Future proofing, what I personally think of it.

[Rck1984]

Just something I want to throw into the group, and don’t expect everyone to agree with:

I see the term ”future proofing” pop up everywhere again, now that the new MacBooks released.
People looking at the order page, dazzled by the options and prices, seeking for advice on a forum like this and getting talked into ‘this’ and ‘that’ because in some years they might need it.

In my opinion there is no such thing as future proofing by ‘overspeccing’, just in case you might need it later. Get what you need now, or for the foreseeable future and save the remaining cash for an upgrade in 3 years, instead of 5-6 years. Sell or trade-in your current machine and add some extra cash to get the newest thing. In 5 years, your 5 year old Macbook is going to be sluggish anyway, even with the added RAM (you didnt really need, nor utilized in the first place). You honestly think those people that spec’d into a beefed up, “future proof” 2019 MacBook Pro aren’t considering a 2021 model now, with all the fancy bells and whistles?

My opinion is: look at your current situation, you don’t expect it to change anytime soon? Then just get specs accordingly to your personal situation and need case. That said, if money isn’t a thing, by all means get the highest specs you can get and enjoy.

Food for thought perhaps,

Peace out,

Rick

 

[EnderTW]

2019 Macbook Pro is different in that the 2019 version was Intel and 2021 version is Apple.

However, the release of a new product does not mean your product currently does not work anymore. 64GB may not be needed today but will definitely be needed tomorrow. It's not unrealistic to get five or six years out of a computer.

There is no doubt M2 will be awesome, M3 etc, but it's more than just performance, it's the chassis, it's the SSD speeds, it's the ports, it's the promotion display with mini LED, there are more things than just the M1 MAX that came with this upgrade. In 2023/2024, the M1 Max will continue to perform, not as quickly and as fast as whatever Apple produces then, but still will be a solid performer if you do go with the 64GB M1 MAX

 

[ipedro]

I’ve had my iMac for… checks calendar… 10 years!! because I future proofed it. I maxed out the specs on the thing even though at the time, it seemed like overkill. It’s been on the verge of dying a few times but somehow keeps on going. I still run the latest Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro on it and somehow it’s totally usable.

I’m upgrading to an M1 MAX MacBookPro and my only concern is in the storage space. Apple’s SSD prices are the one upgrade I won’t fall for.

Has anyone determined based on the internal views of the machine in videos whether the SSD will be user upgradable?

 

[Lucas Curious]

I have a 2012 MBP base with 8gb ram that still works great but I use the 2019 MBP. What screwed the new Macs is the new OS and intel chips. I even spoke to Apple senior customer service about this and the guy told me he also noticed his intel Mac getting a little sluggish with Big Sur. I have a hard time believing that youll need faster than 7.5 gb/s ssd speeds even in 10 years. If anything Apple will screw your M1 Mac with an OS update to force you to upgrade. but I wouldn't get 64 gb ram unless I was making serious money with this thing.

 

[Rck1984]

2019 Macbook Pro is different in that the 2019 version was Intel and 2021 version is Apple.

However, the release of a new product does not mean your product currently does not work anymore. 64GB may not be needed today but will definitely be needed tomorrow. It's not unrealistic to get five or six years out of a computer.

There is no doubt M2 will be awesome, M3 etc, but it's more than just performance, it's the chassis, it's the SSD speeds, it's the ports, it's the promotion display with mini LED, there are more things than just the M1 MAX that came with this upgrade. In 2023/2024, the M1 Max will continue to perform, not as quickly and as fast as whatever Apple produces then, but still will be a solid performer if you do go with the 64GB M1 MAX

My point, get what you need and save the cash to get that better display, ssd speeds chassis etc.. Alongside the better performance of the new machine. Instead of overspecing to stretch the lifespan of your current model.

I rather have a whole new machine with all new features, performance etc.. than having that old one with "enough RAM" to make it another year.

Trade it in (resale value is great) and get a newer one instead.

My opinion at least.

 

[fa8362]

I’ve had my iMac for… checks calendar… 10 years!! because I future proofed it. I maxed out the specs on the thing even though at the time, it seemed like overkill. It’s been on the verge of dying a few times but somehow keeps on going. I still run the latest Adobe Creative Suite and Final Cut Pro on it and somehow it’s totally usable.

I’m upgrading to an M1 MAX MacBookPro and my only concern is in the storage space. Apple’s SSD prices are the one upgrade I won’t fall for.

Has anyone determined based on the internal views of the machine in videos whether the SSD will be user upgradable?

