I have had my macbook since July now, so it is still under warranty etc... My problem is it was bought for me with basic ram 512mb which everyone knows is not enough when it comes to paralells etc. So is it stupid of me to try and install my own ram thus voiding my warranty or should i take it to the mac shop to do it, and if i do do this does anyone know if i have to have the crappy apple ram or can i give them some to put in?
you should be able to get to one of the slots to put your own ram in. if its like a powerbook theres a panel underneath that unscrews, if its like the ibook then the keyboard comes off. not having a macbook i dont know the details. but you should somehow be able to get to the ram
Macbook ram upgrades are straightforward and MUCH easier than the powerbook or iBook RAM upgrades. You take out the *battery* and undo 3 screws. Then you ideally need to replace both sticks at the same time as a matched pair for dual channel to work i.e. get the fastest speed possible. It will not break your warranty and there are instructions on the Apple website as to how its done. Good Luck Edit for being an idiot.
Apple's Help Document You don't have to take out the keyboard, as it is kind of moulded into the whole computer on the macbook. And yes, go for it, as it's relatively easy and it doesn't void the warranty. A word of warning though, is that apple is annoying and installs memory in matched pairs (I guess it makes sense, but whatever) so don't just get a stick of 512 and expect there to be a free slot. You could get a 1 gig stick and have 1.2 gigs though.
Yeah, it's super-easy to do on a Macbook, and won't void your warranty. Technically, replacing the thermal paste on a superheated MBP won't either, so long as you don't actually break the thing in the process. Knowing the terms helps Do what phrozenpenguin said, but replace "keyboard" with "battery". Takes literally two minutes tops.
I don't know why I said keyboard. I know it should be battery as I have done it myself. Must have been asleep. Sorry.
