MacBook Air Memory upgrade - Apple Community

Level 4

3,938 points

Feb 1, 2011 9:29 PM in response to DrSagacity

If Dell can make the upgraded memory possible<</div>

Dell has a .11-.68" thick, under 3lbs, solid state, aluminum laptop with upgraded memory? Seriously?

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Feb 2, 2011 5:04 AM in response to DrSagacity

If you are talking about the Dell V13 Vostro, it is actually quite a bit larger case than a MBA. the Dell case ranges from 16.5mm to 19.7mm, while the MBA is tapered from 3mm to 17mm. So the MBA has quite a bit less interior volume for components in order to give a smaller, sleeker form factor. The dell is also about 1lb heavier.

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Feb 2, 2011 5:14 PM in response to Michael Black

I was actually talking about the Adamo. The Vostro is for business users. The Adamo is very similar sized to the MBA. Of course, the last one I saw in person had a strange design where the Screen extended below the keyboard. . .But closed, it looks very similar to the MBA. It also had a very cool finger scan slide to open feature. I think Dell came out with a new design to address the weird way the screen extended below the keyboard.

Look I bought the Mac. I really like it and I am not saying anything negative about it. Buying a Mac also doesn't stop me from saying when other manufacturers have ideas that are better (like upgradeable memory). There are other laptops in the same class, like the Toshiba laptop, which weighs 3.2lbs with an "i" processor, replaceable memory and a built-in optical drive. That's an awesome machine for travel. At the end of the day, I liked the aesthetics of the MAC (for obvious reasons). Clearly the Toshiba has some big advantages over the MBA. But for my purposes, the advantages weren't relevant. Of course, at the time I made the decision, I, like others on this thread, assumed the memory was upgradeable on the MBA.

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Feb 3, 2011 6:37 AM in response to DrSagacity

I did not mean to sound like I was attacking you, or your opinions. All I was pointing out was that, the Dell Adamo/Vostro, the Toshiba line of ultralights - all have significantly differently shaped cases than the MBA. If you look at them in the context of just how tiny an internal space each has, the MBA is by far the most limited in useable internal volume for components. If you look at those others, they are much more box-like in their overall case dimensions and none have anywhere near the extreme taper evident in the MBA case. I'm sure that was deliberate on the manufacturers part - to accommodate conventional laptop hard drives, SODIMM slots and such. But, Apple clearly wanted to go as small and light as possible, with a purely solid state build, and that inherently means that components need to be tightly integrated, hence no room for slots/bays and the other things those other manufacturers still feel need be included.

I'd certainly bet money that at least Dell, Toshiba and likely Sony have plans to put out purely solid state devices too, and you are likely to see their options for expansion disappear too, as they try to match Apple for ever-thinner and ever-lighter ultra-portables. They've already begone to move to non-user accessible internalized batteries, for one thing.

Which, really, is all good. Competition is what got us to this point in laptop design. I hope all the manufacturers do keep pushing each other to one-up innovate.

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Mar 27, 2011 8:47 AM in response to Michael Black

Well, the problem is that 99% of the people doesn't understand you understand what an extra 2 gb of ram will speed up your machine if you do anything serious. I can understand not providing hard drive (ssd) upgradability but no RAM upgrade unless you buy a whole new machine? Apple has an high premium already. A lot of people barely have the $$ to buy one. To shave a few $$ off, they decided to cut the cost by getting less ram in, thinking they can upgrade it (as in most Windows machine). By the time they found they need mroe RAM, they found out you can't upgrade it except to sell it outright. They won't much off places like Craigslist as everybody wants the 4 gig model. In order to sell it, they really have to discount it. Yes, I know it will be a little tough but it is doable! For not upgradable storage, at least you can get the stuff off on the USB. I used to sell computers for a living and I will explain that to a customer when they buy a machine explaining if you want a 3 yr usage out of the machine, you should NOT cut the $ 100 off as RAM is not upgradable. Now, can you imagine that genius at Applestore will explain that to the buyer?

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slyguy_28

Level 2

187 points

Mar 27, 2011 11:01 AM in response to vanguy_123

Apple provides a great overall package with the MBA. The in-store model I bought of the MBA13 comes with the 128GB SSD and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. I'm very pleased with the performance of this machine. It's an ultra portable, light and beautiful laptop that is in a class all by itself. Without peer. If I felt that I needed more processor speed, a larger SSD and more RAM, I would of paid extra, ordered one and waited patiently for it to be delivered. Serious users will probably opt for a cheaper desktop model that is even more powerful (ie iMac).

I'd never even looked at Apple computers until I joined the Apple family when I bought and started using an iPhone 3G. My windows laptop was crap, I hated it and it died right about the same time this new MBA refresh occurred in October. I did my research and discovered that the MBA only has 2GB of RAM and I thought that was fantastic because my windows machine only had 1 GB. Twice the memory? Great!

I went into my local Apple Store (El Paseo Village in Palm Desert, CA) and dropped $1,990 for my new MBA, the SuperDrive, iLife 11, AppleCare and a OnetoOne subscription.

Up until this Mac 10.6.7 upgrade snafu, I've been thrilled with it and recommend it wherever I go...

