Base Model M3 MacBook Air Has Faster SSD Speeds After Controversy With Previous Model

[Chuckeee]

And surely you should know that you are the minority when it comes to all computer users, right?
like, I’m sorry if this offends anyone but, the majority of people are not using 8 TB of internal storage.
Some people do, of course, but they’re seriously is a reason why 256 GB is the default and has been for quite a while.
it’s because most people are only using about 256 GB, or in most cases probably less.

I don’t believe @MNGR was claiming their position required every machine be sold with an 8TB SSD. They were just describing their particular requirements. And that is the way it is supposed to be, you buy the configuration the satisfies your individual requirements. It not fair to expect Apple to make their entry configuration match your individual requirements so you can save a little while forcing everyone one else to buy more than they really need.

 

[svish]

Fantastic news! Very happy to see this change. Feels like it is better to spend the $100 more and buy the 13" M3. Expecting similar change on the 15" too.

 

[Abazigal]

Haven‘t Mac sales plummeted like 30%? If people start voting with their wallet the margin driven approach might just not cut it anymore. At least I hope Apple will be forced to cater a tiny bit more to consumer needs.

I don't think Mac sales are down primarily due to internet drama like slower flash storage or expensive ram upgrades. In that regard, I don't think that lowering prices will meaningfully raise sales either.

We see this in Apple's marketing language where they keep comparing their latest Macs to older intel and M1 devices. Rather, what's more likely is a combination of the M1 Macs being so good that people simple aren't looking to upgrade anytime soon, plus the pandemic pulling forward a lot of sales (if you bought a Mac in 2020-2022, you are good for the next 5-7 years). That or users may be holding out for a form factor that doesn't yet exist, like a true pro-level iMac (because the next best successor is a pretty pricey Mac Studio + studio display combo).

I don't have a ready answer to this, except that this may represent the new normal (the even the entry level Mac is good enough for the majority of users) and that only time may eventually lead to them upgrading. Right now, I don't see a mass exodus by Mac users to windows PCs either, so it seems similar to the state of the iPhone where people are simply holding to their devices longer, and I guess that's not entirely a bad thing?

It may be another 2-3 years before Mac sales start picking up again, as the initial batch of M1 adaptors start looking for the next replacement.

 

[jooish]

Why?
RAM I get, 8GB in 2024 can definitely be a squeeze.
But I think a lot of people seriously overestimate how much storage most (average) people are using.
Between iCloud Drive (which synchronizes the desktop and documents folders already) and the affordability of external SSD’s, 256 GB is plenty for most.
Not to mention the fact that most people don’t store music, movies, and TV shows on their computers anymore, because it’s all streaming. Unless they’re going on a trip, in which case one or two movies isn’t taking up a full 256 GB.
My M1 iMac is my main computer, it has only 256 GB, and it’s not even half full.
It’s complemented by a 2 TB external SSD, which works just fine.

Fine... then the prices are too high for those configurations.

I paid more for my phone than I did for my Mac, so I don't know about that.

Smaller tech is always more expensive. And there's other things in an iPhone that isn't in a Mac.

 

[Lift Bar]

I'm still using a (13-inch, Mid 2012) MacBook Air that came with 4 GB RAM, and 120 GB SDD. I have 59 GB of free space left. It just depends what you use your machine for. For me daily home stuff like email, browsing, etc.
And yes, I'm definitely ready for an upgrade!!

What specific aspects are you looking to improve? You might save a significant amount on your next purchase by focusing on the features that matter to you.

 

[platinumaqua]

apple is only addressing criticisms (controversies) when it doesn't affect their bottom line.

Otherwise 8/256, soldered storage, soldered memory, or overpriced memory/storage upgrades would've been fixed a long time ago

 

[ikramerica]

I don't think Mac sales are down primarily due to internet drama like slower flash storage or expensive ram upgrades. In that regard, I don't think that lowering prices will meaningfully raise sales either.

