High end configs rarely hold much resale value. You shouldn't count on that. Today's high end config is the base config when you're ready to resell.
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Talk me Out of buying m1 ultra and just get m1 max
- Thread starter Earpo44
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^^^^THIS! giggling with blazing fast speed resonates with me. Like that type of stuff really brings a smile to my face while using tech & being such a nerd about this stuff. Honestly if this stuff doesn't excite you why the hell would you be on this forum, to help make wise finical decisions ???Sure we could talk you out of it...but..
You make it clear you have the "disposable" income to buy the Ultra, and you buy Mac stuff wisely, and sell the older mac stuff stuff wisely.
I would say buy the Ultra, and it will keep better value when it comes time to sell.
And most importantly you will be giggling behind your screen because of how blazingly fast it all will work
Someone mentioned yearly/monthly costs, which REALLY resonates with me. I look at $$'s like that ALL the time. As I said, I don't keep things that I buy brand new through the end of their useful life. I will unload it while it has most of its value still left in the market. So if I sell for ~800-1000$ less than I paid for it when I go to sell, it cost me less than $80/month (assuming I keep minimum a year), which I will make WAYYY more $ from using it for work. Rather than using it, deciding to keep as "backup" then realize it's collecting dust and is only worth 1/4 of what you paid new, there ACTUALLY costing you more $$.
Like really think about it. All the people who swing by Starbucks AT LEAST 4x's week. That is a more expensive habit than wanting to be as proficient as possible while working. ?
/end rant
I agree with you. Considering the base M1 max and Base Ultra configs to each be their own "BASE" models
Tbh the base one looks pretty amazing, especially for what I’ll do with it , which is very basic
Im buying it because I don’t want to update my iMac to the latest os , simple as that
Pretty sure that as underwhelming the looks are I’ll be blown away by the performance, the tech is amazing ?
Im buying it because I don’t want to update my iMac to the latest os , simple as that
Pretty sure that as underwhelming the looks are I’ll be blown away by the performance, the tech is amazing ?
I used to agree wholeheartedly with this, but it has also become... more complicated.
In support of it, I will say I have generally tried to max out my computers (to a reasonable degree), particularly for peripherals I couldn't change out - usually processor and graphics cards. It paid off for my current 2015 retina iMac; I was comparing notes with another user of the same photo-editing software, almost the same computer except that he didn't max out his graphics card. We determined that his choppy performance contrasted with my flawlessly smooth performance due to differences in the graphics card. What was it back then, a $200 upgrade? Choppy performance when adjusting sliders would have driven me to upgrade almost instantly; that $200 "investment" allowed me to use my computer frustration-free for an additional three or so years.
I used to upgrade systems about once every 3-4 years for the performance upgrades; my current computer is about seven years old. It's the longest I've ever used a single system. But it's not just that the rate of technological advancement has been slowing a bit: I've been slowing down in what I do. I don't push my computer like I used to, and I don't get to spend as much time on it as I used to, either. Actually, I'd happily keep plodding along with this computer, except that it's on the verge of no longer receiving major operating system updates and I could benefit (quality of life - want, not a need) from newer features.
I'm stuck on configuring my own Studio. If a 2015 system is doing fair by me, I already know the Ultra configuration is ridiculously overkill - something I'd probably jump at for $200, but can't justify $2,000 for. The base Studio itself is possibly overkill, but the Mac mini introduces compromises that I don't want to have to work around. I can afford it, and this is where I'm with you on regretting spending too little. Buy once, cry once, I say. But the graphics upgrade now is about cores, and not an architectural or GPU-based RAM upgrade like it used to be. RAM used to be an easy one when we could do it ourselves, but being locked in now makes it harder. I run 32 GB now and can push it on occasion, but it's fine most of the time... but I'll probably take the 64 GB upgrade just to be safe.
