RAM for G5

[Spartacus]

I called the store where I ordered my G5 today.
First news was that the G5 won't ship until early or mid September!  

Well, I guess that it's not that surprising. But I am disappointed nonetheless.

My vendor then told me that he had a good deal on RAM. 512 MB for 125 Euros. Since the G5 needs the be equipped with a pair of RAM it would mean 250 Euro (about $230). I hesitated and did not order because I was thinking (or hoping) that once the G5 is released and this type of RAM is produced in higher quantities it might be less expensive. The salesman on the other hand claimed that once the G5 was released the RAM price would definitely rise to about 150 Euros for 512 MB.

Now I don't know what to believe.
What would you do? Buy now or wait?

Acutally, I would be satisfied with a total of 1 GB RAM, but the 256 MB modules are 99 Euros each and therefore not a very good offer.

[Paddy]

Spartacus, considering that you live in Europe and serious shipping cost has to figure into this if you buy from the US (to say nothing of whatever duty they decide to slap on it), it looks like the price you've been quoted isn't all that bad. See:

http://dealram.com/prices/27/512MB.html

If you were here in the US and got quoted those prices, you'd be paying about $70 more than you had to - but being in Europe is a different kettle of fish! Data Memory (DMS) do ship internationally though - you might want to check with them about rates. I've dealt with them often (they're only 20 minutes from my house) and they're VERY reputable.

And why does your dealer think RAM prices will be going up? RAM prices have stayed pretty much the same for the past 2 years - I just looked at all my records. I bought lots of it in 2001 at various times - it dropped from $99 for 256MB of PC100 in January 2001 to $29.50 for the same in July of 2001...and there it has more or less stayed. May have risen ever so slightly, but you can still get it for $29 (shipped even!) Perhaps he thinks that there will be some sort of run on PC3200 RAM, but even if there is, it will be short-lived and prices will level out again, if history repeats itself. The electronics suppliers are getting much better at just-in-time production - they learned from being swamped a couple of years ago when the market slowed way down and they got stuck with all kinds of inventory. What's interesting is that the prices haven't increased all that much since that time - a sign that demand is not outpacing the supply. I doubt that the introduction of the G5 will change that all that dramatically. If anything, as the number of machines using this sort of RAM increases, the economies of scale should dictate that it will become cheaper, not more expensive (as long as demand and supply remain constant).

[kelly]

I also believe it will get cheaper.

Depends how patient you are.

I bought 512 MB PC 2700 for $150. Now $90 and been much lower.

[Spartacus]

I think I'll wait then.
Although more RAM than the 512 MB the G5 has by default would be nice, I think I can wait until the RAM prices drop. And if they don't I can still order them for current price (because like you Paddy, I just cannot see why the price should go up. Unless something unexpected happens).

[ljocampo]

Spartacus:

I'm glad you decided to wait.  Paddy & Kelly are right on the money about the RAM market.  But, I'd wait for another reason.  You haven't got the computer yet, and Apple hasn't shipped a G5 yet, so it's my experience that anything can happen between now and then.  I wouldn't buy a thing for the G5 until it arrives at my door step, and I recheck the specs.