geil is my choice af ram. nice looking, good latencies (not that you guys mention latencies much... musnt be that important to a mac or something!)
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Why Crucial?
- Thread starter coconn06
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I'm wondering if this is a USA-only thing. I might check based on the US site now. The UK (and EU) tends to have strict laws about price fixing and similar type practices. I'm sure this cookies thing would be illegal in the UK (heck, even iTMS UK is apparently illegal because we pay about 12p more per track than France and Germany).
EDIT: Well, I've just checked the US site based on the 12" 1GHz PB and I'm getting the same prices in 3 browsers, can't be bothered to test more. I'll remain unconvinced, although maybe they just change their prices regularly?
EDIT: Well, I've just checked the US site based on the 12" 1GHz PB and I'm getting the same prices in 3 browsers, can't be bothered to test more. I'll remain unconvinced, although maybe they just change their prices regularly?
Actually, having low latency can sometimes be a bad thing for Macs, particularly the PowerMac G5. I've heard reports on these forums of people using low-latency memory in their PowerMac G5s, then running Xbench tests. Some of them couldn't get their Mac to boot, and many of the ones that did boot successfully reported much lower than expected memory scores in Xbench. The theory was that the Mac was "throttling" (slowing down) the memory to a speed it likes.tateusmaximus said:
johnnyjibbs said:
Memory prices do fluctuate a fair amount, but probably not within minutes.
Amazon used a similar mechanism--pricing higher to loyal Amazon customers, whom they figured would buy anyway. Nothing illegal about it. But it didn't please the customers, so Amazon gave up in order to instill goodwill.
Just thought I'd chime in since I saw the thread.
Regarding the pricing, I've never noticed anything fishy with it. I recall a few times I've looked at the website from different browsers within a short period of time for one reason or another. Certainly there's no way they could be reading another site's cookies. It could be something as benign as using realtime market data to determine a good price for certain products. By adjusting the price dynamically over a period of time (like a day, or something) they could evaluate which prices sold well and which didn't, looking for the sweet spot. Of course they'd need to use cookies so you wouldn't just keep hitting reload until you got a low price you liked, because then everyone would do that and the data would be meaningless. I dunno, it's just a possible more benign explanation than what the conspiracy theorists among us choose to believe.
As for why I use them, it's all about quality and value. They are certainly more expensive than the cheapest memory, but you get what you pay for. Memory is one of those critical components where the whole system doesn't work if that component is even a little flaky. I've had enough problems in the past with rock bottom cheap memory that I no longer buy it. The extra money is worth knowing that it's far less likely that I'll have a problem.
In the best case with bad memory, your machine will crash a lot (so it's obvious) and you'll return it for a working stick within about a week. This happened to me once with OWC memory. Not too bad. In the worst case, it corrupts your data (or even worse than that, your backups!) before you find out, and it's a hassle to return. We had problems with Simpletech memory for some PowerBooks at work. I'm on the third set after calling the vendor and arranging returns (big hassle) and I'm still not 100% convinced that this set is perfect. What a pain!
So like I said, the extra money is worth the peace of mind I get with Crucial, so I use them exclusively for stuff at home now, and I've recommended them to lots of people. If I ever do have a bad experience with them, I'll change my stance, but so far so good!
Regarding the pricing, I've never noticed anything fishy with it. I recall a few times I've looked at the website from different browsers within a short period of time for one reason or another. Certainly there's no way they could be reading another site's cookies. It could be something as benign as using realtime market data to determine a good price for certain products. By adjusting the price dynamically over a period of time (like a day, or something) they could evaluate which prices sold well and which didn't, looking for the sweet spot. Of course they'd need to use cookies so you wouldn't just keep hitting reload until you got a low price you liked, because then everyone would do that and the data would be meaningless. I dunno, it's just a possible more benign explanation than what the conspiracy theorists among us choose to believe.
As for why I use them, it's all about quality and value. They are certainly more expensive than the cheapest memory, but you get what you pay for. Memory is one of those critical components where the whole system doesn't work if that component is even a little flaky. I've had enough problems in the past with rock bottom cheap memory that I no longer buy it. The extra money is worth knowing that it's far less likely that I'll have a problem.
In the best case with bad memory, your machine will crash a lot (so it's obvious) and you'll return it for a working stick within about a week. This happened to me once with OWC memory. Not too bad. In the worst case, it corrupts your data (or even worse than that, your backups!) before you find out, and it's a hassle to return. We had problems with Simpletech memory for some PowerBooks at work. I'm on the third set after calling the vendor and arranging returns (big hassle) and I'm still not 100% convinced that this set is perfect. What a pain!
So like I said, the extra money is worth the peace of mind I get with Crucial, so I use them exclusively for stuff at home now, and I've recommended them to lots of people. If I ever do have a bad experience with them, I'll change my stance, but so far so good!
