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ARM MAC = new Windows Vista machines in 2025
- Thread starter Zest28
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Actually, I’d go further; the above applies to any OS implementing virtual memory, to one degree or other. The first UNIX to implement it was a version of BSD running on the venerable VAX11/780, probably late 70s; DEC VMS (which stands for Virtual Memory System) launched around the same time. These operating systems from 40 years ago had (or would soon get) things like memory-mapped files, copy-on-write executables, and all the things that make reading the output of Activity Monitor’s Memory tab in 2025 impenetrable to the lay user.
I remember being taught in my NetWare 3.0 training in the early 90s that the Netware operating system was designed to allocate literally every byte of unused memory to file cache, and therefore it would always run at 100% memory utilisation.
Why are you avoiding telling us what software you are using and showing activity monitor?
My BS-ometer is going off like crazy
OP makes no sense
It's a fun read, though 🙂🍿
OP makes no sense
It's a fun read, though 🙂🍿
He’s obviously trolling and what do we know about trolls in the internet?
Do not feed them at any cost.
You get used to it eventually. Been teaching computer science including Operating Systems at several universities for a long time. This all sounds like those students that know it all, better than anyone else only to fail in the end, because they have no idea what they're talking about. But then the "real" reason is because it's all too difficult, no one could do it and it's all unfair. Must be Wednesday again... oh.
What is your preferred solution? Checkboxes for each background service? Sounds like you should migrate to Linux
Not with an equivalent feature set.
Heck, you can run Linux on a $25 SBC, so why not compare that to macOS? Because they are totally different things and comparing them is a fool's task.
Install packages which bring any Linux distro to an equivalent feature set as macOS (UI, functions, features, etc) and you'll find they are comparable.
This will be my one and only post here, because all you want to do is moan and whine and stir shoot up. But your comparison to Linux running on a 1GB (Or less! You can go way way down if you want!) system is pointless and ridiculous.
Free RAM is wasted RAM.
I don’t know about anyone else, but if I’ve purchased a machine with 32GB RAM, I want it to be using as much of that as possible to make my usage as efficient as it can be. What’s the point in 20GB of RAM sitting there idle?
I don’t know about anyone else, but if I’ve purchased a machine with 32GB RAM, I want it to be using as much of that as possible to make my usage as efficient as it can be. What’s the point in 20GB of RAM sitting there idle?
If you're doing mainly cloud based work, an 8gb process shouldn't result in much memory pressure on a machine with 32gb RAM.
Your concern about Apple spying on you is a whole other level.
There are background processes to scan your media (although it’s not exactly “spying”, why do you think it’s sending anything back to Apple rather than just checking a gracenote database on the metadata or scanning what you might be using regularly), but what else are you doing with that memory?
And again, what is the problem with the OS to use spare processor cycles and memory to do background tasks that will make your computer more responsive? So long as it drops those processes when you need the power and memory, it’s a case of getting the most out of the power of the computer you have. Linux may work with 1GB, but if you’ve got 32GB, why not use the 31GB spare memory to pre-cache other things, rather than sit idle?
I get that you're frustrated but this would be much more pleasant without all the sarcasm.
You call that sarcasm. I call it something else. I guess sarcasm is a nice way to put it.
I am not sure if what you are experiencing is not a bug of some sort.
Since I still have my M1 Air on Monterey, maybe thats my thing that I am not seeing increased RAM usage. Right now I am streaming a movie on my TV off MacBook, it says 4.85Gb RAM used out of 16.
The thing is, Mac is using RAM slightly different than Windows or even its distant relative Linux. Have you ever had RAM-related freezes or slowdowns on your ARM MacBook? If not and it is just showing high RAM usage then it is all okay.
While Microsoft officially says you can live on 4GB RAM, it is impossible in real life scenarios. And even 8GB nowadays feels very constrained on Windows machines, given that it is a modern Windows 11 or 10. Older stuff can live on 1 or 2 GB, but browsing won’t feel the same.
Even if they are spying, everyone does. Just deal with it, don’t store too much personal info on your laptop, do not overshare specific info. I doubt Apple actually spies because they don’t have working ad business to put all that data at real work.
I still think you got some sort of a bug. Maybe some particular application is causing this behavior since 3rd party apps can use and trigger Apple processes as well. Also it might be “good old” Spotlight indexing. If you don’t rely on it, kill it and then exclude your Macintosh HD from indexing, then see how it goes.
Also uninstalling Chrome smh helps fix Mac RAM issues. I don’t know what it does, but it seems like Chrome is slowing down Macs. I personally use Firefox, jumped on it ever since I saw how sluggish Chrome can get.
If nothing helps I advise you to try and update your Mac. If you have latest version, maybe consider clean reinstall. It is not complicated and system will do everything for you.
