Apple needs to make 16 GB of Ram standard or they may never have a laptop monopoly.

[WilliApple]

Greetings!

I got my M1 MacBook Air in May of 2021. While I was very satisfied with it, there was one huge problem I didn't think about at the time...

The future...

It's April of 2023, I have had this MacBook for almost 2 years (Longest out of any other laptop btw), and I have changed my lifestyle a lot.

I now make Apps for the Apple App Store. I was expecting it to be ultra memory efficient, but I was wrong...

Last Friday, I was using a whopping 18 GB of Swap, and I got the "Out of Memory" error on my MacBook.

As my app got more and more complex and had even more stuff, the Memory issues started getting a lot worse.

Another complaint I have about my MacBook is that my hands have grown a lot (This is a me problem tbh), and I am very excited for the 15 Inch MacBook Air. Probably something I will upgrade to once I can figure out how to bring it around.

HOWEVER!​

I do not like Apple's shady practices of starting with 8 GB and 256 GB of Storage for this reason. First, my sister runs out of her storage a lot... and she is just an average user. I also see her with multiple different apps opened, treating her MacBook as if it had 16 GB of Ram.

What's even worse is that you cannot get the M1/M2 MacBook Air with 16 GB of Ram at an Apple Store without pre-ordering it... It's like Apple doesn't think the average user would use it. I have seen otherwise, a ton...

I wanted to get 16 GB of Ram back then, but needed a new laptop very fast. Being very satisfied with my M1 MacBook Air at the time, I cannot say I am very satisfied anymore, and I thought I was one of the biggest Apple Sheeps on this forum...

I am literally using 5.61 GB of Ram right now, with only 2 browser tabs opened.

I am no longer 100% Apple sheep because of Apple's shady practices of Ram Management.

The 15 Inch M3 Air sounds like a dream machine to me, AS LONG AS IT HAS 16 GB OF RAM STANDARD...
I am not willing to spend $1,899 on a consumer level machine. Thats probably how much the 16 GB 15 Inch M3 Air is going to cost tbh.

If that doesn't come, I might as well get this better deal:

All these M1/M2 Airs in circulation will probably become obsolete in like 3 years time because of how slow Apple is.
Mark my words!

And then most people will see how important 16 GB of Ram is for their everyday tasks, and possibly switch to Windows because iMessage exists there now.

When do you think Apple will make 16 GB Standard? Thanks in advance!

 

[NT1440]

Apple has no interest in having a low margin monopoly.

 

[GMShadow]

First, my sister runs out of her storage a lot... and she is just an average user.

No, she's not. 256GB is more than enough storage for the average user, home and corporate. Heck, I'm only using 220GB on this MBP, and I've got 75GB+ of ALAC files in that mix, which the average user absolutely does not have.

It's like Apple doesn't think the average user would use it.

Because they wouldn't. They might page out to disk occasionally, but with fast SSDs they won't notice it.

 

[Kosh_the_Vorlon]

No, she's not. 256GB is more than enough storage for the average user, home and corporate. Heck, I'm only using 220GB on this MBP, and I've got 75GB+ of ALAC files in that mix, which the average user absolutely does not have.




Because they wouldn't. They might page out to disk occasionally, but with fast SSDs they won't notice it.

I have an M2 Air with 16gb RAM and 256gb of storage. I haven't used more than 80gb of that at any point. I do quite a bit in the cloud, and have the software I need loaded. Even with 8gb RAM this thing has never once been slow.

 

[F23]

They don't need to make 16 GB standard, they need to make money so they will keep it at 8 GB.
The users who want more will pay for it.
But yes I agree 8 GB is pathetic & it sucks 16 GB is not standard. But business is business. Maybe next decade...

 

[Mr_Brightside_@]

Bad take, sorry. I only issue the base M1 at work, no complaints.

 

[tstafford]

This is a recurring sentiment on MR. What I don't understand is why people care. If you want 16 GB of RAM, just buy that version of the laptop.

If anyone thinks that Apple would just make 16 GB the base and not raise the base price, they are crazy. So you're going to pay for the RAM one way or the other.

 

[geta]

Sure it would be nice having the base 13” MBA model with M3 CPU, 16GB RAM and 512GB storage for €999… 🤣

 

[ignatius345]

I am literally using 5.61 GB of Ram right now, with only 2 browser tabs opened.

Great power user hack: unless something is actually slowing down, close Activity Monitor and just use your Mac.

I'm apparently using a full 9.4 GB of swap right now on my M1 iMac. Do I give a crap? No. Everything I'm doing is responsive and quick. No beachballs, no mysterious lagging. Fact is, SSDs are blazing fast and the Mac is excellent at managing memory.

Windows because iMessage exists there now.

Ehhh, kind of? It's hacked in, but relies on your iPhone to relay messages. I would seriously doubt this would move the needle on Mac vs. Windows PC sales.

 

[maerz001]

Maybe they will even introduce the 15“ with 16GB ram. Who knows. But it won’t come cheap anyway. They know how to keep their margin high.

