[MacCheetah3]

Hi
Wow, 256MB for The SIms? Sorry, couldn't resist. Anywho. If that is indeed true, than yes, you'll end up with less than 256MB left for "real" memory, as the OS and other processes use some as well. When you begin to fill up real memory the OS goes to "virtual memory" Virtual memory is the OS using hard drive space for RAM. Which is obviously much slower than real RAM but OS X does a pretty darn good job of allocating both virtual and real memory. You shouldn't be worried if you are only doing web surfing, email, word processing, etc, and than playing The Sims with no other apps running in the background. Does that make sense? Of course, the more RAM the better on the Apple side, but 512MB should do an "average joe" user.
MacCheetah3
Apple PowerBook G4 Titanium 1GHz, 1GB, 60GB, SuperDrive, Airport, Mac OS X, and 15GB iPod
Debug Computer Services http://www.click2debug.com

[Switching_Soon]

Well actually I was talking about Sim City 4. But the sims would follow. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Anyways, I just learned that my VAIO notebook only comes with 256 MB SDRAM and a 30 GB hard drive and I have had all of the Sims and Sim City 3000 on there with a bunch of other games and it worked just fine. I am kinda funny in a computing sort of way. I will have a game kick, then an internet spree, then a period where i could not tough a computer and then start over again. I dont know why. I will probably just go off the shelf then upgrade later. (providing i ever get the money /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif)