Apple CPUs vs future proofing

[workerbee]

There’s an awful lot of «max out as much as you can afford to future proof your new MacBook Pro and/or keep its resale value up» going on in these threads here currently, it sometimes feels as if Tim was here online and giving out advice. (TBH, I have to be very careful not to fall into this trap, it just looks so… attractive).

if Apple was to start switching macOS over to their own ARM CPUs soon, a lot of this would probably fly out the window even faster than it will anyway, I guess.

 

[Pangalactic]

Future-proofing is made up marketing term aimed at getting more $$$ from the customers. Truth is, no one knows the future, so future-proofing is literally impossible.

 

[Dominus Mortem]

On resale you get diminishing returns, as your maxed out 2 TB, 64GB I9 machine will cost you 4k or more now, but when you go to sell it years from now the resale will based on the cost/value of those components then, not now, and those pricier components drop in cost/value faster. It's like buying a 911 Porsche and getting all the fancy upgrades, which causes you to drop 20k or more than base, but when you sell it years later, no one wants to give you a thin dime for any of those upgrades.

Plus, you'll want to get more money in return when yo sell it than a base computer goes for then on the used market, making it less attractive to the larger crowd, limiting yourself to people willing to pay a premium on a used product. I contend that the base models and the modestly configured models enjoy the least dip in resale when you go to sell used in the future. So, the reason to max out a machine should never be toward resale. And future-proofing is all in the eye of the beholder. I've been getting 16 GB of memory in my MBPs for the last 6-7 years now and the memory pressure these days is hardly any different than it was back in 2012. I'm guessing in 2021 or so when I go to replace my '19 16" I'll probably still buy whatever the base config is. I'm getting it will be still be 16 gigs. Think about how much that really is. That's a LOT of memory.
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[-narcan-]

Yeah , the future proofing trap is an easy one to get in to. It assumes everything else stays constant, when in reality it does not.

If I wanted to 'future proof' my 2016 MBP, I really should have specced it out with a scissor keyboard and a 16" display...

 

[leman]

Yeah , the future proofing trap is an easy one to get in to. It assumes everything else stays constant, when in reality it does not.

Even worse, people just don't understand how basic computing works. As in: how is a CPU with 5% higher peak performance make your machine last longer?

 

[workerbee]

Plus, you'll want to get more money in return when yo sell it than a base computer goes for then on the used market, making it less attractive to the larger crowd, limiting yourself to people willing to pay a premium on a used product.

This can actually be somewhat fun to watch, as in: right now, there quite suddenly seem to be an awful lot of top-specced mid 2019 and 2018 15" MBPs on the secondhand/used market here, and their pricing is generally hovering somewhere between not-terribly-attractive and downright «you must be dreaming to think anyone would pay this and not get a brand-new 16"».

 

[Donnation]

I think it makes sense to get what you want, with the specs you want, without worrying how much it will sell for down the road. I paid quite a bit for my 2015 back in 2015 because that's what I wanted. It didn't sell for nearly what I paid for it 4.5 years later, while selling for maybe a couple hundred more than lower spec'd models. I paid more and sold it for a little more, so I really didn't come out ahead over someone that paid less and sold for less.

 

[maflynn]

and/or keep its resale value up»

The issue that I noticed is that highly specc'd MBPs do not hold their value. What I mean by this is, that there when someone is buying a used laptop they're not looking for the highest configuration but the best deal. Sellers who have a top of the line machine will naturally want to recoup their investment, so their price is going to be high.

I think configuring a laptop (any laptop) for future re-sale is a mistake, get what you need and then when its outlived its usefulness, then try to get something for it

 

[-narcan-]

I think it makes sense to get what you want, with the specs you want, without worrying how much it will sell for down the road.

Definitely makes sense to buy what you want and need. I think the point in question is more trying to second guess what you want and need in the future and over speccing your machine, for something you don't need now, but think you'll need in the future.