At least they offer their 14 and 16 with that already.

Whats with growing hands? And why would a 15“ help? The keyboards are the same size across the lineup.

 

[curnalpanic]

and possibly switch to Windows because iMessage exists there now.

Really? When did this happen?

 

[fisherking]

am running an M2 air with 8gb ram, and no issues whatsoever. even with lots of safari tabs, 7 other apps always open, occasionally things like affinity photo... all is well.

i have a reasonable music library & photo library, do a lot of documents, email, etc. and on my 256G drive, i currently have 169.98 gigs available (i do archive a lot of older work on an external drive).

not everyone needs 16gb ram, or 512g of storage (am not saying i wouldn't appreciate that as a minimum). but it's not life-or-death, and if it is... buy what you need.

 

[curnalpanic]

This is a recurring sentiment on MR. What I don't understand is why people care. If you want 16 GB of RAM, just buy that version of the laptop.

But then you have to pay extra. People want it for free. And also as a BTO option, it may not be available everywhere or subject to various discounts.

 

[winxmac]

Unified memory feels like Intel integrated graphics taking some from installed RAM on both macOS and Windows... 32GB unified memory I think would be way better...

 

[TechnoMonk]

Greetings!

I got my M1 MacBook Air in May of 2021. While I was very satisfied with it, there was one huge problem I didn't think about at the time...

The future...

It's April of 2023, I have had this MacBook for almost 2 years (Longest out of any other laptop btw), and I have changed my lifestyle a lot.

I now make Apps for the Apple App Store. I was expecting it to be ultra memory efficient, but I was wrong...

Last Friday, I was using a whopping 18 GB of Swap, and I got the "Out of Memory" error on my MacBook.

As my app got more and more complex and had even more stuff, the Memory issues started getting a lot worse.

Another complaint I have about my MacBook is that my hands have grown a lot (This is a me problem tbh), and I am very excited for the 15 Inch MacBook Air. Probably something I will upgrade to once I can figure out how to bring it around.

HOWEVER!​

I do not like Apple's shady practices of starting with 8 GB and 256 GB of Storage for this reason. First, my sister runs out of her storage a lot... and she is just an average user. I also see her with multiple different apps opened, treating her MacBook as if it had 16 GB of Ram.

What's even worse is that you cannot get the M1/M2 MacBook Air with 16 GB of Ram at an Apple Store without pre-ordering it... It's like Apple doesn't think the average user would use it. I have seen otherwise, a ton...

I wanted to get 16 GB of Ram back then, but needed a new laptop very fast. Being very satisfied with my M1 MacBook Air at the time, I cannot say I am very satisfied anymore, and I thought I was one of the biggest Apple Sheeps on this forum...

I am literally using 5.61 GB of Ram right now, with only 2 browser tabs opened.
View attachment 2190142

I am no longer 100% Apple sheep because of Apple's shady practices of Ram Management.

The 15 Inch M3 Air sounds like a dream machine to me, AS LONG AS IT HAS 16 GB OF RAM STANDARD...
I am not willing to spend $1,899 on a consumer level machine. Thats probably how much the 16 GB 15 Inch M3 Air is going to cost tbh.

All these M1/M2 Airs in circulation will probably become obsolete in like 3 years time because of how slow Apple is.
Mark my words!

And then most people will see how important 16 GB of Ram is for their everyday tasks, and possibly switch to Windows because iMessage exists there now.

When do you think Apple will make 16 GB Standard? Thanks in advance!

There is nothing shady. Apple sold exactly the model with same RAM advertised. You didn’t future proof your purchase for changes in requirement or should buy something you need now.
I don’t get how some one can be Apple sheep. Buy what you need, it Apple doesn’t offer, buy from some one else.

 

[TechnoMonk]

This is a recurring sentiment on MR. What I don't understand is why people care. If you want 16 GB of RAM, just buy that version of the laptop.

If anyone thinks that Apple would just make 16 GB the base and not raise the base price, they are crazy. So you're going to pay for the RAM one way or the other.

I am glad they sell 8GB base model. I have maxed out 64 GB M1 Max MacBook. However, my home laptop for my kids and spouse is base M2 MacBook Air. It runs great with Multiple browser tabs, photoshop, canva and light video editing. I wouldn’t want to spend any more money than base model.

 

[compwiz1202]

This is a recurring sentiment on MR. What I don't understand is why people care. If you want 16 GB of RAM, just buy that version of the laptop.

If anyone thinks that Apple would just make 16 GB the base and not raise the base price, they are crazy. So you're going to pay for the RAM one way or the other.

Exactly and if base 16GB is the same price as upgrading from 8GB, the people who want 8GB can't even get it at the lower price anymore.

 

[monstermash]

Greetings!

I got my M1 MacBook Air in May of 2021. While I was very satisfied with it, there was one huge problem I didn't think about at the time...

The future...

