Vista provokes a RAM shortage

While it's pretty common to install at least 1GB of RAM with OSX, it is much rarer - and less needed - with XP. Vista is going to change this with its "Vista Ready" certification requiring 1GB of RAM.
This certification has begun to put a heavy strain on the market, which might not be able to supply enough RAM to fulfill the demand. A big raise of the memory modules is therefore to be expected, and it will last as long as the supply isn't up to the demand, which could take over a year.