We see this in Apple's marketing language where they keep comparing their latest Macs to older intel and M1 devices. Rather, what's more likely is a combination of the M1 Macs being so good that people simple aren't looking to upgrade anytime soon, plus the pandemic pulling forward a lot of sales (if you bought a Mac in 2020-2022, you are good for the next 5-7 years). That or users may be holding out for a form factor that doesn't yet exist, like a true pro-level iMac (because the next best successor is a pretty pricey Mac Studio + studio display combo).

I don't have a ready answer to this, except that this may represent the new normal (the even the entry level Mac is good enough for the majority of users) and that only time may eventually lead to them upgrading. Right now, I don't see a mass exodus by Mac users to windows PCs either, so it seems similar to the state of the iPhone where people are simply holding to their devices longer, and I guess that's not entirely a bad thing?

It may be another 2-3 years before Mac sales start picking up again, as the initial batch of M1 adaptors start looking for the next replacement.

Don’t worry. Apple is slowly slowing down the M1 over time.

My M1 MBP is noticeably slower than when new. Opening applications that took 1 bounce now takes a few. Opening finder windows isn’t instant anymore, and plugging in an iPhone and having it show up is ridiculously slow. There are spinning beach balls. And I have to restart occasionally.

Is the OS just messy now? Years of updates making it feel like an Intel? Is the speed of the original M1 when new simply due to a very clean install of an Arm OS version with no baggage? Is it just like any Mac where I have to do a clean install but with the way things are, you can’t clone out your drive, so it’s much harder, but will it matter?

Rendering? Still fast. Walk throughs? Still fast. Daily use? Not what it was.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Also, sad that Apple had to be called out on this BS but at least they fixed it.

More likely it’s just serendipity. Maybe the chip/price/availability ratio has swung in our favour for a while. There’s absolutely zero chance that Cook spent one more cent than necessary in order to placate the minority. Of that I’m certain.

 

[Jim Lahey]

Now we wait for 16GB base Airs

I prefer watching paint dry. In the tin. With the lid on.

 

[Abazigal]

Don’t worry. Apple is slowly slowing down the M1 over time.

My M1 MBP is noticeably slower than when new. Opening applications that took 1 bounce now takes a few. Opening finder windows isn’t instant anymore, and plugging in an iPhone and having it show up is ridiculously slow. There are spinning beach balls. And I have to restart occasionally.

Is the OS just messy now? Years of updates making it feel like an Intel? Is the speed of the original M1 when new simply due to a very clean install of an Arm OS version with no baggage? Is it just like any Mac where I have to do a clean install but with the way things are, you can’t clone out your drive, so it’s much harder, but will it matter?

Rendering? Still fast. Walk throughs? Still fast. Daily use? Not what it was.

Hmm, my MBA still feels the same as before. The only time I have restarted it is due to software updates. Otherwise, everything is as speedy as before, though battery life feels a tad shorter.

 

[steve09090]

Hmm, my MBA still feels the same as before. The only time I have restarted it is due to software updates. Otherwise, everything is as speedy as before, though battery life feels a tad shorter.

I like that when it’s plugged in, it max’s the battery at 80%, which is the way I use it 9+% of the time. I just give it a full charge if I am going on a trip and I want to use it off power. Mine also hasn’t appeared to slow down since 2020 but I get that we get used to a speed and slowing down may or may not be a perception only.

 

[smulji]

You have to understand the expectations for Apple Silicon in 2020/2021. Many people thought it would wipe out x86. Intel and AMD were declared dead.

Today, after the upheaval from M1, Apple still has only a 10% global market share for PCs. Apple was at around 7% in 2019. How many M1 moments will Apple have in the future? In the grand scale of things, M1 didn't do much for Apple. That's why the 34% decline in Mac sales was so surprising - the momentum was supposed to continue, even after remote work.

That's because the vast majority of the business world still relies on Windows. That's not going to change anytime soon, if ever. And it's going to be even more challenging with Windows PC's coming out later this year that will be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite processor

 

[smulji]

Based on what, exactly?

