PowerBook RAM cost

Why is RAM for the new[er] PowerBooks (Aluminum) so expensive? A gig module runs North of $400. I spent $125 the other day for a 512MB chip, but since I have both slots filled with lousy 256MBs I will only get a net gain of 256MB. I have waited a long time for the prices to come down but they haven’t.

It would cost $850 in aftermarket RAM to get 2GB, or a massive $1,200 if you get it from Apple. That adds 33-60% onto the price of the computer depending on the RAM and on the model. Ouch!