Just for the record, I think the powerbooks do use Samsung memory modules. I've seen several auctions on ebay stating that this memory modules was pulled immediatly upon arrival for upgrade, and they say that it is Samsung memory.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14909&item=5724737325&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=14909&item=5724737325&rd=1
I bought RAM from Crucial soon after I picked up my first PowerBook. I was unaware of the Browser price fixing at the time. I find it pretty disturbing how they, Crucial can get away with shifting the prices based on which Browser you use. I just ran a test and got a $15 difference between Safari and Firefox. I must have gotten really taken to the cleaners when I ordered my RAM since I used Explorer.
I wonder if anyone has filed a class action suit against Crucial for this questionable activity?
I wonder if anyone has filed a class action suit against Crucial for this questionable activity?
I think that crucial quality is brillant and the prices for 512 is competitive.
You may pay a bit more for the warrenty etc.
But the prices for a 1 giger so-dimm is OBSCENE!
over 479$ , how in the world do they justify that?
Going off topic here but....
does anyone know if the CL is faster in a 512 dimm than a 1 gig.
I have read some posts claiming that over 1 gig of ram slows your system.
You may pay a bit more for the warrenty etc.
But the prices for a 1 giger so-dimm is OBSCENE!
over 479$ , how in the world do they justify that?
Going off topic here but....
does anyone know if the CL is faster in a 512 dimm than a 1 gig.
I have read some posts claiming that over 1 gig of ram slows your system.
bankshot said:Just thought I'd chime in since I saw the thread.
Regarding the pricing, I've never noticed anything fishy with it. I recall a few times I've looked at the website from different browsers within a short period of time for one reason or another. Certainly there's no way they could be reading another site's cookies. It could be something as benign as using realtime market data to determine a good price for certain products. By adjusting the price dynamically over a period of time (like a day, or something) they could evaluate which prices sold well and which didn't, looking for the sweet spot. Of course they'd need to use cookies so you wouldn't just keep hitting reload until you got a low price you liked, because then everyone would do that and the data would be meaningless. I dunno, it's just a possible more benign explanation than what the conspiracy theorists among us choose to believe.
For someone like Crucial, cookies seems to be the easiest. Now it has been rumored the airlines use a system sort of what you mention. Meaning the more inquiries for particular destinations and dates, the fares start to increase. Whether the seats are sold or not.
I've heard the buzz about crucial but never saw the point. So everyone else in the world is going to ship me bad ram except one company, crucial? Please.
I bought my RAM from PowerMax - they're my favorite Mac discounter and I was buying some other stuff at the time. I'm sure Smalldog or OWC would sell you working RAM at a decent price also.
I bought my RAM from PowerMax - they're my favorite Mac discounter and I was buying some other stuff at the time. I'm sure Smalldog or OWC would sell you working RAM at a decent price also.
Grokgod said:
OWC IMO offers comparable quality and service at $130 less for PC2700 (http://eshop.macsales.com/Catalog_Item.cfm?ID=6205&Item=OWC27SAMSO1GB).
They get away with it since so many seem to say Crucial is the only way to go. Same way some say Apple can "charge more" for their computers. Difference is that RAM comes from only a few places of manufacture.
advocate said:
Thanks for the edu... Chips., modules; I use terms universally.
That begs the question when Crucial and OWC offer the Samsung modules for the PB; is there a real difference?
I would think that all Samsung dimm are the same despite where they come from. I mean they are manufactured by Samsung!
I have never actually seen a Sasmsung dimm for sale at Crucial.
I bought 1 gig dimms from OWC and they were NOT up to speed.
I returned them and they told me that there was some problems with that batch.
Sheesh, I would have liked to know this before I bought them and spent the few days trying to figure out what was wrong!
I think this is an instance where Crucials quality would have been better but at what price, so its obviously at trade off, less cost for the possible trade off for more time spend on getting it right.
I am still trying to figure out if a 512 cl is faster than a 1 gig dimm.
I have never actually seen a Sasmsung dimm for sale at Crucial.
I bought 1 gig dimms from OWC and they were NOT up to speed.
I returned them and they told me that there was some problems with that batch.
Sheesh, I would have liked to know this before I bought them and spent the few days trying to figure out what was wrong!
I think this is an instance where Crucials quality would have been better but at what price, so its obviously at trade off, less cost for the possible trade off for more time spend on getting it right.
I am still trying to figure out if a 512 cl is faster than a 1 gig dimm.
I have never ever ever had a problem with Crucial UK ram.
Overnight delivery, too.
I'd rather pay a bit more to have complete peace of mind.
My G4 is now maxed out on the stuff...
Overnight delivery, too.