My graphic professional friend bought a 2012 base 27" and still uses it everyday. No options whatsoever.

 

[cambookpro]

Completely agree - by the time the delta between what you upgraded to “futureproof” vs the lower spec becomes noticeable, there are probably many more upgrades that have been added to the newer model that you can never account for. E.g. I would wager that many people upgrade because of connectivity options or screen tech - things that more RAM or CPU performance cannot mitigate against.

Lower spec models also almost always have higher resale value as a proportion of their original cost. I’d much prefer to buy a cheaper machine now and change it earlier.

 

[DennisdeWit]

Completely agree - by the time the delta between what you upgraded to “futureproof” vs the lower spec becomes noticeable, there are probably many more upgrades that have been added to the newer model that you can never account for. E.g. I would wager that many people upgrade because of connectivity options or screen tech - things that more RAM or CPU performance cannot mitigate against.

Lower spec models also almost always have higher resale value as a proportion of their original cost. I’d much prefer to buy a cheaper machine now and change it earlier.

My thoughts exactly. I have a MacBook Pro for sale. It has much higher specs than the base model, so the price is also higher. But I already noticed there is just a smaller group of buyers that is looking for such a specific machine.

Besides, I bought my MBP in May 2020 and am already selling it, because I want an AS based machine. And chances are very real I would have a new, more powerful machine next year or within 2 years. Heck, I could even have the M1 Max next year, if only Amazon or an APR came with a nice Black Friday deal. I did that before and it saved me 500 euro’s.

So no, with me, there is no futureproof. There only is ‘buy what I want and need now’. Until I find a nicer toy to play with. I’m just a little kid in a big, evil world.

 

[Beau10]

2019 Macbook Pro is different in that the 2019 version was Intel and 2021 version is Apple.

However, the release of a new product does not mean your product currently does not work anymore. 64GB may not be needed today but will definitely be needed tomorrow. It's not unrealistic to get five or six years out of a computer.

There is no doubt M2 will be awesome, M3 etc, but it's more than just performance, it's the chassis, it's the SSD speeds, it's the ports, it's the promotion display with mini LED, there are more things than just the M1 MAX that came with this upgrade. In 2023/2024, the M1 Max will continue to perform, not as quickly and as fast as whatever Apple produces then, but still will be a solid performer if you do go with the 64GB M1 MAX

This is missing the point - you're literally in a worse off situation by doing this, financially speaking, if the whole point is to maximize performance over time, by future proofing. Macs have incredible resale value and exorbitantly priced options - if one of those weren't true, sure, it's worth obliging this POV, but it just isn't.

Folks who max things out for 5+ years to future proof are almost invariably the opposite of power users, because somehow they actually can do their work on 5 year old machines! They're consumers falling for the up-sell of some sense of security, that's it. Who cares if they maxed out the ram and proc, the machine will eventually be slow as heck compared to anything modern yet somehow it suits their workflow fine.

 

[Macalway]

The only way it makes sense is if you are predicting certain usage scenarios that are likely to occur on a timetable. For instance, if you are a graduate student anticipating a certain usage.

Otherwise, tech is the LAST thing you want to try to predict.

 

[Adamantoise]

2019 Macbook Pro is different in that the 2019 version was Intel and 2021 version is Apple.

However, the release of a new product does not mean your product currently does not work anymore. 64GB may not be needed today but will definitely be needed tomorrow. It's not unrealistic to get five or six years out of a computer.

There is no doubt M2 will be awesome, M3 etc, but it's more than just performance, it's the chassis, it's the SSD speeds, it's the ports, it's the promotion display with mini LED, there are more things than just the M1 MAX that came with this upgrade. In 2023/2024, the M1 Max will continue to perform, not as quickly and as fast as whatever Apple produces then, but still will be a solid performer if you do go with the 64GB M1 MAX

Says who? Can we stop making these kind of statements without any evidence to back it up?

What is coming tomorrow that will definitely warrant 64GB of RAM?

 

[MF878]

I don’t think “future proofing“ is inherently correct or incorrect, it really depends on the price and performance of the options and your personal use case.

For example, when I ordered my 2016 15” Pro, I didn’t have a *need* at the time for anything more than the base model, but I upgraded the GPU from the Radeon Pro 450 (2GB) to the 460 (4GB) as it wasn’t that expensive really. That relatively small increase in price got me 86% more TFLOPS and double the VRAM. Had I stuck with the 450, it probably would’ve been intolerable after about 3 years due to changes in my use and some moderate gaming, and I would’ve probably upgraded when the 16” first landed. A few hundred bucks bought me 2 years more use.

