General question about iBook G4

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I am rather new to Macs - and an old guy (57) - but since I've begun tinkering with them I really think they are wonderful. I buy and sell computers and, recently, got a great deal on an iBook G4 (it was literally like brand new). I sold it because someone offered me the right price. Anyway, I am looking at another (actually a couple) and the descriptions say that they have 640 meg of RAM. When I was tinkering with the one I just sold I did some reading and it was my understanding that iBooks (the G4 versions) shipped with 256 meg of RAM soldered in place and one open slot. In fact, the one that I bought was supposed to have 786 meg but only showed 256; turned out that a 512 stick of RAM needed to be reseated and all was well. So, I've opened an iBook up and, indeed, there's one slot.

What have I got wrong - I mean, there's no such thing a 384 megabyte stick of RAM as far as I know...! If, indeed, iBooks ship with a 256 stick soldered in place how does one come up with 640 meg? Or did some ship with 128 meg "perma-ram"?
 

chscag

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Depends on the particular model of iBook G4. The last model produced in 2005 had 512 MB on the logic board and could take a total of 1.5 GB. The first iBook G4 came out around late 2003. This according to Mactracker - I'm not that good at remembering. :)

Regards.
 

pigoo3

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What have I got wrong - I mean, there's no such thing a 384 megabyte stick of RAM as far as I know...! If, indeed, iBooks ship with a 256 stick soldered in place how does one come up with 640 meg? Or did some ship with 128 meg "perma-ram"?

You need to look up the specific specs for your particular model iBook G4 (Apple released 10 different model iBook G4's).

Depending on the model, they came with either 128, 256, or 512 meg of motherboard ram.

Give us the processor speed of your iBook G4...and we will straighten things out for you.

- Nick
 
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and i am a young guy of 63 and have been playing with OS X for 4 years
 
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Hmmmm

The ones I am looking at are 933 ghz, and, using the site suggested above I found this:

"The iBook G4/933 14-Inch (Original - Opaque White), features a 933 MHz PowerPC 7457 (G4) processor with a 256k "on chip" level 2 cache, 256 MB of RAM...."

So, still, I am utterly baffled. I certainly appreciate everyone's input. If the two I am looking at are, indeed, iBook G4s with 933 ghz processors (that's how they're advertised) how in the world is the seller coming up with 640 meg of RAM. Weird.
 

pigoo3

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The ones I am looking at are 933 ghz, and, using the site suggested above I found this:

"The iBook G4/933 14-Inch (Original - Opaque White), features a 933 MHz PowerPC 7457 (G4) processor with a 256k "on chip" level 2 cache, 256 MB of RAM...."
If you go to Everymac.com, and look up the specs for the G4 iBook 933mhz...and scroll down the page...you will see that is specifically says 128meg of motherboard ram.

The 933mhz iBook SHIPPED with 256 meg of ram! This means 128meg of motherboard ram PLUS a 128meg DIMM installed in the iBooks single memory expansion slot!

I hope this clears things up,

- Nick

p.s. As far as "How is the seller coming up with 640meg of ram?"

128 meg of motherboard ram + 512meg dimm in the iBooks single memory expansion slot...for a total of 640meg of ram.
 
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Nick is correct. If you look at the sodimm fitted, in these iBook's they are usually marked 128 + 128, meaning the chip is 128 MB and another 128 MB is on the logic board.
 
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The 256k on chip of level 2 cache is something totally different from the ram spec that is user upgradeable.
 

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