I mean, it is a good laptop, honestly! I doubt I would have ever found a Windows laptop for the same price that does all that I need as fast as this little machine. Not sure I would need an upgrade anytime soon, it does all I need
Since I still have my M1 Air on Monterey, maybe thats my thing that I am not seeing increased RAM usage. Right now I am streaming a movie on my TV off MacBook, it says 4.85Gb RAM used out of 16.
The thing is, Mac is using RAM slightly different than Windows or even its distant relative Linux. Have you ever had RAM-related freezes or slowdowns on your ARM MacBook? If not and it is just showing high RAM usage then it is all okay.
While Microsoft officially says you can live on 4GB RAM, it is impossible in real life scenarios. And even 8GB nowadays feels very constrained on Windows machines, given that it is a modern Windows 11 or 10. Older stuff can live on 1 or 2 GB, but browsing won’t feel the same.
Even if they are spying, everyone does. Just deal with it, don’t store too much personal info on your laptop, do not overshare specific info. I doubt Apple actually spies because they don’t have working ad business to put all that data at real work.
I still think you got some sort of a bug. Maybe some particular application is causing this behavior since 3rd party apps can use and trigger Apple processes as well. Also it might be “good old” Spotlight indexing. If you don’t rely on it, kill it and then exclude your Macintosh HD from indexing, then see how it goes.
Also uninstalling Chrome smh helps fix Mac RAM issues. I don’t know what it does, but it seems like Chrome is slowing down Macs. I personally use Firefox, jumped on it ever since I saw how sluggish Chrome can get.
If nothing helps I advise you to try and update your Mac. If you have latest version, maybe consider clean reinstall. It is not complicated and system will do everything for you.
I mean, it is a good laptop, honestly! I doubt I would have ever found a Windows laptop for the same price that does all that I need as fast as this little machine. Not sure I would need an upgrade anytime soon, it does all I need
OP: Is your memory pressure green, yellow, or red? That's all that's mattered since OS X 10.9. If you're in the green, you're good. Yellow is when the system is starting to get "overwhelmed".
Activiy Monitor screenshots would be very helpful. This is my current load - system is snappy, and I have the M1 Pro, not Max.
Something a lot worse LOL. I just do not get what people want with threads like this. I probably should just do the nice thing that you are doing and call it sarcasm.
There were days in my youth, I was so drunk in bars, I thought every woman was drop-dead gorgeous.
But I have never been so drunk as to confuse MacOS, as being MS Vista. 😄
These threads are becoming as exhausting to come across as the daily routine of the crazy news cycle.
As a former Windows Vista and owner of an M1 MBA/M1 Pro MBP and a M3 Pro MBP I have to disagree with the statement and equivalency you’re suggesting between the two.
All of my machines max out their ram but in terms of performance I don’t feel it nor do I feel like it’s a problem. My Intel based Macs were miserable to use in comparison.
If you don’t like something then I suggest moving on from it sooner than later as the frustration is only weighing on you.
As a former Windows Vista and owner of an M1 MBA/M1 Pro MBP and a M3 Pro MBP I have to disagree with the statement and equivalency you’re suggesting between the two.
All of my machines max out their ram but in terms of performance I don’t feel it nor do I feel like it’s a problem. My Intel based Macs were miserable to use in comparison.
If you don’t like something then I suggest moving on from it sooner than later as the frustration is only weighing on you.
I think it was other way round for me. lol. Even I wouldn’t think mac is as ugly as vista after getting drunk.
Where can I buy M5 Max MacBook Pro?
Funny you brought up Linux, there was critical vulnerability in Linux for a while. A Microsoft researcher accidentally found when login times in Linux were getting slower.
I run a hardened Linux workstation, security is big problem on Linux.
They appear to be conflating RAM and Storage, and don’t know how RAM is allocated. They think there is a RAM problem because they got a memory warning. AFAIK MacOS only warns you of disk space is running out, not if RAM is “running out”.
I think Linux would be a good lesson for them, but I wouldn’t suggest it to them
And you notice macOS is using over 25 GB of the 32 GB available. People think it’s like storage where when it gets close to full you need to really worry. I’m sure you know but what people don’t understand is memory is just temporary storage. You’re cleaning the house and temporarily you put a whole bunch of stuff on the kitchen table. Just because the kitchen table is full of stuff right now doesn’t mean you need to buy a bigger kitchen table.
They appear to be conflating RAM and Storage, and don’t know how RAM is allocated. They think there is a RAM problem because they got a memory warning. AFAIK MacOS only warns you of disk space is running out, not if RAM is “running out”.
I think Linux would be a good lesson for them, but I wouldn’t suggest it to them
I suggested Linux because he doesn’t like certain system processes running, and taking up resources. There’s not much you can do about that with macOS. You don’t get to pick which system processes run. With Linux, you have more control over that.
Me personally I’m just the type of person that wants to power my computer on and use it. I don’t want to worry about memory pressure, what processes are running or do I have enough battery. That’s just distraction to me. I want the operating system to leave me alone where I don’t need to babysit it and I can just do what I want to do