I have a blackbook w/ 2Gb ram, and I am thinking of upgrading to 4gb just because it is so cheap. I can get it for around $90 on Newegg and install it myself. However I know that Apple is notorious for charging obscene amounts for memory upgrades. Why do they charge so much? Do they buy a very expensive type of memory, or is it that they will just charge whatever the market will bear?
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Why does Apple charge so much for RAM upgrades, and why do people pay it?
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because mac people generally don't know much about computers and they need someone to walk them through simple things like installing ram, even if it costs over a grand. lol.
love it when mac folk bitch and complain about other companies and yet when apple rips people off, its called 'capitalism' and that they 'just can'!
well when it comes to DDR3 RAM, Apple's prices arent too far off aftermarket value from a site like crucial. however, as RAM prices drop, you can bet that Apple will not drop their BTO prices one cent.
People buy it for the convenience, it seems to me that most people buy macs because they dont know anything about computers and want a simple easy to use machine. meaning they most likely dont know how to replace the ram themselves and dont care to learn.
People buy it for the convenience, it seems to me that most people buy macs because they dont know anything about computers and want a simple easy to use machine. meaning they most likely dont know how to replace the ram themselves and dont care to learn.
dell, apple and others source their memory with controlled lot numbers, specs and warranty it to work. where i work we have HP servers and used to use third party RAM. few years ago a few servers started rebooting. HP said to take out the RAM and use HP RAM.
that's when we started using only HP RAM and things got more stable. with Crucial and other RAM the specs may slightly differ
that's when we started using only HP RAM and things got more stable. with Crucial and other RAM the specs may slightly differ
Apple used to be really bad about the cost of ram - you could easily save in the hundreds of dollars upgrading a high-end MBP yourself. These days, they've gotten much better about it. Perhaps the OP is remembering that old tactic for saving major moola.
Convenience and not knowing ram is actually cheaper and can be easily installed is why people choose Apple ram. Like changing engine oil in a car, it is easy and quick (comparing to driving to a place and wait to have them change it), and way cheaper (in my case 1/3 cheaper) than going to a shop to do it. But most people choose not to do it themselves for convenience sake and because the service is readily available.
cause they are afraid to open it up and buy ram that isn't 100% compatible. Peace of mind, and Apple charges extra for that.
On some machines, like the Mini, cracking open the case can be intimidating, even for people who like to do their own work. Or just a pain in the neck.
I was going to say they don't rip you off, but they somewhat do. I saw the price of a 4GB stick for the 21.5" iMac, which was $270 at Newegg. Then I realized that it has 4 slots, not two. Since Apple puts 2 2GB sticks in, and leaves two slots open, you can get a 4GB kit (2x2GB) of Kingston RAM from Newegg for about $100. Not as expensive as they used to be, but still more expensive than doing it yourself.
I was going to say they don't rip you off, but they somewhat do. I saw the price of a 4GB stick for the 21.5" iMac, which was $270 at Newegg. Then I realized that it has 4 slots, not two. Since Apple puts 2 2GB sticks in, and leaves two slots open, you can get a 4GB kit (2x2GB) of Kingston RAM from Newegg for about $100. Not as expensive as they used to be, but still more expensive than doing it yourself.
I upgraded the ram in my g4 mini today and was surprised. The crucial tool said I needed pc2700 ram. I took the original chip out and it said pc3200.
Didn't even use a putty knife since I couldn't find one. Borrowed a thin screwdriver and it did the trick
Didn't even use a putty knife since I couldn't find one. Borrowed a thin screwdriver and it did the trick