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So nobody wants the crappy ones?
- Thread starter dordal
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Agree with this totally,
All my TBs are in the cloud so 512gb with 16gb is great for me
If you are not a content creator then getting a MAX is just nonsensical, you have power sitting there doing absolutely nothing, idle power.
How about people worry about what THEY are purchasing and stop characterizing what other people spend their money on. ?
Nothing wrong with getting advice.
My own approach used to be maxed out. In 2019, I got a 16 inch Intel 8 core i9, 64GB RAM and 8TB storage. It was way overpowered for what I used it for, not including the 8TB (I needed that). But still, $6000.
I am keeping the Intel, it is a beast that mainly stays docked. But I wanted a smaller, more travel ready one, so I got a 14 inch 1TB stock model. Plus, I wanted to get into the M1 game. Apple is clearly putting the writing on the wall - good bye Intel, as M1s will get more and more feature support than the Intels will. From now on, my new approach will be to get a moderate "2nd" model, in the $2000-$3000 range and upgrade more often.
Yeah the only strong future proofing argument I can see is RAM. I bet the M1 Pro, even the binned one, is going to last a long, long time. RAM is the only area that could get tight in a couple years, but if you buy the base model, you save that money and can put it toward a new MBP sooner.
It is possible to add 32 GB of RAM and 1 TB to base 14" M1 MacBook Pro without having to upgrade the CPU. Arguably the 32 GB of RAM will do more for the long term viability of that machine for a power user than the CPU or graphics upgrade. For a gamer of course the bottleneck would be GPU but for someone using a lot of content creation or development applications, it will be memory rather than CPU/GPU.
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...if you order BTO direct from Apple or a large dealer. Which is what I would do, but plenty of people have good reasons why they prefer to - or are forced to - go through a store or dealer. (Non-US locations, buying for work from prescribed suppliers, unable to receive deliveries...)
It also depends how specific your requirements are - if you know that you need 32GB RAM, but don't need a lot of GPU then a BTO might make sense, but if you're just trying to "future proof" against vaguely defined future needs then the next standard spec up, with everything upgraded, often looks like better value for money.
...and, of course, Apple will have carefully planned their strategy to offer the lowest "from..." price while maximising their chances of upselling people to the higher specs. If resellers have "surplus" stock of the base model then they've probably done their own sums wrong (although it's too soon to call whether they're actually going to be stuck with a surplus when the music stops).
I meant the base model as the models where you can just walk-in and buy. Any changes to the base models will require weeks before it's delivered to you.
Speaking as someone who has a base model 2019 16" and went for the $2500 14" M1 Pro, 512GB has just been a little too limiting for me. I probably should have gotten more storage when I bought the 2019, but it was an unplanned purchase (kid killed my 2015 while "cleaning" it with a spray bottle).
I don't have it yet, but the $2500 14" config seems like a very balanced configuration (price, battery life, performance, storage). The base model is best for those who prioritize price or battery life, but still need more GPU performance than the standard M1 provides.
ETA: The $2500 config was a two day wait from Best Buy, but it appears to be pushed out to a week now, at least in my area.
I don't have it yet, but the $2500 14" config seems like a very balanced configuration (price, battery life, performance, storage). The base model is best for those who prioritize price or battery life, but still need more GPU performance than the standard M1 provides.
ETA: The $2500 config was a two day wait from Best Buy, but it appears to be pushed out to a week now, at least in my area.
You have two groups of people -- standard and professional consumers.
Professional consumers will most likely go down the BYO route and get it spec'd to whatever they want/need. They will most likely know if the base model will meet their needs or not. If they are a professional who will make due with the base model, they will get it. Otherwise, they will upgrade the CPU/GPU, RAM, and/or storage.
Standard consumers are going to walk into an Apple store and buy whatever is in stock. They probably don't know the power they are getting. They most likely don't even know this site exists to find out more information. Heck, they may not even have known a new model was released. These people probably also have one of two motives, 1.) they have extra money to spend over the 13" MBP and MBA or 2.) they walk in and see the latest and greatest and buy it (also probably fall into the first group since the price difference at base models is significant.
And that is why you will see so many base models in the stores and available for quick delivery or pickup online.
I really think it is that easy.
Professional consumers will most likely go down the BYO route and get it spec'd to whatever they want/need. They will most likely know if the base model will meet their needs or not. If they are a professional who will make due with the base model, they will get it. Otherwise, they will upgrade the CPU/GPU, RAM, and/or storage.
Standard consumers are going to walk into an Apple store and buy whatever is in stock. They probably don't know the power they are getting. They most likely don't even know this site exists to find out more information. Heck, they may not even have known a new model was released. These people probably also have one of two motives, 1.) they have extra money to spend over the 13" MBP and MBA or 2.) they walk in and see the latest and greatest and buy it (also probably fall into the first group since the price difference at base models is significant.
And that is why you will see so many base models in the stores and available for quick delivery or pickup online.
I really think it is that easy.
The base model would make sense over the 13" MBP for a business professional that wants to dock with 2 external displays, wants more ports for ease of use and presentations, etc. There is more to it than just computing power.
I do IT management for a small company and our standard post pandemic workstation is a 14" windows laptop, dock, dual monitors. The MBP 14 base model would be perfect for this in a mac environment.
I agree.
I do IT network design. I use VM Ware Horizon to access a virtual Windows desktop for my day-to-day business workings. I also do a little coding while finishing up my post-graduate certification in CyberSecurity. I am a hobby photographer and do zero video stuff. The base 14" 8/14/16/512GB model would have been perfect. I wanted the 1TB SDD. So, I was able to get the second tier base model (10/16/16/1TB) from the store without waiting for a delivery. Went to the Apple Store about 10 days ago and left with the exact model I was seeking, including trading in some old devices to offset the price.
This thing is a power house at the entry level. The YouTubers pushing it to the limits show how far it can go, but will rarely be exposed to that in a real day-to-day experience. Cutting down times is nice, but many already have a work flow that compensates for the time to render, download, sync, etc. Some might change how they work, but for the most part, little will change their work habits, especially those that charge by the hour. LOL.
I don't think calling a $2,499 base M1 Pro 16 in laptop a laptop for casual users - when the MacBook Air exist. That's a little irrational.
Just because you don’t do anything taxing on a computer doesn’t means others don’t. That’s why there are different configurations. Imagine if there we on a 16” MacBook.