But that's all thinking for someone who basically runs with the same system until it's not working well for them anymore. OP sells his systems to jump between upgrades; the calculations on that are different. I'd imagine that you'll have a smaller subset of people willing to spend so much second-hand on the Ultra configuration, and would have an easier time selling at the Max price point, but I don't have much experience selling for multiple thousands of dollars.
The risk of investing too much into the Ultra is how the Mac Studio is an embedded system with close to no expandability or even serviceability. While on say a laptop, the battery and the KB or chassis etc, the whole system has a few other things that are almost consumables, people are much more likely to accept it being virtually unchangeable after purchase. But with the Studio Ultra, that asking price is a lot if you aren't going to utilize the performance right away, while stand to risk it being broken after AppleCare expires. You may not even get to enjoy the future-proofing-years if it breaks before that turning point.
Did you know that AppleCare is only $60 a year for the Mac Studio and you can renew it indefinitely (i.e. until Apple can no longer support the product)? FWIW, that's what I will get for mine.
And price wise the Mac Studio Ultra blows the MacBook Pro out of the water as far as value goes unless you need the portability.
16" MacBook Pro with M1 Max, 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD = $3900.
Mac Studio with M1 Ultra, 20-core CPU, 48-core GPU, 64 GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, 10G Ethernet, more Ports = $4000.
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Thanks for mentioning this. I actually did hear about AC+ extension, but it hardly made sense for MacBooks (which we mostly buy in our work) so I quickly forgot about it.
With the Studio Ultra that can be a seriously sound investment. That gives a lot more confidence for people in specing the Ultra out. What's interesting is the AC+ price does not change, same for base Max all the way towards topped out Ultra.
Buy the Ultra. Don’t settle for the slow Max that’ll leave you awake each night knowing there’s something better out there with more cpu and neural engine cores than you know what to do with.
Maybe at a 1000 off. 10% off is merely msrp for me. It’ll be easy enough to do toward the holidays. Still funny to see those that pay full prices at apple.
Ended with base config m1 max. They had an ultra in stock but after watching the review videos I couldn’t justify the purchase.
Also scored a nano coat Studio Display ??
Thanks for all the lovely conversation on here everyone ?
Also scored a nano coat Studio Display ??
Thanks for all the lovely conversation on here everyone ?
Are you never content with what you have?
Here is an advice. Wait 3 months and if you still think you need something faster than your M1 Pro then get the studio. So far all you've said pointed towards you being ok with your setup and you are just 'greedy' for no reason.
However, its your money so do what you want. Chasing unicorns is not going to solve anything though
Here is an advice. Wait 3 months and if you still think you need something faster than your M1 Pro then get the studio. So far all you've said pointed towards you being ok with your setup and you are just 'greedy' for no reason.
However, its your money so do what you want. Chasing unicorns is not going to solve anything though
I think everyone especially those of us who visit Macrumors and participate in the forum are just like you. The only difference is a lot of us have some self-control. I could splurge on a Studio Display and Mac Studio Ultra. But when I really look at what I do on my computer, it would be unjustifiable to spend on a setup that's likely being more than met by what I already have. But we live in a capitalist society and it's what makes the American economy a success. If you have the money and you want it, you can have it. I remember many years ago, the closest to owning an Apple product was reading Macworld magazine. Now I consider my privilege to be able to buy almost any Apple product I want. But I also think it's a privilege to be able to skip most revisions, too.
My MacBook Pro M1 is still great 1.3 years later that I just don't see another Mac notebook on the horizon for a very long time. I might get a desktop in the future just for a larger screen setup thats all Apple. All my personal computers are docked at home that the need to have a laptop has kinda become redundant. In a hybrid work world, it's just the new reality.
My MacBook Pro M1 is still great 1.3 years later that I just don't see another Mac notebook on the horizon for a very long time. I might get a desktop in the future just for a larger screen setup thats all Apple. All my personal computers are docked at home that the need to have a laptop has kinda become redundant. In a hybrid work world, it's just the new reality.