Sly

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cul8r555

Level 1

0 points

Mar 28, 2011 7:26 PM in response to Photolau

I don't know what everyone here is talking about. I just got an 11.6" MacBook Air, with 2GB of RAM, and, although speedy enough, I made sure at the Apple Store that it WAS upgradeable. The only downside is that you actually have to go to an Apple Store and wait a few hours. Don't believe me? I did it, and now I have it customized to 4GB of memory. So the answer to your question is YES, you can upgrade, but only at an Apple Store.

Edit: I forgot to mention that it costs exactly the same price to upgrade the RAM in-store, ($100) as it does online, if you purchase the machine preconfigured with the 4GB.

Message was edited by: cul8r555

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Mar 28, 2011 7:45 PM in response to cul8r555

cul8r555 wrote:
I don't know what everyone here is talking about. I just got an 11.6" MacBook Air, with 2GB of RAM, and, although speedy enough, I made sure at the Apple Store that it WAS upgradeable. The only downside is that you actually have to go to an Apple Store and wait a few hours. Don't believe me? I did it, and now I have it customized to 4GB of memory. So the answer to your question is YES, you can upgrade, but only at an Apple Store.

Edit: I forgot to mention that it costs exactly the same price to upgrade the RAM in-store, ($100) as it does online, if you purchase the machine preconfigured with the 4GB.

Message was edited by: cul8r555

Sorry, but I call bull on your post. The memory is soldered onto the logic board and the stores are not equipped to "upgrade" MBA 2010 memory. Many/some carry the 1.4 CPU with 4 GB of RAM. If they did anything, they opened one up and swapped SSD hard drives because you were within 14 days of purchase....

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Mar 29, 2011 4:31 AM in response to Michaelworks

Okay, my friends, then I have a side question but related to this thread...as someone who is considering buying a Macbook Air on eBay that comes with the aforementioned 2GB of RAM...how much of a hindrance is it in the end?

All I care to do is show pictures...maybe a little photo editing minor stuff...certainly surfing the web on the sofa and in bed...and finally..perhaps a bit of Xcode development...but honestly I'm not even close to being a professional iOS developer and would just be dabbling.

So with that said..perhaps 2GB is not so bad for me (or the original poster)...

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cul8r555

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 5:17 AM in response to Michaelworks

I don't know how they did it, but they did. I asked them if I could upgrade after purchase, and they said yes, but only at an Apple Store. In fact, I bought mine at Future Shop, but only Apple Store could do it.
Go ahead, call it bull, but I'm the one with 4GB of RAM, after all. Besides, instead of calling it bull, why don't you head out to an Apple Store yourself and ask.

As for the other question, you pretty much hit spot on what I've been doing. Basic work with a dab of Xcode. 2GB is more than enough, but I just got the 4GB upgrade to future proof it against OSX 10.7 Lion, which will probably use more RAM.

Edit: And if you think they swapped the SSD, then you should know that that too, is soldered to the logic board.

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JoeyR

Level 6

8,305 points

Mar 29, 2011 6:30 AM in response to cul8r555

+*And if you think they swapped the SSD, then you should know that that too, is soldered to the logic board*+

Actually... the SSD is not soldered to the logic board and can be replaced fairly easily by readily available third-party replacements.

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Mar 29, 2011 4:31 PM in response to cul8r555

cul8r555 wrote:
I don't know how they did it, but they did. I asked them if I could upgrade after purchase, and they said yes, but only at an Apple Store. In fact, I bought mine at Future Shop, but only Apple Store could do it.
Go ahead, call it bull, but I'm the one with 4GB of RAM, after all. Besides, instead of calling it bull, why don't you head out to an Apple Store yourself and ask.

As for the other question, you pretty much hit spot on what I've been doing. Basic work with a dab of Xcode. 2GB is more than enough, but I just got the 4GB upgrade to future proof it against OSX 10.7 Lion, which will probably use more RAM.

Edit: And if you think they swapped the SSD, then you should know that that too, is soldered to the logic board.

You know not of what you speak.

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cul8r555

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 5:04 PM in response to Photolau

Ok, I might've been wrong about the SSD, as that is something I haven't done, yet I am 100% sure that the Apple Sales associate here in Toronto took in my Macbook Air with 2GB of RAM, and I got it back with 4GB of RAM installed, along with my original 2GB stick in a plastic bag.

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Mar 29, 2011 5:12 PM in response to cul8r555

cul8r555 wrote:
Ok, I might've been wrong about the SSD, as that is something I haven't done, yet I am 100% sure that the Apple Sales associate here in Toronto took in my Macbook Air with 2GB of RAM, and I got it back with 4GB of RAM installed, along with my original 2GB stick in a plastic bag.

RAM for the MBA 2010 are chips soldered onto the logic board, not a stick. By the sounds of it, you have a Macbook, not a Macbook Air. Go to the iFixit site and you can see an MBA 2010 in pieces.

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cul8r555

Level 1

0 points

Mar 29, 2011 6:25 PM in response to Michaelworks

LOL I realize that, however, I am not an idiot, and I believe the fact that MacBook Air is written on the front of it is enough proof that it is in fact a MacBook Air. I too was surprised that it was possible, as I too knew that it was soldered onto the logic board. I was however one of the ones who watched the keynote live, saved up for it, and bought it for $1049 CAD. I have done my research and I am positive, as dumb as it may sound that I have a MacBook Air whose RAM was upgraded from 2GB to 4GB AFTER PURCHASE.

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