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My new MacBook Air m2 - 8gb is great
- Thread starter colonelbutt
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How about we change direction if people are growing bored?
I brought up the cost to the customer vs. what it costs Apple to manufacture, and that's mostly not been addressed. I absolutely agree that it makes no sense to pay $200 USD extra for 8 GB RAM if you're mostly web surfing or other tasks comparable to what can be done on a tablet/phone. With Swapping you have the option of running 'heavier' programs if only done once in a while. Even a game like Balder's Gate III can run on an M series machine with only 8 GB RAM, whereas the optimal specs for Windows is 16 GB RAM and 8 GB graphics memory... albeit at significant reduction in performance.
Now how about we discuss the cost to upgrade and whether you think it's reasonable or not. Thus far no one has provided a valid argument over why we shouldn't complain over Apple charging >8x the market value for RAM and Storage. By designing these machines to be non upgradable Apple can pretty much set whatever price they want. And just because it doesn't affect you, it makes absolutely no sense why people would defend a trillion-dollar company and fight tooth and nail to pay them more for less.
No, I don't want to hear the 'switch to Windows' argument again. I will eventually have to do so, but I would much prefer that Apple hear and adhere to customer complaints.
I brought up the cost to the customer vs. what it costs Apple to manufacture, and that's mostly not been addressed. I absolutely agree that it makes no sense to pay $200 USD extra for 8 GB RAM if you're mostly web surfing or other tasks comparable to what can be done on a tablet/phone. With Swapping you have the option of running 'heavier' programs if only done once in a while. Even a game like Balder's Gate III can run on an M series machine with only 8 GB RAM, whereas the optimal specs for Windows is 16 GB RAM and 8 GB graphics memory... albeit at significant reduction in performance.
Now how about we discuss the cost to upgrade and whether you think it's reasonable or not. Thus far no one has provided a valid argument over why we shouldn't complain over Apple charging >8x the market value for RAM and Storage. By designing these machines to be non upgradable Apple can pretty much set whatever price they want. And just because it doesn't affect you, it makes absolutely no sense why people would defend a trillion-dollar company and fight tooth and nail to pay them more for less.
No, I don't want to hear the 'switch to Windows' argument again. I will eventually have to do so, but I would much prefer that Apple hear and adhere to customer complaints.
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There is no argument. Apple can charge what they want. People are still buying the upgrades. If Apple wants to charge $400.00 for headphones when better options (in my opinion) are available for less, that is Apple's right. If Apple wants to charge $400.00 for a set of wheels, that is their right. Apple is charging what the market will bear.
Take a look at Microsoft Surface machines. Sealed boxes that cannot be upgraded. Memory upgrades cost the same as Apple as do storage increases. It is not just Apple.
You can complain all you want. Write a letter to Tim Cook. Take a dump in one hand or complain to Apple with the other. See which one fills up faster.
So they both price gouge. Maybe we should be writing to our representatives and urging them to introduce legislation to make such practices illegal. Both from a right to repair perspective and reducing e-waste we've got a great case to make.
I'm certainly speaking with my wallet and won't be buying Apple again in the foreseeable future. Let's see how quickly they increase specs if their customers stop buying.
It does make sense for Apple to sell computers (not accessories) at less extortionate prices, as hooking people into their ecosystem with all the services and additional purchases is valuable. They'll make moves to prop up sales when they think it's necessary. Currently they probably think it's necessary to keep RAM low, so that when they drop an OS version that heavily leans upon locally run AI, they'll achieve a lot of sales from people upgrading RAM limited systems. I'd almost guarantee that the year that they drop an OS with a lot of AI baked in they'll release Macs with more RAM, to coincide with the launch and take advantage of the new RAM-intensive functionality.
Look up the definition of price gouging. What Apple and Microsoft are doing is not even close.
That is the key, not complaining here. Apple, and Microsoft, are doing, and charging, what the market will bear. Just look at all the people here who say everyone should get at least 16GB in a new machine. Easy to spend other people's money and as long as that continues, Apple will continue charging what they charge.
How exactly does Apples RAM and storage architecture differ from those other companies you refer to? Be specific.
If a 5 year old Acer Swift 1 with Intel Pentium N5000 and just 4GB RAM on Windows 11 with MSEdge 10-12 tabs open, some of them Youtube, Facebook, and File Explorer and Skype, and some photos app on, still doesn't lag, why not this expensive M2 Air with 8GB RAM with much lighter macOS, Safari, Finder, Skype etc on won't run well? Isn't that what the majority of MacBook Air users do? Maybe sometimes they have an Excel or Word app open. Or, even edit an image or two.
as an update, I have just traveled to Athens with only my air. I have a number of prime video downloaded. Now installed MS word and excel, Lightroom classic, csc/MS remote, python and visual studio code. I use a tiny usb-c micros card reader and some 512gb cards. Everything is working swimmingly. BTW my air is an M2 8b with 256gb.
