Hey Dad, Thanks for the Memory!
Installing Extra RAM in Your Daughter's Computer Will Make Her a Happy Camper
Jerry Grossman
How To Install RAM
My daughter's iBook was running slower than ever - and there's nothing worse than a frustrated college student! So, I went to the Apple Store, and they suggested that they install more DRAM in the computer. They were also honest enough to tell me that if I installed it myself, it would probably save me some money. And, they even showed me how to do it! (I love those Apple Geniuses!)
So, I went on the Crucial website (www.crucial.com) and filled out a few questions, (like exactly which computer model I have) and they led me to exactly which memory I needed. While 512K of SDRAM would have cost me around $100 thru Apple, I was able to get double the memory for the same price from Crucial. So, I ordered it online, and it showed up in a few days.
The Scary Part
Now came the scary part - opening up my daughter's precious laptop, and installing a circuit board underneath her keyboard. (I would have been more comfortable performing brain surgery on our dog). Sounds intimidating, right?
Wrong - after taking out the battery, I carefully lifted up the keyboard and saw a slot where her Apple Airport card was. With a jeweler's Phillips head screwdriver, (a handy tool for tightening glasses also) I carefully lifted up the airport card (pretty easy) and then unscrewed four simple screws to take off the RAM shield.
High Fives
There, exactly where I wanted to see it was a slot that had the same configuration as the circuit board I was holding. I just slipped it in, heard it click, high-fived my daughter, and then put everything back in place - the RAM shield, the Airport Card, and the keyboard.
I then put the battery back in the computer, and turned the iBook on. To my daughter's delight, her computer was whizzing along again.
So, all in all, I saved around $50 and another trip to the Apple store, and I took another small step toward becoming a less tech-confused dad.