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Mac OS X: Mac memory question
Mac memory question
by lane102 - 1/18/09 9:58 PMWhy do the Macs for sale in the Apple stores come with only 2 or 3 gigs of memory. Is OS X able to operate optimally with less memory than XP or Vista? I asked at the store, but they were not very helpful.
You could ask the same question
by mrmacfixit
- 1/19/09 4:55 AM
In reply to: Mac memory question by lane102
about any manufacturers machines.
Why do some Dell machines only come with 1GB?
To answer your second question, yes, OS X is able to operate optimally with less memory than XP or Vista.
You can max the memory out if you want to, in which case, OS X would operate optimally with the extra RAM.
P
Memory Usage
by jedirock - 1/19/09 7:57 AM In reply to: You could ask the same question by mrmacfixit
It depends on how you look at it. In my experience, Leopard uses more memory than Win7 or XP, although about the same as Vista. It seems to use this memory more effectively or something though.
In short, no matter the machine, more memory is better, at least up to a point. That point is around 6 or 8GB right now, but it'll increase in the next couple of years. Should you go with that much memory? Probably not. 2 or 4GB should suffice for most people.
Makes you wonder doesn't it?
by R. Proffitt - 1/19/09 6:23 AM
In reply to: Mac memory question by lane102
Did you boot up and shutdown that Mac in the store? And if you can find one, try the usual 512MB or 1GB Mac Mini. It's quick and beats your average PC in boot time and say launching iTunes.
As to why this is, that's a long technical discussion. Not many would enter into a computer science discussion at a retail venue. You would have to find just the right person.
But look at the corporate psych of the two companies. One you read about code factories, managed code and the other you hear about a passion for excellence. Is that a clue to where the issue is?
Bob
Thanks all for answering my question
by lane102 - 1/19/09 9:28 PM In reply to: Makes you wonder doesn't it? by R. Proffitt
I never thought to shut down and power-up one of the computers. I bought a Powerbook G4 (Jan 30, 2004!!) that came with 512MB of memory. I added 2 GB 6 months ago and it's as fast and sometimes faster than my Dell desktop.
OK I don't have another question, I just like talking about my Powerbook G4:)
other factors
by donalpixny - 1/31/09 10:33 AM In reply to: Mac memory question by lane102Start-up times are heavily influenced by the default list of apps that open at start-up. Both machines come with a standard set - my guess is that Windows' set is a bit bloated - which can be edited. Ideal memory is also heavily dependent on what you plan to do. My Mac store, Tekserve in NYC, publishes a chart of memory requirements for different uses. Not unsurprisingly, video editing needs the max 8 Gig, but for many uses the installed minimum will work well, or only 4 Gig is needed. Of course additional memory may improve performance (marginally?) but at considerable expense. Also, the same apps do not necessarily use the same level of memory while performing identical tasks on different platforms.
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