[Cube] Mac mini-- 1 GB memory upgrade = US$425 !!!

[Joseph B. Gurman]

     Steve Goldstein wrote:

>Sure, sure.  But they say that the memory must be installed by Apple 
>or a certified service facility.  The box is not easily opened.  So, 
>if you add your own memory, you risk not only mangling the box 
>(until somebody offers a cracking tool), and, as in the past you 
>void your Apple warranty.
>
>Now, I can do it.  I changed my iPod (gen 2) battery.  But, can the 
>average joe/jane do it?
>
>--Steve
>
>At 10:58 AM -0500 1/13/05, Joseph B. Gurman wrote:
>>     With the !Gbyte memory, it's $1203, but who ever bought memory 
>>from Apple? The 1 Gbyte DDR 333 DIMM is $210 - $235 most places. 
>>And cheapie PC sellers do the same thing, usually selling the  low 
>>end boxes with inadequate memory to keep the price point down.

     Well, since I haven't gotten the one I ordered Wednesday yet 
(when I ordered it, the Apple Store Website still said, "Shipping by 
January 22;" now it says, "Shipping in 3 - 4 weeks"), but even if 
some other Joe or Jane wants help/a warm feeling about possible 
warranty exceptions, I doubt it can take more than half an hour to 
open the box (even with all those plastic prongs), swap DIMM's, and 
put the box back together. If so, that's another $35 - $40 and the 
inconvenience of taking it to a certified tech.

     I've done a Cube CPU upgrade, added memory to a Power Mac 8100 
(ugh: required a motherboard removal), replaced the motherboard and 
power supply in a DEC AlphaStation 600, upgraded a Mac II to a IIfx 
(another motherboard swap, plus installing an extra floppy drive), 
and upgraded a Rev. B iMac. I think I can handle prying the cover off 
the mini. From the little I've seen so far (such as the disassembled 
picture at:

	http://www.apple.com/macmini/design.html ),

it appears that all one needs is a small, flat-head screwdriver to 
open the enclosure. And if I mess it up.... well, the 1.25 GHz model 
is only $500....

     By the way, according to Henry Norr's report on MacinTouch,

>Apple "does not recommend" that users upgrade the memory themselves 
>- you're supposed to have a service provider do it if you want to 
>add more after purchase - but doing it yourself does not void the 
>warranty unless you damage something. A booth person told me the 
>memory slot is easily accessible once you get the case open.

while the "tech specs" on Apple's own site say,

>Memory, AirPort Extreme and internal Bluetooth upgrades must be 
>performed by an Apple Authorized Service provider; fees may apply.

Not encouraging for the inexperienced tech, but not a warning of 
warranty violation, either.

     If I really get the mini when Apple was claiming Wednesday (they 
literally just acknowledged the order, so they must be doing a good 
business), I'll report back to the list as to what the documentation 
really says, and how hard it is to install a DIMM.

     Just hope the ~ $200 DIMM I ordered meets all the specs, which 
are currently unclear beyond, "PC2700 (333MHz) DDR SDRAM," and the 
pictures that show a normal-sized DIMM, rather than an iMac G4-like 
SO-DIMM.

     Wish me luck.

						Joe
-- 
"I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by."
                                                             - Douglas 
Adams, 1952 - 2001