[SGVLUG] Laptop memory question...

[Tom Emerson]

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Michael Proctor-Smith wrote:
> On 6/4/06, Tom Emerson <osnut at pacbell.net> wrote:
> -- snip, snip
>> This got me to thinking -- while I remember some time back it seemed
>> every laptop manufacturer had their own proprietary memory scheme ...
>> can anyone confirm [whether or not]
>> these guys are blowing smoke about how much memory it will support? (or
>> that perhaps 256 meg modules really are the largest that this system
>> might recognize...)
> 
> It is not a chipset limitation. It has to do with that the
> motherboard, and or bios. But it is a hardware limitation. Think about
> it at the time "the PC OS" you know the one from Washington could not
> support more then 512MB so there was no reason to spend the money to
> build hardware that could support more then 512MB.  I have a 440BX
> motherboard that can support 1.5GB.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking as well, "but..." this laptop also
[officially] supports Microsoft Windows 2000, which is of NT descent --
while I know win98 has this limitation, I didn't think the NT/2000
version did.

For reference, this is the "Powernotebooks" oem version of the Dell
series (5000?), known in their numbering scheme as a "powerpro III:16"
(not to be confused with a "powerpro 3:16" -- that is apparently a
different model...)

I suppose I could lug this thing over to Fry's and take it to the
"hardware counter" and have them "officially" try a larger memory module
(i.e, "pay them to install it" -- with the caveat that if it doesn't
work, I won't pay them...)  Of course, that would mean actually buying
memory from fry's -- not something I intended to do within this lifetime
nor the next -- so can anyone relate a positive experience regarding
RECENT memory purchases from them?

Tom
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