Stop Gatekeeping Pro Models

[pi=e=3]

Per urban dictionary:
A word used to describe when someone sets a standard/limit on what someone must do to call themselves a 'true fan' of something/someone.

So replace 'true fan' with 'pro'

So by this logic, me telling you not to buy a F-350 dualy because all you do is commute and have a tiny garage that won’t fit it anyways is gatekeeping?

Seems more like the basic application of logic.

You can do whatever you want, but that doesn’t make it a good or logical choice. If you want to piss money away on a $5000 computer that will be used to watch YouTube, be my guest. But it’s not a good choice.

 

[zarathu]

It always really comes down to money, and what you can actually afford. The cheapest PC’s available are in the PC world, and if thats what you can afford, and you want it new, then you buy that. If you need a mac then you can buy an old late 2013 obsolete model for about $300 and it will run Big Sur. If you want new, and you have $899 you can buy an M1 air. And if you only have $1300 you can buy a MBP M1. If you have the money and want to be right at the top of current OS’s and equipment, then you can get a great 14 inch 2021 M1pro for $1799.

But the bottom line for everyone is really how much money you have or want to spend.

 

[yitwail]

So by this logic, me telling you not to buy a F-350 dualy because all you do is commute and have a tiny garage that won’t fit it anyways is gatekeeping?

Seems more like the basic application of logic.

I don’t tell anyone not to buy a brand new Jeep Wrangler when they only drive on the highway because I mind my own beeswax.

 

[Geert76]

But the bottom line for everyone is really how much money you have or want to spend.

As with everything in life.

Why spend $300 a night on a hotelroom?
Why spend $4000 in a week on a holiday?
Why spend $ 200.000 on a car?
Why spend $200 on a pair of jeans?

All the above can be done for much, much cheaper….but hey, there are people out there that like luxury or in the case of this new MacBook Pro, even if they are just a regular consumer (no Pro user) , to have the first ProMotion / 120 Hz Macbook out there

 

[Reggaenald]

Per urban dictionary:
A word used to describe when someone sets a standard/limit on what someone must do to call themselves a 'true fan' of something/someone.

So replace 'true fan' with 'pro'

Ever heard of a dictionary?

 

[boss.king]

With the release of the new MBPs a lot of folks including YouTubers are stating how non-pro users don't need these and probably shouldn't buy them. Additionally, forum users that claim they are "pros" have started gatekeeping these telling folks they should just by a MBA. While financially that makes sense I'll play devils advocate.

Reality is even if you're someone that just enjoys content and browsing the web the displays alone are worth the upgrade. I'm not a pro movie reviewer but I have an OLED tv so should I be relegated to a tiny lcd screen? Also, with the latest 12.9" IPP and iPhone Pro models we are spoiled with miniLED/OLED screens having 120hz. Personally, I don't want to use all 120hz devices with great displays only to jump on a MBA when I need to type a long email out or do some research.

So for those of you that can afford it buy a MBP and don't look for justification. It's not our fault Apple puts the better displays on their top models. If Apple gave the MBA a small & large screen with a better panel then great but until then us non-pros have no choice.

This isn't gatekeeping. It's genuinely solid guidance. Most people don't need the kind of power in these machines, myself included. That doesn't mean we can't buy them, it just means that we're paying a premium for power we likely won't ever take advantage of. If you want to buy a maxed 16" to watch Youtube and write short stories in Google Docs, you're well within your rights to do it. No one is going to stop you. But that also doesn't mean you've made a smart buy. And yes, there is more to these machines than the SOCs (the 120Hz displays, the ports, etc). No one is saying that only pros need these, they're just pointing out that the amount you'd be paying to get these is very high, but again, no one is stopping you.

Honestly, the smart thing to do with these, is to just max them out on CPU/GPU and RAM, get maybe 2TB storage, and use it as both a notebook AND desktop computer (taking advantage of the new Thunderbolt 4 to dock) for the next 5 years. (I say that because maxing out CPU/GPU/RAM is NOT that much more money compared to what they were charging in previous models)

It might be overkill TODAY, but, 2-3 years from now, it won't be. And it is futureproofed for literally AT LEAST 5 years.

Everyone thinks these are just massive jumps that Apple will be able to replicate again, but really, it's just because of the architecture change from X86 to ARM. Despite what Apple loyalists say, Apple won't be able to reproduce this magnitude of change again anytime soon. (i.e. battery life, performance, etc improvements)

Already, we are seeing issues with battery life being shot to hell and heat becoming an issue just going from M1 to M1 PRO/MAX. They won't be able to die shrink from 5nm for at least a few more years, either.

SO, we are looking at incremental improvements for at least the next 3-5 years.

Overbuying now with the expectation of future proofing is the worst way to buy tech, hands down. You'd be better off buying what you need now, then flipping it in 2-3 years and buying what you need then. Not only would you likely end up spending a similar amount of money you'd end up with a better computer because you'd benefit from the upgrades made along the way.

