2,147,483,648 is the Magic Number..

But all you need to remember is 2 gigabytes (or GB). Purchasing a new desktop or laptop for your Practice? Accept no less than 2GB of RAM (or Random Access Memory). Need to replace an aging server? The absolute minimum amount of RAM should be 2GB. See? 2GB is pretty easy to remember.

It's easy for me to throw out an arbitrary number like 2,147,483,648 when recommending how much memory your computers should have, so I'm sure you're wondering why. To put it simply, everything you do on your computer is competing for the use of RAM. Every application uses it, as does the operating system (i.e. Windows, OS X, Ubuntu, etc.) And for the sake of the performance of your computer, it's best they don't share. While a good virture to teach children, sharing (of memory specifically) is not something you want to force upon the installed software.

So now you're wondering why I didn't post this earlier to save you the hassle of upgrading your brand new system? Sorry. It just came to me that I hadn't mentioned it after receiving a client request to do the same. So now you know. And when you're ready, head over to Crucial for the very best in RAM. It's the only place I buy my (and my clients') memory upgrades.