I just had to do it: after receiving the magical gift of a new MacBook, I had to see what it would do if I “opened ‘er up” on the straightaway. A matched pair of 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM modules ought to do the trick, I figured.
As reported earlier, I’d already seen that Photoshop CS2 ran more slowly on this 1.83 GHz Intel MacBook with 512 MB of RAM than on my 400 MHz B&W G3 with 768 MB of memory. I didn’t time any procedures, that’s just an impression, but believe me, it wasn’t hard to tell. Dreamweaver was almost D.O.A. on the MacBook, and I’m talking about the latest version. It’s quite obvious that some non-universal (PowerPC only) apps really don’t like the Rosetta emulation on the MacBook. In the case of Dreamweaver, I could click on a file in the site files window, and it would take maybe 10-12 seconds before it “registered” or became highlighted. That really slows you down. Even small apps like Tex-Edit Plus (not TextEdit) were noticably slower running in emulation mode, even on a computer supposedly 4-5 times faster.
So I ordered the RAM. Installing it was not a breeze, however.
The instructions that came with the OWC product were excellent. Better than what Apple gives you, in fact. But no one really prepares you for how hard it is to “pop out” the original RAM and seat the new sticks. And as for the metal shield you have to remove first, those screws are ultra-tiny. My instructions also said they were “captive screws,” meaning that they wouldn’t fall out, I suppose, but I could see nothing holding them in. I was so paranoid, I didn’t even test to see if they’d drop out, because I knew the little buggers would bounce off the table and lose themselves in the carpeting. So watch it!
Another thing to watch out for is the flimsy levers for removing the original RAM. Be very, very careful and don’t try to force the modules out in one push. Just ooch it a little bit at a time. Inserting the new ones was mega-difficult. Be prepared to push harder than you ever have, and be extraordinarily careful. However, I did it, and it worked. One good suggestion from OWC was to turn the MacBook around so that you pull with your fingers instead of push. A scary procedure all around, but very doable if you’re calm and wide awake.
And of course the little MacBook flies like a rocket now. Response in every conceivable area is much improved, notably in Safari. The extra memory helps Photoshop and Dreamweaver finally run more quickly than on the old machine, but Dreamweaver still hates Rosetta. Sometimes it won’t even start, but hangs half-launched until I force-quit and try again. There are other anomalies, too, with some HTML documents taking half a minute or so to open.
But the real test of an upgrade like this is, how do I feel about the machine? Simply put, I don’t even want to turn on the other Macs. And despite the small screen, I’ve taken to trying some actual Web site work on the MacBook, just because it’s faster (and quieter), and I can sit anywhere in the house with my AirPort connection and do a little work.
So to sum up the RAM installation results:
1. Finder operation and use of all Tiger-native universal apps is greatly accelerated, sometimes startlingly so.
2. Even with a crappy dial-up connection, Safari is subjectively 2-3X faster.
3. Non-universal apps like Photoshop and Dreamweaver run acceptably fast, though this is in comparison to performance on a six-year-old 400 MHz G3.
4. The thing boots up in a sneeze. Very remarkable.
I realize my impressions might be different if my old Mac were more current, but I’d still say yes, you have to max out the RAM to get the most out of this machine. In my case at least, it was very much worth the effort.
P.S. To briefly touch on some other concerns people have reported with these models: The mushy trackpad button fix (folder paper over the battery) still works fine. There is some very slight case separation in the vicinity of the left-hand palm rest, but no staining. This MacBook doesn’t “moo.” The glossy screen is just fine for me. I don’t think the laptop feels too hot, either.
UPDATE: I now have Dreamweaver better trained. After a re-install, which I doubt was really necessary, I updated version 8.0 to 8.0.2, which seems to behave better with Rosetta. The app isn’t hanging on launch now, and the HTML files that once took a minute or more to open now open almost immediately. Who knows what the problem was, but things are running more smoothly now.
Remember: once doesn’t count with computers. There’s always something else you can do!
And now to work on GRACK!… it’s been a while, and that sidebar add says “all new stories.” I went to a sun dance on Thursday, saw a man pull seven buffalo skulls around a dance circle four times with ropes fastened to bone needles pierced through his back… might be something there to write about, ya think?
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