It's April of 2023, I have had this MacBook for almost 2 years (Longest out of any other laptop btw), and I have changed my lifestyle a lot.

I now make Apps for the Apple App Store. I was expecting it to be ultra memory efficient, but I was wrong...

Last Friday, I was using a whopping 18 GB of Swap, and I got the "Out of Memory" error on my MacBook.

As my app got more and more complex and had even more stuff, the Memory issues started getting a lot worse.

Another complaint I have about my MacBook is that my hands have grown a lot (This is a me problem tbh), and I am very excited for the 15 Inch MacBook Air. Probably something I will upgrade to once I can figure out how to bring it around.

HOWEVER!​

I do not like Apple's shady practices of starting with 8 GB and 256 GB of Storage for this reason. First, my sister runs out of her storage a lot... and she is just an average user. I also see her with multiple different apps opened, treating her MacBook as if it had 16 GB of Ram.

What's even worse is that you cannot get the M1/M2 MacBook Air with 16 GB of Ram at an Apple Store without pre-ordering it... It's like Apple doesn't think the average user would use it. I have seen otherwise, a ton...

I wanted to get 16 GB of Ram back then, but needed a new laptop very fast. Being very satisfied with my M1 MacBook Air at the time, I cannot say I am very satisfied anymore, and I thought I was one of the biggest Apple Sheeps on this forum...

I am literally using 5.61 GB of Ram right now, with only 2 browser tabs opened.
View attachment 2190142

I am no longer 100% Apple sheep because of Apple's shady practices of Ram Management.

The 15 Inch M3 Air sounds like a dream machine to me, AS LONG AS IT HAS 16 GB OF RAM STANDARD...
I am not willing to spend $1,899 on a consumer level machine. Thats probably how much the 16 GB 15 Inch M3 Air is going to cost tbh.

All these M1/M2 Airs in circulation will probably become obsolete in like 3 years time because of how slow Apple is.
Mark my words!

And then most people will see how important 16 GB of Ram is for their everyday tasks, and possibly switch to Windows because iMessage exists there now.

When do you think Apple will make 16 GB Standard? Thanks in advance!

It does not need to make more memory standard. If you want more memory, buy one with more memory.

 

[phillytim]

I used the laugh emoji on the original post because Apple couldn't care less about having a monopoly.

HOWEVER: I do believe that Apple SHOULD make 16GB base-level BECAUSE it is impossible to upgrade a Mac computer.

8GB RAM is literally pittance these days, and Apple knows that keeping only 8GB will get users to buy a whole new computer within a shorter amount of time once MacOS bulges out a bit more.

But let's be real: Apple devices have become nothing more than disposable appliances - and I think they should lower the price as such.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I used the laugh emoji on the original post because Apple couldn't care less about having a monopoly.

HOWEVER: I do believe that Apple SHOULD make 16GB base-level BECAUSE it is impossible to upgrade a Mac computer.

8GB RAM is literally pittance these days, and Apple knows that keeping only 8GB will get users to buy a whole new computer within a shorter amount of time once MacOS bulges out a bit more.

But let's be real: Apple devices have become nothing more than disposable appliances - and I think they should lower the price as such.

Choice is a good thing, there are some who want to buy lower priced 8GB base model. Buy 16 GB if you need one, if it’s not in your budget buy other laptops in the market.

 

[G46&Fbnth5]

This is a recurring sentiment on MR. What I don't understand is why people care. If you want 16 GB of RAM, just buy that version of the laptop.

If anyone thinks that Apple would just make 16 GB the base and not raise the base price, they are crazy. So you're going to pay for the RAM one way or the other.

This is not what they usually do: Apple typically increases prices when MacBooks are redesigned, and in the following years they improve specs keeping the same price, or lowering it.

 

[h.gilbert]

Greetings!

I got my M1 MacBook Air in May of 2021. While I was very satisfied with it, there was one huge problem I didn't think about at the time...

The future...

It's April of 2023, I have had this MacBook for almost 2 years (Longest out of any other laptop btw), and I have changed my lifestyle a lot.

I now make Apps for the Apple App Store. I was expecting it to be ultra memory efficient, but I was wrong...

Sounds like you just didn't plan ahead. Try thinking about what your future requirements might be next time you buy something expensive.

 

[TechnoMonk]

This is not what they usually do: Apple typically increases prices when MacBooks are redesigned, and in the following years they improve specs keeping the same price, or lowering it.

Not true, Apple dropped prices when they redesigned MacBook Air with Apple silicon compared to the Intel 2019/2020 Models. M2 hike is more inflationary, hopefully the prices can come down when CPI cools off.

 

[Ethosik]

Bad take, sorry. I only issue the base M1 at work, no complaints.

Agreed. My friend runs a business and their 8GB model can do their 4K video editing work.

 

[Audentia]

Is the OP a real person? This feels like an article written by AI, maybe posted by someone to troll. It just seems... kinda off to me. His hands grew? No longer 100% Apple sheep? Like, what?