How Much RAM Do I Need for a MacBook?
In 2009, Microsoft aired a commercial featuring a consumer shopping for a laptop for video editing. The consumer rejected Apple's MacBook because it only had 2 gigabytes of RAM pre-installed when other laptops in the same price range came with more RAM. The commercial illustrates the importance of RAM to many users.
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Significance
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Like all computers, Apple's MacBooks load information in the RAM because the processor can access it faster than from any other source. The more RAM you have on your MacBook, the faster your computer will handle multi-tasking such as playing iTunes, surfing the web with Safari, and checking your email with Mac Mail. If you don't have enough RAM to handle all of these tasks at once, your processor will access the hard drive for additional space which slows your computer's performance down.
Types of Users
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Casual users who primarily surf the Internet, check their email and perform other simple tasks with their MacBook may not feel the need for a RAM upgrade and will be satisfied with the default configuration. Gamers, Graphic Artists, and Video Editors who run a lot of memory-intensive applications, often more than one at a time, will want to upgrade their MacBook's RAM to the maximum amount their model supports for best performance.
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Upgrade Capability
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As of August 2010, Apple's MacBook line comes with 2 to 4 gigabytes of RAM installed depending on the model. However, the MacBook is upgradeable to 4 gigabytes of RAM. The MacBook Pro models are upgradeable to 8 gigabytes of RAM. The MacBook Air does not support any RAM upgrades beyond the built-in 2 gigabytes. For older MacBook models, you can consult the Apple History link in the Resources section of this article.
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References
Resources
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