However, there are some people spending like 50% more than they need to, and if so they should really ask themselves whether that means they’re likely to keep it for 50% longer.

 

[ashamam]

They're consumers falling for the up-sell of some sense of security, that's it. Who cares if they maxed out the ram and proc, th

Or perhaps people going with what they need today are just justifying the 2 year replacement treadmill so they always have the latest!

Horses for courses. Last mac I bought was a 2011 imac fully specced. Only died six months ago. This particular MBP upgrade is the first one that feels like it might go the distance as well on all fronts, software support performance and hardware inclusions. So, I future proofed it.

 

[Hunter5117]

I have done both ways. For a few years I was literally changing/upgrading every year sometimes less. At the time I had a Mac Pro setup for my heavy lifting and was buying different MBPs and even a couple of MBAs for my portable system. When I decided to retire the Mac Pro I bought a BTO MBP pretty much maxed out at the time. That was in 2014 and that MBP is still in use although not my main system. If a laptop is your only system, then it makes sense to buy the most you can afford at the time, they can not be upgraded and you never know if you will have the cash down the road. It has been a pretty safe bet that ram and GPU might be the major bottlenecks a few years later, although Apple silicon may have changed that and almost any configuration of the new systems are likely to perform very well for a long time, especially if you increase ram to 32gb.

 

[babyexercise]

Just something I want to throw into the group, and don’t expect everyone to agree with:

I see the term ”future proofing” pop up everywhere again, now that the new MacBooks released.
People looking at the order page, dazzled by the options and prices, seeking for advice on a forum like this and getting talked into ‘this’ and ‘that’ because in some years they might need it.

In my opinion there is no such thing as future proofing by ‘overspeccing’, just in case you might need it later. Get what you need now, or for the foreseeable future and save the remaining cash for an upgrade in 3 years, instead of 5-6 years. Sell or trade-in your current machine and add some extra cash to get the newest thing. In 5 years, your 5 year old Macbook is going to be sluggish anyway, even with the added RAM (you didnt really need, nor utilized in the first place). You honestly think those people that spec’d into a beefed up, “future proof” 2019 MacBook Pro aren’t considering a 2021 model now, with all the fancy bells and whistles?

My opinion is: look at your current situation, you don’t expect it to change anytime soon? Then just get specs accordingly to your personal situation and need case. That said, if money isn’t a thing, by all means get the highest specs you can get and enjoy.

Food for thought perhaps,

Peace out,

Rick

Once MacOS does not support update anymore then it is dead. For normal users the M1 grade hardware is hard to be outdated in at least 10 years.

 

[shenoka]

I am running a 2012 Macbook Pro. I didn’t max spec it, but it’s not base model either. Base model is for people who turnover equipment. If that’s you, you know who you are. If you run equipment until Apple forces you to upgrade, then you know who you are. I’m in the latter category and stay middle of road on laptops and always max spec my iphones. And I tend to wait for an equipment cycle which this is for the Macbook Pro.

 

[Fomalhaut]

Once MacOS does not support update anymore then it is dead. For normal users the M1 grade hardware is hard to be outdated in at least 10 years.

Not so. When OS support for you machine expires, the machine will continue to run on the last supported version, and may do so for many years. Apple does not have a remote kill-switch to disable your machine.

 

[Strider64]

Just something I want to throw into the group, and don’t expect everyone to agree with:

I see the term ”future proofing” pop up everywhere again, now that the new MacBooks released.
People looking at the order page, dazzled by the options and prices, seeking for advice on a forum like this and getting talked into ‘this’ and ‘that’ because in some years they might need it.

In my opinion there is no such thing as future proofing by ‘overspeccing’, just in case you might need it later. Get what you need now, or for the foreseeable future and save the remaining cash for an upgrade in 3 years, instead of 5-6 years. Sell or trade-in your current machine and add some extra cash to get the newest thing. In 5 years, your 5 year old Macbook is going to be sluggish anyway, even with the added RAM (you didnt really need, nor utilized in the first place). You honestly think those people that spec’d into a beefed up, “future proof” 2019 MacBook Pro aren’t considering a 2021 model now, with all the fancy bells and whistles?

My opinion is: look at your current situation, you don’t expect it to change anytime soon? Then just get specs accordingly to your personal situation and need case. That said, if money isn’t a thing, by all means get the highest specs you can get and enjoy.