 

[hagjohn]

What is it with all these posts telling everyone to be discontented with Apple and the products they are putting out?

 

[fa8362]

What is it with all these posts telling everyone to be discontented with Apple and the products they are putting out?

And they're the best laptops (non-gaming specific) that any manufacturer ever made too...lol.

 

[Analog Kid]

I get the feeling posts like this come from the same place as the "I'm returning my such and such" posts. People are putting far too much control in the hands of social media.

Maybe someone slipped me a red pill when I wasn't looking or something, but some guy on YouTube or a MacRumors forum telling me what I do or don't need doesn't really interfere with me making my own decisions. Just like when I decide I don't like something, I don't need to start a thread announcing my intention to return it to see how many people agree with me.

I also suspect there's a very first world conflation of want and need in these discussions. You need a massive amount of computing power if you're paid for doing video production on a schedule. You want a 10 CPU, 32 GPU 16" monster with a 6k external display to surf the web. You only need a much more limited hardware platform, a modern standards compliant browser, and a screen the hardware support to surf the web. That's not so say you can't have what you want, just laying out the baseline for what you need.

Do what you want with the budget you have, and rather than rail at the people telling you what you don't need, consider that they may be trying to save you a few bucks by countering the equally powerful hype machine driving people to overbuy-- then just ignore them. The only gatekeepers you need to deal with is the person pulling stock from the Apple warehouse and your credit card company.

 

[nylon]

I don't need a Porsche but I sure love driving one and I don't care what anyone else thinks. Do what makes you happy.

 

[Regbial]

Is these a youtubes law were every tech graphic must have
a lame pouter
thick white border on 2 cut and paste rhetorical subject images
mundane colored back ground with Helvetica drop shadow.
and a stupid catch phrase?

and fake plants... at least 1 or 2 ugly plastic plants covered in dust and serving no purpose...

 

[unchecked]

The secondary reason why I hadn't already pulled the trigger (first one being I would not be able to get a 32GB customised option in time for a trip), is while I know I can afford to spend a little bit more, the cheapskate pennypincher in me also wants to get away with spending as little as possible.

These "you don't need x" videos goes out and explain why we really don't need x, that it's fine if we spend less.

 

[dtm84]

Buy whatever you want. People are saying only buy the pros if you have a workflow that needs the extra cores because the new machines are expensive and the base m1 models are not any faster for single core work (word editing, youtube, etc). You are internalizing this as criticism of your use case but it is not.

 

[macdrej]

Honestly, the smart thing to do with these, is to just max them out on CPU/GPU and RAM, get maybe 2TB storage, and use it as both a notebook AND desktop computer (taking advantage of the new Thunderbolt 4 to dock) for the next 5 years. (I say that because maxing out CPU/GPU/RAM is NOT that much more money compared to what they were charging in previous models)

It might be overkill TODAY, but, 2-3 years from now, it won't be. And it is futureproofed for literally AT LEAST 5 years.

Everyone thinks these are just massive jumps that Apple will be able to replicate again, but really, it's just because of the architecture change from X86 to ARM. Despite what Apple loyalists say, Apple won't be able to reproduce this magnitude of change again anytime soon. (i.e. battery life, performance, etc improvements)

Already, we are seeing issues with battery life being shot to hell and heat becoming an issue just going from M1 to M1 PRO/MAX. They won't be able to die shrink from 5nm for at least a few more years, either.

SO, we are looking at incremental improvements for at least the next 3-5 years.

in theory that‘s how i always wanted it to be. in practise, my last two maxed out macbook pros (2015 and 2018) have both lasted only 3 years before they were full of problems, flash drive issues, not working well with newer versions of software (premiere especially) and i was forced to update in order to maintain my work output.

 

[CoffeeMacBook]

I feel like these tempered videos are not really meant for everyone?

If your income is comfortable, you can afford the latest and greatest, and aren't the frugal type then would you really listen to someone saying "well nowww... unless you're a PRRROOO this machine isn't for you ?". I doubt it.

Ultimately Youtuber's are creating video for a wide gamut of buyers. Consumers seem to think every video is targeted towards them while ignoring every other consumer segment.

If you're the frugal type then you're going to question whether you truly "need" this, and therefore maybe make a decision carefully and might watch several videos asking lots of questions.

If you're an Apple devotee with a tight budget, then I think the topic of "need" vs "want" becomes a bigger debate depending on your current setup.

If you're an Apple devotee with a good income, then "need" vs "want" becomes a toss up. It's not a decision they'll be making with great consternation, but perhaps completely on a whim or whatever is more the forefront of their life.

If you're an Apple devotee with a comfortable life, then who cares? You're going to do whatever you want anyway and money isn't an issue. I highly doubt you're even going to bother coming on the Mac Rumors forums to discuss this - chances are you've sent your personal assistant to pick up 10 of these at your local Apple Store for family and friends ??