[bigdog9586]

Ok I installed my 2 gig ram and I don't see any difference. So what good is it and what can I do to improve the speed and make use of the extra ram.

[UnaClocker]

Load more programs.

If you are using the Linux Dell put on the Mini9, 2gb of ram is useless, it can't use more than 800megs.. Any other OS, it's just a matter of using more programs at one time.

[Circs]

If you're on linux and want to use 2gigs:
deb http://dell-mini.archive.canonical.com/ubuntu hardy-netbook-remix main universe multiverse restricted
Add that to your software sources. It un-gimps it.
Source: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?p=6435627

As for 2 gigs it keeps your mini from having to page to disk when a program needs more available memory. Meaning that when you have more ram big things happen faster (RAM read/write speeds vs SSD read/write speeds.) That's kind of oversimplifying it though.

Think of it like this, your RAM is your desk and your SSD/HDD is your filing cabinet. If you have a bigger desk you can have more things on it, or bigger blueprints on it. But if you have the Robinson's file up and you want to compare it to the Jones' in the filing cabinet you have to open the drawer, find the file, and then put it on the desk and open it up. Now if your desk is already full you'll have to put something away into the filing cabinet. (That is paging to disk) Now if you're constantly going back and forth to the cabinet for files because you've got a postage stamp of a desk you can see where this becomes troublesome. This is a problem called "thrashing" (Yes seriously, that's the technical term)

I hope that was clear, because I don't feel like I wrote that all that well.

[UnaClocker]

Well explained. Now we locked the 2gb ram upgrade thread because this topic has been discussed to death. With this excellent reply above me, I'm locking this thread as well. No more discussing a simple ram upgrade people, it's $17, either do it or don't do it. Don't whine about it.