Current rMBP users, what is your RAM usage?

[FrankParker]

If the only way I got above 8GB is by leaving applications open and letting them idle, that would be lazy. But if I'm actively using each -and closing documents and programs which I feel I'm done with, that's not laziness. I'm just using the equipment I have to its potential.

And you're not taking into account the increasing requirements of programs. For example, Photoshop CS6 requires a much more powerful system than Photoshop 6.0 requires. At one point 1GB RAM was more than sufficient for even high-end desktop computers - now phones are starting to struggle with that little memory. So at some point in the future - one may very well need 64GB to efficiently perform the tasks expected of him/her. That's just the way it is. If it wasn't that way, then 640k would likely still be more than enough for all of us.

Especially with everything moving to HD, 4K, 3D, super resolution, frame per second, fully packed content.

 

[AzN1337c0d3r]

My research is about how to process multi-TB images using 8 GB of RAM (actually my measurements show that it'll work with 4 GB of RAM if you page away most of the OS =P). I quite happily develop it on my rMBP.

Java/Python has taught a new generation of programmers that they don't need to manage memory and when they transition to a manual-memory-management language like C++, they often ignore it

But to get back on-topic. I find that even in Windows and having 3 instances of Visual Studio 2010 going each with 100K+ line-of-code projects open, 8 GB is quite sufficient for me.

Although I do have a colleague who managed to cause her 24 GB machine to swap out after having over 500 browser tabs open for 3 months on Firefox...

 

[stevelam]

So where is the point where we stop calling it multi-tasking? and start calling it lazy? in a few years? when we have 64GB in our computers and you start up with 20 applications open? I multi-task a fair amount, use ram intensive applications and yes I've come close to points where I have reached the 8 GB limit. But this was when I was using my computer for more than a week straight having more than 10 applications running doing absolutely nothing. While I was busy browsing. The system is also aware of the amount of ram it has available. The second is realizes it's reaching it's limits it's going to start trying to make ram available, if you have 8GB it should do this efficiently enough for you to not notice it at all.

Wow you used your computer for more than a week straight doing absolutely nothing? No idea how that even makes sense but thanks for the laugh.

Sorry but some of us actually need to do work. Not just open random programs for no reason at all and let them sit there for a week.

 

[Pipper99]

I wish that Apple sold a 64K rMBP for $200 less: I'd jump on that real quick.

 

[ieani]

If I'm actively using several applications at the same time, how is that being lazy? Just because *your* use doesn't require you to multitask doesn't mean everyone has the same usage requirements.

If I'm making a presentation - I'll have Safari open for finding references. I may be looking at several journals at the same time so I'll keep multiple tabs open. I'll have Excel open because much of my data is in Excel format. I'll use photoshop to design and edit any graphics as necessary. And of course, I'll use powerpoint to bring it all together.

Is 16GB absolutely essential? No. I've managed on less for quite some time. But it is allowing me to be more productive. I'm not forced to quit the memory intensive applications all the time - so when I need to go back to them, all of my work is still there just as I left it; I don't have to wait for it to relaunch, and I can quickly switch to another application for a few seconds if necessary.

Your uses sound very similar to my mine. Which model do you have?

And if you dont mind checking, how much RAM does the rMBP initially require? For example, on start-up with out any apps running.

 

[terraphantm]

Your uses sound very similar to my mine. Which model do you have?

And if you dont mind checking, how much RAM does the rMBP initially require? For example, on start-up with out any apps running.

I got the 2.6/16/512. I would have been fine with the 2.3, but I wanted the 512GB SSD, and it was a forced option when I bought (and for $100, I think I would have opted for the 2.6 anyway).

I actually just rebooted - my ram usage right now is 2.4GB. Safari is using only 60MB at the moment, so the rest is just OSX background processes.

 

[ieani]

I got the 2.6/16/512. I would have been fine with the 2.3, but I wanted the 512GB SSD, and it was a forced option when I bought (and for $100, I think I would have opted for the 2.6 anyway).

I actually just rebooted - my ram usage right now is 2.4GB. Safari is using only 60MB at the moment, so the rest is just OSX background processes.

Great, thanks for checking. I think I will go with 16GB then on the base model.