RAM compatability question

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RAM compatability question

does anyone know if the RAM cards from my blue g3 333 will work in my new(to me) indigo 400?

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Presuming both are iMacs ...

In a word, no.

• The Blueberry iMac (333 MHz, trayloader) uses 144-pin RAM (like you'd find in a laptop).
• The Indigo iMac (400 MHz, slotloader) uses 168-pin RAM (like you'd find in most desktops).

If, on the other hand, we are not talking about iMacs, please clarify.

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yes imacs are what we are tal

yes imacs are what we are talking about.

the imac in questin is bondi blue (i believe) but is a slot loader. can i count the pins or read a number off the cards to find out?

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the problem is

the two iMacs use two different sizes of ram. Laptop memory is in a short/small card which differs from the physical size of the ram. THe indigo uses desktop memory, which is like 3x the physical size of the laptop stick. it's the same with trying to use desktop memory in the 333. The sizes are not the same. If you want to upgrade the Memory in the indigo, you need to find PC-100 or higher speed DESKTOP memory sticks, not like the ones in the 333Mhz BlueBerry iMac, which is LAPTOP memory.
Anyway, hope this helps

Offtopic: does anyone know why apple would use Laptop memory in the early iMacs, instead of desktop? It would have been cheaper to make the CPU Card a bit bigger so as to use desktop memory

Jon
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If it's a blue slot loader, t

If it's a blue slot loader, then it's a BlueBerry or Indigo. It's likely a 350MHz with no FW ports. There were two versions of the 350 slot loader, the main difference being that the Indigo needs MacOS 9 or higher, while the older BlueBerry can boot 8.6.

Low End Mac is a good place to check specs: http://lowendmac.com/imacs/index.shtml

EDIT: It might help if I re-read a thread sometime... The iMac came in Indigo for faster iMacs too.

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thank you for clarifying that

thank you for clarifying that, but my blue i mac is a slot load bondi blue, not blueberry. The cards in it are big and long. the cards in my powerbook are small an short. Will these long cards fit in the indigo or not? is there a way to see on the serial sticker? will all PC100 cards work?

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early iMac geneaology

The tray-loading iMacs listed here use 144-pin (laptop) SDRAM.

• 1998: Bondi Blue (tray-loading, 233 MHz). This was the *only* Bondi Blue model. Ever.
• early 1999: Five Flavors (tray-loading, 266 MHz). Blueberry, Strawberry, Tangerine, Grape, Lime.
• mid 1999: the Five Flavors (tray-loading) were upgraded to 333 MHz. Colors remained the same.

The slot-loading iMacs listed below use 168-pin (desktop) SDRAM.

• late 1999: the Five Flavors (slot-loading) get a completely redesigned logic board and case, and are bumped up to 350 MHz. Same colors.
• also late 1999: the iMac DV is introduced (slot-loading, 400 MHz). Indigo only.

Later slot-loading colors follwed in 2000 and 2001, including Sage, Ruby, Graphite, Snow, Blue Dalmatian, and Flower Power. The color of the case generally indicates its age and speed. Graphite and Indigo were used for the longest periods of time and were shipped with different speed processors over time, so they're harder to pinpoint.

So for clarification's sake:

• If it's a Bondi, it's a 233 MHz tray-loader and uses laptop-style memory.
• If it's a slot-loader, it's *not* a Bondi. It's a Blueberry or Indigo. And it uses desktop-style memory.
• If your Blueberry is a slot-loader, it can in fact use the same RAM as your Indigo.

Not trying to be elitist here, just trying to make sure we're all talking about the same machine, which is crucial on the early iMacs.

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Thank you for that illuminati

Thank you for that illumination CW.
The research I just did would seem to confirm what you stated above. There are rumors of bondi cases being used on the 266 release, but no confirmations.
The computer in question may be in fact blueberry colored, for my mistake I apologize. However my cd drive IS A SLOT LOADER.
My processor IS 333mhz.
I realize that there were distinct revolutions of releases and all that, but my blue computer is a slot loader, and the indigo is too.
I have concluded that my RAM will probably work since it is pc 100, and physically large.

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Old Mac ID. Catch/diversion

Just to add a little more "excitement:"
[and perhaps clarify something along the way, too?]

Realize that for ID purposes, the original configuration of the computer is what is being discussed.

When I describe an old Imacs as having something like a G3 266 with a slot loading CD-RW for example, the real fun begins. In that case, the original tray load CD drive was later replaced with an aftermarket (CD-RW) drive along the way.

Of course the next owner will have a lot of fun trying to identify which IMac they have based on what the casual observer would see in their new (to them) computer, especially if I did not tell them the stock version came with the trayload CD-ROM (or they forgot that little detail when they got around to playing with it!)

That being said, it may be best to just go for it:
Open up the computer and do an inspection of what is actually in the computer today, and proceed accordingly. Worst case scenario is that you do not have the right style of memory and have to decide whehter or not to acquire the right memory sticks.

Hmmm. Worst case is actually that you can not get it back together again, or it does not work when you get it back together again, come to think of it.

I probably should not admit this, but:
In my case, usually if they do not work upon re-assembly, it is a matter of finding out what item(s) were not properly seated or plugged in. When the screen would not come on, i found out that I had forgotten to re-plug the little connector between the circuit board tray and the rest of the computer. Worked much better when it was reassembled properly the second time. (;-)

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