 

[pshufd]

I have a 2014 and needed more performance so I bought a 2015 and use both of them. That gives me 32 GB of RAM (16 was a problem), and fixed some of the video lag issue on high-resolution monitors. Of course the downside is that I carry around two laptops with me.

The 2019 looks really good and I have no doubt that they will fix the two currently known problems (speakers, light bleed) in the near future. I just don't need it with my current solution. I would like one though. So we'll see. I'll keep reading the comments on how they are doing from the early adopters.

 

[dead flag blues]

My work requires a more ‘pro’ piece of kit, and I hang onto hardware for a long time. I’ll likely keep my new MBP for ~3 years, and use it intensely. I’ve upped the spec because time is money and I don’t want to swap out hardware too soon.

 

[Sgt93]

I’m still using a Mid 09 MBP 13” maxed out and installed an SSD years ago and memory (when you were able to do so easily). Obviously I’m not doing much on it and it’s finally not being updated by Apple anymore, but I surf the net. It was such a great system but it’s time to upgrade... or is it!?... I’m retired lol.

 

[pshufd]

I’m still using a Mid 09 MBP 13” maxed out and installed an SSD years ago and memory (when you were able to do so easily). Obviously I’m not doing much on it and it’s finally not being updated by Apple anymore, but I surf the net. It was such a great system but it’s time to upgrade... or is it!?... I’m retired lol.

My 2008 died in 2018, screen went and used it with a KVM and then the battery expanded but I didn't notice it. They don't last forever. Can you manage for a few days without a computer? My approach is to have a current model and a backup in case the current dies. That way I have something to use while getting a replacement.

 

[Sgt93]

My 2008 died in 2018, screen went and used it with a KVM and then the battery expanded but I didn't notice it. They don't last forever. Can you manage for a few days without a computer? My approach is to have a current model and a backup in case the current dies. That way I have something to use while getting a replacement.

I rarely use it so I can manage without it, however; I’m thinking about doing some part time development so an upgrade would be necessary, and I’m ok with that. I would miss my mid 09 though as it’s been great.

 

[pshufd]

I rarely use it so I can manage without it, however; I’m thinking about doing some part time development so an upgrade would be necessary, and I’m ok with that. I would miss my mid 09 though as it’s been great.

A lot of the new tech is nice - sometimes it makes you forget about the old stuff pretty quickly. My 2014 is hooked up to a 4K monitor and that's really nice for trading. My 2015 is hooked up to dual-QHDs. The new 16s have 11 hour battery life - nice to be able to go out all day without the power brick.

 

[Sgt93]

A lot of the new tech is nice - sometimes it makes you forget about the old stuff pretty quickly. My 2014 is hooked up to a 4K monitor and that's really nice for trading. My 2015 is hooked up to dual-QHDs. The new 16s have 11 hour battery life - nice to be able to go out all day without the power brick.

I can imagine it will feel great to have a new MBP. I just hope it lasts as long as this 09 has for me.

 

[pshufd]

I can imagine it will feel great to have a new MBP. I just hope it lasts as long as this 09 has for me.

I can say that it feels like my 2014 and 2015 will last a decade. I don't know if I'll be the owner at that time though.

 

[jerryk]

Future proofing seems like a fools errand to me. Technology moves on. Look at the performance and SSD size of the lowest power 16" versus the 2019 15". Big leaps for the same money.

To some degree the 2016-2019 15" performance were artificially limited by Johnny Ives obsession with thinness. Now that he is gone the performance increases can keep up with the latest technologies.

 

[LoganT]

I maxed out my 16” not for future proofing but because I want all the power I can get. I don’t care about resale mostly because I find selling expensive items to be a pain and I also tend to run my Macbooks into the ground before I replace one or until I have saved up enough money, whichever comes first.

 

[Jimmy James]

I’m using an older machine on which I upgraded ram and storage. Twice. Alternatively, I could have bought a new machine. Or two. Saved me thousands.

Now that we have soldered parts buying up front is the only option for most. If you I think you’ll need something during its lifespan do a cost benefit of the upfront cost vs. a purchase/resale transaction. No one can know the future but you can make an educated decision with a moderately predictable outcome.

