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Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!wuarchive!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!jarthur!wilkins
From: wilkins@jarthur.Claremont.EDU (Mark Wilkins)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac,comp.sys.mac.hardware
Subject: Re: Memory Questions
Message-ID: <3122@jarthur.Claremont.EDU>
Date: 18 Nov 89 14:05:40 GMT
References: <cZMlnuG00WB404Z0cv@andrew.cmu.edu> <4129@phri.UUCP>
Reply-To: wilkins@jarthur.UUCP (Mark Wilkins)
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.hardware
Organization: Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, CA
Lines: 34

In article <4129@phri.UUCP> roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) writes:
>In <cZMlnuG00WB404Z0cv@andrew.cmu.edu> kn0j+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kenneth Blake
>Nerhood) writes:
>
>> do I have to have a dealer install it or can I do it easily?
>
>	I'll only address the technical issues -- there are also problems
>of warranty violations and the like of which I know little.  Plugging in a
>SIMM is pretty trivial -- if you can plug in a PC board, you should be able
>to plug in a SIMM.  You put the edge with the contacts into the socket and
>then gently push it over to one side until the plastic clips engage the
>holes in the SIMM PC board.

  If you decide to install your own SIMMs, PLEASE, PLEASE use proper static
protection.  The circuitry is extremely sensitive to static discharges which
you may never notice until you boot your machine and get a sad mac, and this
applies to the Mac internals as well as the RAM.
   The solution to this problem is either to wear a static bracelet, usually
an elastic bracelet with a metal piece at the wrist, which has a wire which
you connect to the case of the machine so that your wrist is grounded, or to
touch the power supply's metal case with your working hand and hold onto it
with the other hand while you work.
    Sound like a hassle?  It is.  It's the main reason that doing this will
void your warranty.  And this sort of care is what you pay for when you get
a dealer to do it.  If you routinely do this sort of work or you know
someone who does, then go for it.  I just installed 4 megs of RAM
yesterday.  If you feel even a little uncomfortable, then consider that it
might be better to pay someone $50 and be safe rather than lose $500 worth
of memory or $5000 worth of computer.

  -- Mark Wilkins
     wilkins@jarthur.claremont.edu

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