I'd rather pay a bit more to have complete peace of mind.
My G4 is now maxed out on the stuff...
I am starting the think that the middle ground is best in price IF
its a Samsung dimm, OWC is selling them , the 1 gig stick for about $350
Now that about $100 more than OWC's brand, but it may be a hundred that is worth it,
And still its much cheaper than a 1 gig stick from Crucial that is $479.
Now if there is really a browser manipulation going on, then someone would see the 1 gig stick for less or more!
has anyone heard of the ram called Nanya/Apple
here is a URL to it//
http://store.yahoo.com/memx/appog4115sum.html
Is this an original Apple dimm?
its a Samsung dimm, OWC is selling them , the 1 gig stick for about $350
Now that about $100 more than OWC's brand, but it may be a hundred that is worth it,
And still its much cheaper than a 1 gig stick from Crucial that is $479.
Now if there is really a browser manipulation going on, then someone would see the 1 gig stick for less or more!
has anyone heard of the ram called Nanya/Apple
here is a URL to it//
http://store.yahoo.com/memx/appog4115sum.html
Is this an original Apple dimm?
Grokgod said:
OWC also sells TechWorks, which I bought for each Mac (1993-2001) until I was comfortable buying OWC's own brand. It's more expensive than OWC but may be more in line with Crucial for quality and price and you still get OWC's customer service.
Re: Why Crucial?
Memory brands:
There's no such thing as "Apple original" memory -- so whoever is advertising Nanya/Apple as somehow original is blowing smoke. Apple buys their modules on the open market like every other manufacturer. They have had a long term contract with Samsung for supplying Powerbook memory. On the Desktop side, they use Micron, Hynix, Nanya, IBM or whoever. Apple do -not- use Crucial RAM - Crucial stretches a point here because Crucial are owned by Micron, and Micron supplies -some- of Apple's modules. Used to be that Micron and IBM were the 2 main suppliers of PC100 and PC133 SODIMMs for older iBooks and Powerbooks.
There are two basic pieces to RAM modules, the chips themselves, and the printed circuit board they are assembled on.
So you can have Samsung-built modules, and Samsung chips on third party printed circuit boards (commonly abbreviated Samsung/3rd) -- the two are not equivalent.
Samsung-built DDR SODIMM modules (Samsung/Samsung) have the advantage that they draw less power from the Powerbook's batteries - but they are more expensive than 3rd party.
Choosing memory by chip brand is no guarantee that you will have the same module, or the same configuration, as another module with the same brand chip. You don't know what PC board the modules are built on. That's one reason it's not possible to make a blanket statement that one brand of chip (Nanya or Samsung or Hynix etc.) are better than another. Then, when you talk about any particular brand name A B or C of RAM, since most retail "brands" are just relabels of a dozen or so major manufacturer's products, you really don't know what you are getting unless you talk to a knowledgeable seller.
You want a seller who
1) tests their RAM before shipping, and
2) provides a guarantee that the RAM will work in your model Mac, and
3) makes it easy to order, and goes the distance to sort it out if there are any problems.
Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com
Memory brands:
There's no such thing as "Apple original" memory -- so whoever is advertising Nanya/Apple as somehow original is blowing smoke. Apple buys their modules on the open market like every other manufacturer. They have had a long term contract with Samsung for supplying Powerbook memory. On the Desktop side, they use Micron, Hynix, Nanya, IBM or whoever. Apple do -not- use Crucial RAM - Crucial stretches a point here because Crucial are owned by Micron, and Micron supplies -some- of Apple's modules. Used to be that Micron and IBM were the 2 main suppliers of PC100 and PC133 SODIMMs for older iBooks and Powerbooks.
There are two basic pieces to RAM modules, the chips themselves, and the printed circuit board they are assembled on.
So you can have Samsung-built modules, and Samsung chips on third party printed circuit boards (commonly abbreviated Samsung/3rd) -- the two are not equivalent.
Samsung-built DDR SODIMM modules (Samsung/Samsung) have the advantage that they draw less power from the Powerbook's batteries - but they are more expensive than 3rd party.
Choosing memory by chip brand is no guarantee that you will have the same module, or the same configuration, as another module with the same brand chip. You don't know what PC board the modules are built on. That's one reason it's not possible to make a blanket statement that one brand of chip (Nanya or Samsung or Hynix etc.) are better than another. Then, when you talk about any particular brand name A B or C of RAM, since most retail "brands" are just relabels of a dozen or so major manufacturer's products, you really don't know what you are getting unless you talk to a knowledgeable seller.
You want a seller who
1) tests their RAM before shipping, and
2) provides a guarantee that the RAM will work in your model Mac, and
3) makes it easy to order, and goes the distance to sort it out if there are any problems.
Thanks
Trevor
CanadaRAM.com