Why Does a Ram Upgrade from Apple Cost $420?

Because you are comparing Apples and Oranges ( pun intended ) The two are different RAM’ s the Crucial you install and the Apple RAM is installed on your warranted “sealed” laptop.

edited bad syntax and grammar

The selling price of everything is based on supply and demand.

So I want to be cheecky and say “Because Apple customers seem to like to pay more for stuff” but I think it is more likely that apple haven’t updated their price for that item since 2009. Back then RAM, particulalry high density RAM was expensive. Edit – although having said that I’ve just looked at the modules for 2011 macbooks and they’re same price! so maybe Apple customers do kie to get screwed.

@Tropical_Willie The two RAM modules are exactly the same. You don’t even get installation with apple one, you install your self as well. They just post the thing to you with instructions.

For the same reason a headlamp on a mercedes costs more than the headlamp on a chevy and I don’t know why that is. I won’t pay the prices for the mercedes or its parts because I don’t think it gets me where I am going any better than the chevy. But I love my Mac and its worth every penny.

What a rip off. I upgraded my own ram for 100 dollars, although it was a PC. Is it that difficult to install yourself on a MAC?

@Blackberry not if you know one end of a scewdriver from the other. And note that apple RAM still has to be installed by you. That extra money isn’t going towards having apple install it.

@Lightlyseared Oops, I see now. If the same unit has such a difference in price, that’s still ridiculous :(

@Blackberry Exactly. I mean I don’t mind paying a little mark up if I like the retailer or they’re delivery methods suit me a bit better or whatever but that’s just ridiculous

It’s a trick. An Apple “Genius” told me himself I’m better off buying RAM from a third party than from the Apple Store. Apple doesn’t even make RAM they are using other brands. I get the same 1 year warranties and same speed and same happiness :) Truth be told.

First of all, when buying RAM for your PC or Mac, make absolutely sure you’re buying the right specifications. Most RAM chips are not compatible with your Mac, even if they’re the capacity you want.

Second, any time you buy a particular brand’s certified OEM RAM – be it Apple, Dell, HP, whoever – you’ll always pay a premium. They do it because they can… but they back it up by guaranteeing your computer’s warranty support.

Third, you certainly can buy compatible RAM much cheaper from a third party. I just did exactly that, getting 8GB of RAM (in two 4GB DIMMs) for my wife’s MacBook Pro.

Fourth, if you do get RAM from a third-party, make sure you keep your old RAM on hand. If you do need to take your Mac in for warranty service, simply swapping the old RAM back in will put you back in compliance.

Fifth, your Mac is not “sealed”. You can swap out the RAM chips yourself. >> looking at you, @Tropical_Willie.

Sixth, when it comes to RAM for a Mac, I only look at Kensington brand. They’ve been making high-quality Apple components for years. As the old saw goes, you do get what you pay for.

Apple actually does adjust RAM prices. They just do it very slowly. About every 18 months they will adjust it to match current prices. But RAM prices have dropped like a brick. I paid 119 from Newegg for 2X4 about 8 months ago. The same thing is 35 bucks now.

@robmandu I was led to believe that an Apple had a screw with a “indicator” painted in the slot to indicate the machine being opened.

It’s a beautiful thing sometimes this “free market” economy. They charge it b/c they can, just like you can choose to buy it from them or to buy it somewhere else.

In addition, some people place value on buying from them because they are guaranteed what they are getting. I bought Crucial memory from Newegg before and it was shoddily wrapped. I had no guarantee, in fact, that it was brand new as stated. But hell, I saved a few hundred bucks. Some people are willing to pay the extra, and nobody’s nobody to tell someone what their values should be, because it is worth the “peace of mind.”

The alternative is to live in a less-free (who knows, socialist, even communist) society where the government will be glad to tell Apple what they CAN and CAN NOT charge for something. To “protect competition.”

For the same reason they charge $1000+ for a machine with specs inferior to my setup; because they can.

Last I checked, Apple had far and away the highest profit margins in the computer industry; their price is not because they cost more to build, but because they make more money per sale than everybody else. That is less true on their non-Mac products, but with the margins they have on Macs, they could afford to sell the iPad at a hefty loss and still make money overall.

@mrrich724 Good point. Many people pay for the Apple logo out of some erroneous notion that they are more reliable (despite being fourth behind Sony, Asus, and Toshiba) while some are willing to pay that for the great customer service (something I have never had use for; take my money, give me my component, and STFU!), and some because all the cool kids have Apple and they will pay any price to be cool.
But all of those are some form of peace of mind, whether it be a delusion, a friendly smile and some hand-holding, or the contentment of conformity.

The nice thing about Apple is that they try to make it hard to buy from anyone else, whether it be licensing restrictions, snapping up patents, or just trying to make a profit by means other than making a superior product (which they used to do beyond any doubt back in the day; they lost their edge years ago though). The fact that they are still around illustrates some important lessons about the free market economy.