Apple Store RAM Installation

Question

Level 1

0 points

Apple Store RAM Installation

Hi everyone, this is my first post here so please be gentle. 🙂

I'm from the UK but I'm about to embark on a road trip in the States in a couple of weeks. I'm a photographer and considering I use Aperture and Photoshop extensively I have been thinking about upgrading my MBP's RAM from 1GB to 2GB (2x1GB sticks). With the strong pound I figured I would do this when I get Stateside.

My question is, does anyone know how much Apple charges to install RAM in a US Apple Store? I know in the UK it's £23.50 (I called and asked) so I was wondering if there's an equivalent figure. I'm an Applecare member but I'm assuming that even though I'm buying the RAM from the Apple Store, they wouldn't install it for free?

And yes, I know that 'third party' RAM is cheaper and I could install it myself, but I can't be bothered going searching for a Phillips 00 screwdriver and I also need to make sure that it works right off the bat as I'll need it for the trip, so I'd rather pay the extra and have Apple do everything for me. I'm just wondering if it's cost effective to get it done in the States, or maybe just bite the bullet and get it done here. It would cost £263.50 (about US$520) to get the upgrade at the Apple Store, Regent Street.

Thanks guys! I've been lurking here for a while now but I finally decided to come out and join the discussions! If anyone could help I'd be very grateful.

Macbook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Posted on Jun 7, 2007 11:28 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Jun 7, 2007 11:41 AM in response to Cinesister

Welcome to the Discussions!

$520! That is robbery in the truest sense of the word!

For the difference in price, I certainly would be bothered. You can get 2GB from macsales.com for less than $100 and buy a OO screwdriver for $5.

Buy it and do it yourself, then take your significant other out for a very nice dinner with the $400 you saved. It will be money better spent.

Reply

Answer 2

Jun 7, 2007 11:44 AM in response to Cinesister

To answer your question $175 for 1 1gb stick, $350 for 2 1gb sticks, 30 for installation on a 2.16 mbp

Reply

Answer 3

Cinesister Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 7, 2007 11:45 AM in response to Eric Kracinski

LOL true, but my concern is that I leave for my trip next Friday and I don't really have the time to be messing around looking for precision screwdrivers and cheap memory deals online/researching the best compatible memory etc. I just want it to work. It wouldn't be $520 if I got it done in the US, hence my eagerness to find out what Apple would charge for installation at an Apple Store. 🙂

I'm basically paying for convenience and peace of mind, I completely know that, and maybe I am a glutton for punishment, but I just want the thing to work and not crap out on me halfway through my photography trip because I bought bad memory or I didn't seat it properly or something! lol

Thanks for your response!! And your friendly welcome. 🙂

Macbook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Reply

Answer 4

Cinesister Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 7, 2007 11:47 AM in response to Ray Haneski

And that answers my question perfectly! Thanks so much. Even when you factor in the cost of sales tax and installation, it's still over $100 savings to get it done at the Apple Store. It's ridiculous how overpriced things are here (but on the same token, I'm loving how strong the pound is right now!)

Thanks so much, you're a superstar.

Macbook Pro 15" Mac OS X (10.4.9)

Reply

Answer 5

Kappy

Level 10

361,747 points

Jun 7, 2007 11:53 AM in response to Cinesister

I believe the installation fee in the US is the same (in USD, however, which should be around $45.) RAM cost is separate.

The screw driver you need should be available in most hardware stores or could be part of an eyeglass frame repair kit. You might then compare the cost of buying the RAM yourself versus paying Apple's price plus the cost of the screw driver. You could save quite a lot of money. Third-party RAM prices are less than half what Apple charges. Presently a 1 GB DIMM (lifetime warranty) is selling for around $49.00 USD. I doubt the screw driver would cost more than a couple of £s. Certainly less than £23.50.

Anyway, it's worth a thought. In USD you could do it yourself for less than $150.00 including shipping, handling, and the cost of the screw driver. That's about $370 USD less than your estimated cost.

I buy my RAM from DataMem. They are very reliable. I have bought RAM from them for over 10 years with complete satisfaction. Their prices are always competitive and their products have always worked for me. If you know in advance where you will be for a period of time you could arrange for them to ship the RAM to your US locations's address. Even if you are unwilling to do the installation yourself, you could take the RAM and computer to an Apple store for the installation. You would still save a lot of money in the process.

Reply

Answer 6

Cinesister Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 7, 2007 12:40 PM in response to Kappy

Am I right in believing that the Apple Store would only install their own RAM?

Anyway, thanks for all the great advice but I had already decided that I don't want to go down the third party route. I had considered it because of the huge savings, but my concern is that if anything went wrong somewhere down the line (and it's not like that's unprecedented with this kind of equipment!) I would be stuck with some memory sticks from a US supplier, and trying to return/refund those would tougher than if I bought from Apple.

Basically I have Applecare and if anything goes wrong I like being able to pop into Regent Street and just go "hey, what's up with this", which I'm guessing I wouldn't be able to do if I a) installed the memory myself (if it was a problem with the installation or something) and b) didn't buy the memory from Apple. I like the convenience and because I plan to travel a lot, I like the fact that Apple is standardised across the globe, so if I go into an Apple Store anywhere I can get a straight answer and a repair (most of the time! lol)

I know a lot of people probably think I'm a mug because I'm paying through the nose, but honestly I like the peace of mind of just handing the machine over and getting it back faster. If anything goes wrong then or later on, it's not my problem, it's theirs. The potential for failure is higher if I go third party, and when I'm travelling and my MBP becomes critical to my workflow, the last thing I want to do is worry about opening it up with a tiny screwdriver and fiddling around inside.

I priced it and with sales tax and install it comes to around $410 which is still far below what I would be paying in pounds for the same thing. So even though I'm not saving as much as I would do with 'third party', I do have convenience and peace of mind on my side, and that means a lot for me, to be honest. Usually I'm a complete geek and like to do things myself, but this time I just want to get it done and carry on with my trip. 🙂

I really appreciate you taking the time to put your thoughts across though, it's all stuff I've already considered before I posted on the board so I'm afraid I'd already made my mind up! 🙂 Thanks anyway though.

Reply

Answer 7

Kappy

Level 10

361,747 points

Jun 7, 2007 12:51 PM in response to Cinesister

Yes, they will install other party RAM, but they may hit you with a higher service fee ($65.00 or $75.00 USD depending upon the hourly service rate.)

I do understand your concerns. It's not my intent to try and change your mind rather to provide you with the best information to help you with your decision. You should always chose the option that is best for your situation even if it isn't the most cost effective. Cost is only one dimension of the decision which must be balanced against the other factors of the decision.

Good luck and have a nice trip to the US. Enjoy our "cheap" prices.

Reply

Answer 8

Cinesister Author

Level 1

0 points

Jun 7, 2007 2:43 PM in response to Kappy

Thanks again! You're completely right...you can't put a price on reliability/convenience/peace of mind IMHO, and those things definitely factor into my decision making process!

I hope to enjoy my trip a great deal. And yes, I will definitely be taking advantage of my strong pound. 😉

Reply