 

[pshufd]

I’m using an older machine on which I upgraded ram and storage. Twice. Alternatively, I could have bought a new machine. Or two. Saved me thousands.

Now that we have soldered parts buying up front is the only option for most. If you I think you’ll need something during its lifespan do a cost benefit of the upfront cost vs. a purchase/resale transaction. No one can know the future but you can make an educated decision with a moderately predictable outcome.

There is the option of buying an additional machine too.

An iMac at home or office for big jobs because it has better cooling and then an older machine for portability.

I did this with my iPhone. I bought an iPad Mini and it has a much faster processor and more RAM than my phone so I don't need to upgrade my phone for an extra year or two or three. It's a nice device on its own for reading books or watching videos.

 

[ha1o2surfer]

Future Proofing is literally marketing's wet dream.

Spend more on a high performing part and buy less.
Spend Less on a low performing part and buy more.

It's the same. But they do end up marking up lower end parts just enough to make you justify it but you still end up buying more regardless. Kind of reminds me of the saying, "the rich can afford to buy cheap"

 

[Nacho98]

future proofing may be a myth but it sure feels good to get a little higher spec machine.

i used to max out back when maxing out was $3k, not $6k-$7k. you sort of needed to max out back then too though, which you dont need to do anymore.

you definitely get worse resale on higher spec models, i always wonder how people sell their $6k computer after two years when base models always have the highest resale percentage since people buying used are typically very cheap and looking for the best deal, meaning they want a base model. nobodys going to pay $4k for a two year old $6k machine when a new $4k machine would probably perform as good or better.

i think there's definitely a fine line beyond which its nonsensical to spec a machine, and to me thats still the $3k limit. maybe thats why my machine specd out at $2999.00? lol.

part of specing a higher end machine is that i just enjoy it - behind my car, the mbps i buy once in a blue moon are my most prized possession so its nice to get a spec a bit above base model. in the case of my 16, ive got a poverty processor and ssd, but with 32 gb ram and a top end vid card - a nice balance.

 

[drober30]

Those that max out their MacBook Pros because their work requires it, have no choice and resale should be less important because as you are making money with your MacBook Pro.

However, for a personal computer for personal things, if you are going to try and hang onto the machine for 6 - 9 years, it may make since to bump up the specs a little (mostly RAM IMHO).

Resale - I believe someone will get the most money back out of a base model. There are allot of kids who want a Mac and their parents are not going to spend thousands to buy them one but they might buy the pre-owned one for $900 - $1,200. Once you start asking $1,800+ for your pre-owned Mac thats out of warranty, there is a higher percentage of people who will look at buying new.

I'm going to buy the base model, because my workflow will allow me to, and future proof by upgrading when Apple comes out with another MacBook Pro I want. I would put that somewhere around the three year mark? The difference in money will be justified by something I use everyday, it saves me money in other areas and I work hard and am willing to enjoy life!

 

[pshufd]

Those that max out their MacBook Pros because their work requires it, have no choice and resale should be less important because as you are making money with your MacBook Pro.

However, for a personal computer for personal things, if you are going to try and hang onto the machine for 6 - 9 years, it may make since to bump up the specs a little (mostly RAM IMHO).

Resale - I believe someone will get the most money back out of a base model. There are allot of kids who want a Mac and their parents are not going to spend thousands to buy them one but they might buy the pre-owned one for $900 - $1,200. Once you start asking $1,800+ for your pre-owned Mac thats out of warranty, there is a higher percentage of people who will look at buying new.

I'm going to buy the base model, because my workflow will allow me to, and future proof by upgrading when Apple comes out with another MacBook Pro I want. I would put that somewhere around the three year mark? The difference in money will be justified by something I use everyday, it saves me money in other areas and I work had and am willing to enjoy life!

I think that each case is different. If it's for work or revenue generation and a feature makes you more productive, it's money well-spent.