I see where you are going, is that what you do? We keep our Macs for almost 10 years, so the overall cost is low after buying them maxed out…
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Apple Begins Selling Refurbished Mac Studio Models
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I guess the kind of people who might have bought a heavily upgraded mini since it comes into their sights?
And yes the percentage depreciation is least in the base models if you’re thinking that way. External storage can be added - for lower spec users 32gb is fine and thunderbolt or usb-c attached SSD or even a NAS might cover the difference.
Unlike some other Apple base models, the base Studio has quite a respectable spec. It really should have 1TB SSD as standard, but 512GB is OK if you're just going to use it as the systems/apps/current project drive and add external.
There's a lot of advantages over the M1 Mini quite apart from the extra CPU/GPU/Codecs - number of I/O ports, support for 4 external displays - and not everybody actually needs more than 32GB of RAM (c.f. 8GB on even the top-end iMacs!)
...but, so what?
I've had plenty of Macs that were silent during idle but sounded like a hoover as soon as they were under any sort of load. Having loud fans starting and stopping is way more distracting and annoying that the continuous, slight white noise that the Studio emits, even under heavy load.
Faulty units that whine are another issue entirely.
Not true in the US at least. They tried requiring verification (unidays) for like under a month earlier this year and then went back to honor system
Coil whine is the factor that might make me reconsider a mac studio. The M2 in a mini enclosure might even be louder or hotter than an M1. I really do value a quiet working environment and so do Apple it would seem.
I was thinking of buying a Mac Studio until I read these comments. I had no idea it had a constantly running fan. That would drive me nuts in my small, quiet space. I'll wait until that's fixed or there's a better option from Apple.
A heavily BTO mini vs a stock mac studio might have different used values later too.
The upper SKU 14/16 inch MacBook Pro with 1tb would be a popular upsell in my book. Similarly for mac studio if offered.
The quietest option appears to be an M1 mini. An M2 would run hotter but we don’t know if it would reuse the same case and if the fans would probably run more in any case.
For people budgeting for the mac studio there is also a 14” MacBook Pro that could be used as well, assuming m1 pro is adequate.
For my desktops/main used machines, I usually only keep them ~3 years, i.e. 2014 Mac mini->2017 iMac Pro->2020 M1 Mac mini-> 2022 Mac Studio.
For laptops or devices that I don't use daily, I typically keep those longer (usually until the OS is no longer supported), and/or I pass them along to family members if I see something "new" from Apple that is interesting i.e. M1 MacBooks.
My use case is not typical. Tech is a hobby for me, so I admit to 'upgrading' more than the average user
I've never heard the fan on my Mac Studio M1 Max, even sticking my head close. I'd recommend listening to one at a store.
That seems to be a topic of personal preference. I don't render videos 80% of the time or compile some code or export huge bunchs of photos. But I do all of that and I would be perfectly fine if the Mac Studio would get to its current default 1315 rpm when it does one of those things. The Mac Studio doesn't sound "like a hoover" at 1300 rpm and this seems also to be enough for 95% of things you can throw at it. So why run it at 1300 rpm all the time and not only when it is necessary?
Congratulations, either you'r room is louder than 25 dB or your ears are not able to hear it at the distance where you have placed your Mac Studio.
I can't recommend listening to anything at an Apple Store if you have the intention of finding out if something is loud or not. Apple Stores are busy, there are talking people, there might be music playing. Often they are in busy shopping centers. In those places it is most definitely louder than 25 dB you will find out nothing by sticking your ear anywhere in a store.
I am sure they do, thats why they have been returned so quicklyBut do they whine?
me also, but the chances are very slim, in fact zero I would say
Huh? How is something not yet available to buy available as a refurb (which would mean someone already bought it new and returned it)?
Impossible to tell in a store tbh, far too much background noise, needs to be in an acoustically treated room. A friend of mine just bought one and says he can hear it whine, though it doesn't bother him, it would me however.
Sad state of affairs when buying something new can no longer be considered “pretty much a guarantee to work”.
They can add it to their Benz EQS, which sounds like a pod racer.It is like the noise electric cars make - gives you a warm fuzzy so you know it is there - and maybe won't trip over it. Now if they can adjust the whine to sound like a TIE Fighter - and a whole group of Apple fans will be thrilled.
It would probably sound fine in a big, busy Apple Store, but my studio is small and quiet, so there's no comparison to be had.
Got my M1 Max Mac Studio today. Set it up, upgrade from macOS Monterey 12.3.1 to 12.4, installed Xcode, ran some builds through. No whine, but it does scream though
Your post and prediction was beaten by just 1mins in this thread just above your post.
How old are you (no offense)? My dad 69 (no joke) can’t hear the beep the microwave makes. He’s not bad of hearing, just certain high and pitched sounds with monotonous curves he can’t register…