This time referring to Apple Macs. Is it an easy job to add more moemory to a Mac? The second hand one I got is very slow and sometimes Safari shuts down for no reason. How about installing a new version of OSX? I can’t seem to install anything on this machine at the moment. Any suggestions are welcome.
We’ll need more info before that can be answered. Truthfully, all Macs produced in the last decade or so are memory-upgradable… but how easy it is depends on the model. Is it an all in one iMac? If so, is it a lamp model or a fruity one or the newer models? Is it a Mini? The hardware will also determine which version of OS X you max out on.
The ‘About this Mac’ option in the Apple menu in the upper left hand corner should give you the basic specs.
I’m no Mac expert, but before purchasing more memory, you should verify that a lack of memory is indeed the problem. Find out how much memory you have, and how much you’re using. If the latter is more than the former then you will benefit from buying more memory.
Installing RAM is very easy on all tower-based Macs made in the past ten years or so. On other models it’s less easy.
Upgrading the OS is usually a simple process as well.
I second the recommendation for finding out how much RAM you have right now (“About this Mac” will tell you). Maybe you just need to upgrade Safari.
Yeah sorry about that it’s an iBook G4 I guess about 5 or 6 years old. It has 256 MB of RAM, with a 933MHz processor. Maybe it’s just its age?
I don’t think iBooks (or any laptops?) have space for additional memory.
They don’t, but you can upgrade the memory that’s already in there, replacing the 256Mb SO-DIMM with a larger capacity one.
It’s a bit of a messy operation though, requiring removal of the battery, the keyboard, the Airport card, and the RAM shield.
I added extra memory to my netbook on saturday night, it now has 1GB instead of 512 MB, so I know it can be done on laptops, that’s the third one I’ve added memory to. I’m just not sure how to go about it with a Mac. I know the keyboard has to be removed to access the RAM, but I don’t know how to do that. I should probably bring it to a specialist, but it’s a second hand machine and I don’t want to spend any more than I have to.
iBook G4s can apparently all be upgraded to 1 Gb.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2206
You may also like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dybArL0EJ50
There’s also a fairly detailed set of instructions, with pictures, here (PDF).
Not all Macs are created equal. Some models make it very very easy to add RAM (open the door, insert chip, close door). Other models involve prying apart apparently seamless surfaces with odd little improvised spatulas. I’d say on balance it’s at least as easy to add RAM to the average Mac than to add RAM to the average PC.
Huh? Details? Are you out of hard disk space? What the heck appears to be keeping you from “installing anything”? Most applications on a Mac are not “installed” you just drag them to your hard disk and there they are. Perhaps your OS is so old that modern apps won’t RUN under the OS that you have? Is that what’s happening (you can “install” them but they won’t run)?
It would be kind of useful to know what model Mac you’ve got. Some models may be running the maximum-most-modern OS if they are running 10.2.8 because they are too old to run anything newer. Other models may be eligible for the latest and greatest, and for newer versions not even released yet by Apple. No one can tell you unless you tell us what model you’ve actually got. Go to your Apple menu and select “ABout this Macintosh” and tell us exactly what it says there.
OK my Mactracker app says for the first generation of G4 iBooks you can put up to 1.12 gigs of RAM in them; OS-wise you can at least install “Tiger” (10.4.x, max free upgrade takes it to 10.4.11); that’s if it has the 800 MHz processor; if it has the faster 933 MHz or 1 GHz processor, you can install the current OS version “Leopard” (10.5.x). It will not be eligible for the next OS which is called “Snow Leopard” (10.6) since no PowerPC Mac will be supported by that OS.
You can place a larger hard disk in it if you are simply out of space for new applications etc.
Ok, here’s what I got:
Machine model: iBook G4
CPU Type: Power PC G4 (3.3)
Number of CPUs: 1
CPU speed: 933 MHz
L2 Code (per CPU) 256KB
Memory: 256MB
Bus speed: 133 MHz
Boot ROM Version4.7.7f0
Does this help?
OK then, you can definitely install & run Leopard (MacOS X 10.5.x) if you want to; that’s the current version of OS X.
But you need more RAM for Leopard whether insufficient RAM is or is not the cause of your speed problems. Put at least a full gig in there.
You did not report what version of the OS you are currently running; that should be on that same “About this Mac” screen.
Fair enough, version 10.3.9. The machine dates from 2003, so maybe it’s just age?
With 1Gb of ram and the current OSX version, that machine should be alright to go for a couple of years. It may not be the quickest, but you can probably run pretty much all currently available mac software on it without any problems.
My secondary (backup, auxiliary) computer is a G3 PowerBook accelerated to G4/500 MHz, with 512 MB RAM running 10.3.8 on it.
It kicks butt.
You still have not elaborated on your statement that you “can’t seem to install anything”. Certainly SOME software by this point will indeed refuse to install on an OS as old as 10.3.x, but not all of it. What sw packages have you tried & failed to install, and exactly, explicitly WHAT happened when you tried?
You might just be out of empty hard drive space, which would also make it perform like a dog.
I think you are right it it just the programs I have tried to install can’t run on this version of OSX. I am thinking of getting a later version and installing it can you advise me which would be best? I’d assume that installation would be the same as with Windows, is this correct?
Get the currently latest version (Leopard). It should install on that machine and then you’re completely up to date. One more thing: newer macs all have intel CPUs, while yours has a powerpc CPU. For some software you may need a powerpc-specific version, though in my experience most packages are distributed as universal binaries and should work on either type.
It will be easier.
I upgraded a PPC MacBook about a month ago, and it was pretty much
Insert disc
Pick “archive and install” option
Start process
Wait
Reboot
Enjoy
The only thing that I had to configure was the WiFi network name and WPA2 key. Everything else just worked - even Mail came up with all accounts and mailboxes.