Buying a laptop? Get 2 GB NOW -- here's why

"Memory is cheap." Not really. When the kind of memory you're using is currently being made in huge quantities, it can be cheap-er. Witness the great deals you can get at Tiger Direct or Newegg.

But when it comes to laptops -- and older ones especially, not getting enough memory when you buy the damn thing can bite you in the ass.

I'm in the process of fixing up the Free Laptop, a Gateway Solo 1450 with a busted power plug. I have the part ready, and I'm going to get power to the thing soon. I pulled the memory cover and found out it shipped with 128 MB of RAM -- a PC133 SODIMM.

128 MB? Were they high? This thing also shipped with Windows XP. (I pulled the drive and gave it to the laptop's owner -- I have another drive ready and waiting). How good can XP run in 128 MB?

The thing maxes out at 1 GB. How much could it be, I figured. I see 1 GB of RAM going for $40 to $50 all the time in the Fry's ads ... but that's for CURRENT memory, and usually desktop memory.

But PC133 SODIMM memory? I'll be lucky to get a GB for $75. 512 MB will run me about $40. Hold the f'n phone! That's too much. I'm at the horns of a RAM dilemma.

What I really want: A full GB for $40. Ain't gonna happen.