Lower Memory Slot - Empty

I have contacted BBC Watchdog with full details of the problem, and urge anybody else in the UK to do the same, as they're usually quite good at putting pressure on companies who ignore problems:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/consumer/tvand_radio/watchdog/contactindex.shtml

I love Apple products and vastly prefer their OS, but I won't tolerate a company not accounting for its defects, especially when I've spent nearly 2 grand on a computer. The fact that it's nearly 3 years old is irrelevent - it wouldn't have failed by now if it weren't for the defect.

I have also just had my powerbook stop recognizing the lower RAM slot. I have phoned Apple support and was told that I am not eligible for the logic board upgrade because my serial number is not in the range of the covered models. What gives? I am obviously having the same "known" problem that is being serviced for the "correct" serial number range. It doesn't seem like the problem is isolated to the serial numbers being covered. It looks like it is a much larger problem.

Please Apple, address the entire group that is affected by this problem. Or, at the very least, offer to send out a rebate coupon for the cost of 1gb of RAM so that we can fill the upper slot to capacity and run our machines to the ability that we purchased them for.

Hello. I just had the failure on my 22-month-old 15-inch G4 PowerBook 1.5GHz. Fortunately, I have 1GB in the upper slot, so the PowerBook is still perfectly usable.

I need to ask you guys something: Will I be ok if I leave the computer as it is? Is it safe to continue to use it that way, or is there a risk that the logic board will fail completely? See, I'm in the middle of my thesis and I can't really afford to be without my computer for too long, and I'm in Venezuela, so any repairs are going to take too long and cost me an arm and a leg. For how long have you guys had this failure?

I have been running my PB in 1-gig-in-upper-slot (nothing in lower slot- physically or recognized) configuration for about 6 months now, and it seems to be doing fine (better than ever, actually). This at once may be a comment on how great these machines were really MEANT to be, as well as a totally random run of hardware luck. I prefer to think that it is just the good Lord allowing my machine to continue to function!

Hope this helps (if anything, it indicates that you should be able to get through your thesis).

I had one repair under warranty and I was told that a bad ram module had caused the trouble. I had the same problem one year later - out of warranty - and now my PowerBook G4 15", 1.25 GHz runs only on one ram slot. I have used Macs since the LC III and this is my fouth Mac. But after this happened I don't know if I will buy a Mac again.

I have 1.25 hrz PB with the same missing memory problem. I put 1GB stick about a year ago in the upper slot and it is stil working without the lower slot.

Nonetheless, it cost me about $300 to buy the additional memory and I do not want to spend any more on the PB without Apple acknowledging the defect.

I suspect that my PowerBook G4 (1.5Ghz) also has the same proble. When I found out that the Ram in the Lower Slot is missing, I drove 1 hour to Apple Store. The guy of the Genius Bar swaps rams in upper and lower slots, both rams come alive. So he believed that RAM got loose. So I happily drove one hour back. When I turned on my Powerbook at home, the LOWER MEMORY SLOT is missing AGAIN. I am wondering whether it will be useful for me to drive another hour to Apple store (get it fixed there and one of the rams will be missing when I am home).

PowerBook G4 1.5 Mac OS X (10.4.7)

One more to the club...
Yesterday my PB 15 (Combo drive, 1GB RAM, bought February 2005) froze while playing a movie. After a reboot I had only 512MB RAM. Changing the memory bars showed, that the lower memory slot is not working anymore.
So, this is the second time my PB has this problem. A year ago, my PB went to the Apple service center to have this logic board replaced after "losing 512MB RAM". That was on warranty. Now, the warranty has ended and I have the same failure again.
Wonderful work, Apple! I'm very, very pleased to have bought such a piece of crappy hardware!

Apple,

Please help us. Add me to the list with the others that have a dead lower memory module. Called AppleCare but I'm out of the serial range. You have to extend the serial range, it isn't fair. A lot of these people are Mac enthusiasts, don't do this to us. A lot of us have converted the typical PC user to the Mac platform. We've helped you, can you please help us? Thank you.

- Josh

Powerbook G4 1.5 purchased in Aug 04. Computer has been running abnormally slow and just discovered that the lower RAM slot is reflecting empty. Unbelievable that Apple is not taking responsibility for this. I have already talked 3 people in switching over to Macs. That will stop today.

I had the same issue with missing RAM, but on my PB 1.5Ghz the upper slot was always not recognised every time I reboot on some occassions it works just fine. The lower was always working fine.

The first symtoms of this problem was contant freezing of the PB. This freezing started happening since April 2006, my PB is 24month old and work fine prior to April 2006.

On July 28th, I did something that I think fixed the issue, read this thread here, hope it's helpful.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=436503&tstart=0#2822898

Before reading the discussions on this problem, I purchased a 512 MB card to replace the failed 256 MB in the lower slot. I wish now that I had purchased the 1G since the upper slot is the only one working. This is my first Apple product and my LAST. I was one of the lucky to have the white spots on the display. Like for everyone, it isn't convenient to send my computer off to be fixed. I just called Apple Support, if that's what you want to call it ... The quote to correct the lower memory slot problem is $975. I know I'm just venting. I loved my PowerBook the first year. I am soooooooooo angry with Apple for not standing behind their product. This problem is obviously due to a faulty product. There has been some suggestions that the problem could be due to the Powerbook overheating. Mine gets too hot to touch! I asked Apple Support about this and was told it was normal. I'm a very dispappointed Mac user.

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Well this missing RAM and frequent freezing has probably a lot to do with the updates 10.4.6 and 10.4.7 because prior to these updates being released back in April 2006, my PB was happily running well for over 18months without freezing nor missing RAM. So far since July 28th after giving the RAM slots on my PB a thorough clean out, it has been running pretty fine no freezes and recognizes the 2GB RAM that is installed. I wonder for how long though. Keeping my fingers crossed.

On to another story, one of my friends has a PB 12in DVI 1GHz. Her PB is fitted with a 1GB RAM module PC2100, prior to 10.4.6 update, her system profiler showed 1.25GB of total memory, but now it only shows 786MB (256MB onboard and 512MB in the single slot), what's up with that?

Where did 512MB of memory go missing to? I helped check the PB for her by installing the suspect PC2100 1GB module to another machine (a Windows PC) and it recognises it as a full 1GB module, so why does the Apple PB says the module is only 512MB?

Mind you this mem module in question is Apple certified and came with the PB, unfortunately my friend has no Apple Care (does that make a difference?) and machine is out of warranty too so she is flat out of luck.

I also did another test on her PB, I put in my PC2700 1GB module into her machine and guess what the 12inch PB recognises that as a full 1GB module, which confirms the slot is functioning at least. I might just get m friend to go buy a PC2700 1GB module instead. Funny these Apples?

I have a variation on this same theme happening to my PB 15" FW800. I had to have the logic board replaced about a year and a half ago for the lower slot failure. Since the 10.4.7 update I've had a number of bizzare symptoms. Both slots are recognized but somehow 1GB + 512 MB = 1.25 GB recognized RAM!


Rather than double posting, please take a look here:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2839325&#2839325

PB 15" FW800 1.25 ghz - iMac 20" G5 2.0 ghz - Sawtooth 400 mhz Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Hey,

I know I posted about this in the other thread but I just wanted to add my name onto this rather long list.

Same prob, lower memory slot giving up, showing half my memory in sys profile.

Once again I'm not covered by the serial range, its no where near large enough by the looks of things, I'm on a W84320XXXXX PowerBook and being a University student its unlikely I will be able to afford to get this fixed myself.