Thanks for your inputs folks 

I do have 512MB of RAM (PC800)

From what I read on the internet via Google, my motherboard is incompatable with every type of RAM known to man except PC600 and PC800s.  They are on sale for around $200 for a 512MBYTE kit-and that's from a discount house--I don't trust them.  They are also on sale from the normal distrubutors for $299.99 for a kit.  What I have is a Gateway 700SE with an Intel (Lexington 2) motherboard 2002 vintage.  Apparently Kingston does not make or distribute PC800s anymore.