taken out the media currently stuck in the optical drive.

Current Quote:
661-3438 (Drive, Combo, 24X, Slot Loading) $165.52
661-3439 (Hard Drive, 40 GB, 2.5", 4200 rpm) $198.96
S1490LL/A (HARDWARE REPAIR-LEVEL 1) $90.95
Total Cost of Repair: $455.43

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call: 305-234-4565 (Option 5).

Sincerely,

Nestor A. Gonzalez
 Mac Genius
Apple Store - The Falls
8888 SW 136 ST, Suite 450
Miami, FL 33176
305-234-4565
---

I emailled him back and let him know that I would like to receive the machine back unrepaired and I will just put a new hard drive in myself. I hope that someone here can help me out. It sounds like they should have to prove that I broke it, which I can assure you I did not.

$200 for a 40 gig hard drive??? And $165 for the combo drive? Disgusting, especially the hard drive. Uggh!

 

[iWillard]

The iMac is different. I believe it has user installable parts.

The Mini is the only Apple computer that doesn't have user installable RAM... If you open it up you void the warranty...

Every other Apple computer you can do it yourself fairly easily, and it doesn't void your warranty...

 

[GanChan]

If I bought my Mini at Fry's, does that mean that their service department can install my RAM for me without warranty issues? And does it have to be Apple RAM, or can I still buy from Crucial or others?

 

[Eidorian]

The iMac is different. I believe it has user installable parts.

I thought so... I went to my local Apple store and they gave me a spiel on how cheap RAM isn't tested enough. I think I'll just got with Crucial or 18004MEMORY.

1GB MODULE FOR APPLE IMAC G5 PC3200 DDR SAMSUNG ORIGINAL
SAMSUNG - p/n AN4064U/1GB/Q2I5S $137.50 $125.00

This looks good.

 

[morph3ous]

There is a big discussion about this issue on DSLReports.com:

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,13716128

Those who I have spoken to at Apple maintain that opening the Mini voids the warranty. MacWorld says that Apple executives explicitly told them that installing RAM in a mini is not grounds for termination of the warranty, as long as the installation of the RAM is not the cause of the failure.