All data that I have seen shows the entire industry had reduction in sales after the early pandemic high. The early pandemic buying included a bump for work-at-home transitions.

I keep asserting that the day of the desktop is over. It's a slow death for sure, but there isn't a demand for big, noisy, energy-guzzling boxes, outside of the "gaming" market (wherein the gaming computers play a social role not unlike automobile engine sizes in previous generations of male-bragging rights.)

The entire industry did have a reduction and it is still decreasing. That's why there's a big push by MS, Qualcomm, Intel coming this year with respect to "AI PC" branding, in order to re-energize the Windows market.

 

[bluecoast]

I just really think Apple should be putting in a larger base SSD and encouraging a local backup beyond just iCloud syncing.

For.....Photos

That's the one disk hog that basically everyone has a massive amount of

Yeah I agree 256 GB doesn’t feel ‘premium’ anymore. I was just saying that most people will struggle to fill anywhere close to 256 GB, nor will they care.

And again, it’s worth remembering that although a lot of people here will have full quality photos on their local machine, most people have the full quality photos only in iCloud and they’re good with that.

 

[ric22]

Pffff. They should have just invested a couple of extra bucks into making 512 the base. Paying more than $100 extra to get 1TB is a slap in the face.

 

[Basic75]

With this and the dual monitor support in clamshell mode Apple seems to be responding to criticisms about previous models.

They'll do anything that doesn't affect the cash cow of ridiculous RAM and SSD upgrade pricing.

 

[Basic75]

Is the speed of the original M1 when new simply due to a very clean install of an Arm OS version with no baggage?

Try it, do a clean install of your Mac, in some cases it improves perceived performance a lot.

 

[SanderEvers]

It really should have 512GB at minimum for the asking price, no scratch that, 1TB. The price of flash storage these days is extremely low. There is really no excuse.

 

[The Game 161]

Good that apple has learnt it's lesson

 

[The Game 161]

Now we wait for 16GB base Airs

Hell we are waiting on it for the pros

 

[pappl]

Wow, we get what we got over 2 years ago. What a performance.

 

[jlc1978]

So what do all the Tim Cook defenders, who since 2022 have been saying that it wasn't a big deal that the 256GB SSD on the M2 was slower than on the M1, have to say now?

It didn't matter to most users then, and doesn't matter now either. Most users focus on how the machine performs in real life; and their eyes glaze over when you start talking tech specs.

apple is only addressing criticisms (controversies) when it doesn't affect their bottom line.

Otherwise 8/256, soldered storage, soldered memory, or overpriced memory/storage upgrades would've been fixed a long time ago

There is no need to because most users don't care about those things, they just want a machine that works and will last for a while; there is no controversy regarding those things. As long as it gets mail, surfs the web, and does light document work well, they have a machine that meets their needs at a price they can afford. They'll never really need to upgrade their machines so more memory and a higher price is a worse value proposition.

 

[lcseds]

My college graduate mid 20's y/o daughter is fine with an 8/256 configuration. Honestly, it's about 4/128 more than she needs. Quite a few of us here are tech nerds, so we want the best, and for less. But this small group of us spec pounding MR members is a ridiculously small sample of Apple users.

Apple has to show Wall St improved profits, every quarter if possible, and Tim is doing very well. That's the business world and applies to every industry. On that note, Apple, and only Apple, knows exactly what sells, what doesn't, profit per unit etc. We can speculate and dream, but Apple will only produce items that are in their best interests. So pick something from the menu that will work for you and run with it. Worry less about what is not on that menu.

 

[arcite]

sorry. I store all my media (movies, photos, emails) on my 8 tb internal SSD.
Not in the cloud.
And backups are to my NAS plus a few external drives.

You should realize, SSD is an inherently inferior tech for long term data archive shortage. So hopefully you have backups.

 

[arcite]

I have 8gigs, I also have over 100 tabs open in Firefox. Activity monitor shows 7 gigs of ram in use with some to spare. It's cool