Food for thought perhaps,

Peace out,

Rick

I stopped along time ago trying to "future" proof a computer when I switched over to the Mac. I was building PCs the last 10 years of my 40+ years of using PCs. I was always upgrading finding the latest drivers in order for the upgrades to work. Then I realize I wasn't using a computer as a tool to do things on buy trying make my computer a hot rod.

I like my MacBook Pro 13" M1 computer and I didn't even bother to max it out. It runs all my applications just fine and they are responsive enough for me. Don't get me wrong I would like a max out computer that had all the bells & whistles, but I not going to spend the cash for one. If I had an extra $15,000 I still wouldn't buy one as I would be buying a Sony 400mm E-Mount Lens. ?

 

[shenoka]

You’re right. But it’s the beginning of the slow death. Developers are no longer building for your OS. Security updates are minimal. Yada yada. You have to start thinking about how long you want to be on that ship.

 

[aevan]

2019 Macbook Pro is different in that the 2019 version was Intel and 2021 version is Apple.

However, the release of a new product does not mean your product currently does not work anymore. 64GB may not be needed today but will definitely be needed tomorrow. It's not unrealistic to get five or six years out of a computer.

I can guarantee you, if you don’t need (and like really need, not think you need) 64Gb today, you definitely won’t need it tomorrow, or in five years - unless you dramatically change your work.

We had the same comments 5 years ago when 16Gb was maximum RAM in a MBP. Those that needed more, needed it then. Those that didn’t need it then, don’t need it now.

So you either need it or you don’t, today.

 

[Rck1984]

Apple makes smart use of this "future proofing", with the tempting prices/options in their configurators. Often small enough to consider, but add up very quickly after all.

Take a look at the CPU options; in their event they've bragged about 70% faster than M1 etc.. Starting at $1999 U.S. When heading to the order page after the presentation ended, you quickly realised they weren't talking about the $1999 U.S. base model, but about an upgraded model, for only $200 U.S more! Then for a measly $100 on top of that, you're getting the full non-binned 10/16/16 config. A no-brainer, right?

Same for the 32GB memory option. 16GB looks to be the standard nowadays, especially considering its a Pro device. However, a lot of people seem to chose the 32GB instead because they either need it, or want to extend the lifespan of their machines. Well... Look at that, for just $200 more, you're getting a M1 Max chip with double memory bandwidth, an extra media engine and more. I've heard these dreaded Youtubers mention it already a few times; "If you're in for the 32GB, get the M1 Max"

Within a blink of an eye, they've just magically moved you from a $1999 base config to a $2899 upgrade.

I know, I might be exaggerating a little here and there but this is how it works and Apple's marketing team is top notch at this upselling aspect. Combine that with "future proofing" and the enthousiast recommendations on forums like these and you've got yourself an unnecessarily expensive machine that you won't ever fully utilise.

 

[tdbrown75]

I can guarantee you, if you don’t need (and like really need, not think you need) 64Gb today, you definitely won’t need it tomorrow, or in five years - unless you dramatically change your work.

We had the same comments 5 years ago when 16Gb was maximum RAM in a MBP. Those that needed more, needed it then. Those that didn’t need it then, don’t need it now.

So you either need it or you don’t, today.

Not true. Year over year new MacOS releases (with new features) and new software increase demand on processor, memory, and storage.

By your thinking, Apple should still be producing 4GB base memory models.

I purchased 16GB back in 2013, today I'm going with 32GB as demands have increased significantly despite me not changing my workflows.

Tim

 

[3Rock]

Not so. When OS support for you machine expires, the machine will continue to run on the last supported version, and may do so for many years. Apple does not have a remote kill-switch to disable your machine.

He said, outdated no killed. You’re playing on words here. We all know it could last longer but it would be somewhat outdated, specially with newer more powerful systems, software, and OS upgrades.

 

[tdbrown75]

He said, outdated no killed. You’re playing on words here. We all know it could last longer but it would be somewhat outdated, specially with newer more powerful systems, software, and OS upgrades.

Agree, not to mention new MacOS features will likely be limited to M based machines.

Tim

 

[mousouchop]

I went with 32GB memory partly for “future proofing” against new OS versions down the road, that may require more memory and run more tasks for added services.

I also went 32GB due to the unified memory model— assumed it would be better to share more memory between CPU and GPU than less. Especially since there are more cores all around…

Maybe some of the above are flawed logic, but that was my basis for the upgraded memory. I upgraded to 10/16 out of a desire to buy what was actually presented. A little underhanded having $1999 models cores not cited in performance comparisons.