I still have 203.99 GB available of 245.11 GB. LOL
I still have 203.99 GB available of 245.11 GB. LOL
I am with you. I have the base 13.6" M2 MBA. It has been my primary computer for over 1.5 years, and the best computer I have ever owned. Terrific value. Does everything I need: Mail/Messages, Notes, Safari, Photos, MS Office, iWork, iMovie, FaceTime/Zoom...etc. Zero problems. Smooth as butter. Great for home use and family real estate business. Plenty of space available.
Also, one of my kids has a base M2 MBA that he used for the final year of undergrad. Loved it. No problems.
All of the above is consistent with a large number of users, which is the reason Apple sells millions of these computers to very happy customers.
Depends how you define "doesn't lag". Even browsers will load faster on a modern phone than an older phone- compare an iPhone 12 Pro with an iPhone 15 Pro. The M series will be significantly faster than the device you describe- if you can't tell the difference, stick them side by side and look again.
Maybe we should be demanding that Apple offer a $100 USD discount to downgrade to 128 GB storage? Seeing as these specs are all too much, why not complain that Apple won't offer discounts to downgrade? Most people don't need eight CPU's or ten GPU's to surf the web... if adding two CPU's to the M3 costs $100 extra then why not offer a 4 CPU processor option for a $200 USD discount?
Not everyone needs a power computer... my old 2011 quad core iMac is still perfectly good and I now see from everyone's comments that the M series Apples are clearly over designed.
Not everyone needs a power computer... my old 2011 quad core iMac is still perfectly good and I now see from everyone's comments that the M series Apples are clearly over designed.
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When 55% of their income is from the iPhone, you’re going to be waiting quite a while.
They have the right to charge what they believe the market will bear. This constant call to have politicians get involved in these matters is not going to work out in the consumer’s favor in the long run. You actually have zero case to make with Right to Repair or e-Waste.
Ask Europe how well the DMA is working out for them right now.
I don’t enjoy the prices anymore than anyone else, but it is what it is. You’ve spoken with your wallet and that’s what counts.
Doesn't lag means doesn't lag. Everything opens at a mouse click. Even an older Medion laptop with just 4GB Ram work just the same. Don't have a M chip Mac yet to check, but have a 5 year old 15" intel MBP, sure with 16GB RAM, which runs quite nicely. It is my work/leisure laptop and is running ~15 hours a day, sleeping the rest of the day, always plugged in. Had been playing with an 8GB M2 Air at a friendly shop. I like it, but my present MBP most probably won't let me replace it yet. 👌
Sure, I am lucky with my computer choices since about 4 decades. I read through this thread to find out, whether the 8GB M2 Air is good enough for office work. Even though, I don't own a M chip MacBook yet, I was quite glad to read what OP (and others) said about 8GB MacBooks, that they are good, or even excellent.👍
Based on your experience, Apple should just put an A12 chip with 3GB of RAM in the Macs? And they'd be equally as fast? The modern processors and RAM offer no speed advantages at all?
For some users that is indeed the case. Mail, web, Facebook, do not require large memory footprints or fast CPUs.
Seriously, when I look at my usage, I have a RTX 4060 laptop for AI workloads and compiling, etc.,
For everything else, I use my mac. It could totally only have 8 gb of RAM.
So you think they don't benefit from the compute speed at all? Even if it "more than they need".
LOL just a little learnin' about LLMs. Nvidia is better (as of right now) for that anyway.
I never used a A12 chip device, so don't know. I was more a Linux person for last 2 decades or so. I used Windows time to time. Windows 11 is becoming pretty slick, by the way and runs on Intel Pentium Js and Ns quite well. MacOS, on the other hand is bit old fashioned. That dock was there in Linux 10 years or so ago, and you could minimise to dock, which macOS still can't. I bought the MBP just to run the proprietary macOS, not because of the machine. It was one of the OSs I hadn't run yet. I like macOS, but I am not overwhelmed by it. There's so much bloat (apps) in it, I can't get rid of. In Linux, I can.
Nowadays, most of the work is done in a web browser.👌
The correct base M series chips inside the base MBA are strong enough for the average Joe usage, as well as for people with higher needs it will be fine, but the bottleneck of these machines would be the low RAM.
Just because some can finish their work and do other basic daily tasks with 8GB RAM and swap support, it don’t mean its enough… 16GB RAM should be the minimum these days.
Just because some can finish their work and do other basic daily tasks with 8GB RAM and swap support, it don’t mean its enough… 16GB RAM should be the minimum these days.
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My iPad Mini 6 is perfect for these usage you mentioned, as well as for many other things, but its having one problem - when you having 40+ pages open in Safari and around 20 apps in the background 4GB RAM is not enough.