How can Apple sell a Mac with 8GB of RAM in 2023 and call it "Pro"

[Zest28]

The base model exists to motivate people to pay $200 for an additional extremely overpriced 8GB RAM stick.

It's the reason why Apple gimps the SSD speed on the base models too, to force people pay an additional $200 on a severely overpriced additional 256GB storage.

This is where Apple makes most of the killing, these severely overpriced upgrades. And Apple sure knows how to make people spend on it.

 

[mode11]

Your argument isn't as great as you think. You're literally complaining only about a name!
Not a tangible drawback, like how the new iMacs now come with 50% less Apple stickers.

Phil Schiller: At what point isn't this just a MacBook Pro?​

• Unibody chassis
• High color gamut display
• Revolutionary built-in battery
• LED backlit keyboard
• SD card slot
• FireWire 800
• Up to 8 GB RAM
• Up to 256 GB SSD

You're right. 8GB was an impressive amount of memory for a 13" laptop... in 2009.

Why stop there? Apple's top Power Mac could take an insane 1GB of RAM in 1999. By that standard, perhaps Apple should rename the current Mac mini the Mac Ultra Power Pro.

 

[andrewstirling]

The base model exists to motivate people to pay $200 for an additional extremely overpriced 8GB RAM stick.

It's the reason why Apple gimps the SSD speed on the base models too, to force people pay an additional $200 on a severely overpriced additional 256GB storage.

This is where Apple makes most of the killing, these severely overpriced upgrades. And Apple sure knows how to make people spend on it.

Sorry. But how does the presence of a cheaper model force people to pay for a more expensive one? If you take the cheap model away the more expensive one doesn’t automatically get cheaper. The cheap model exists so people who don’t need 16gb have a cheaper point of entry.

Surely removing the cheap option would ‘make’ people pay for the more expensive one?

 

[mode11]

Sorry. But how does the presence of a cheaper model force people to pay for a more expensive one? If you take the cheap model away the more expensive one doesn’t automatically get cheaper. The cheap model exists so people who don’t need 16gb have a cheaper point of entry.

Surely removing the cheap option would ‘make’ people pay for the more expensive one?

Well, it's a matter of perspective isn't it? What would you say if £1600 got you a 4GB machine, 8GB was £1800, and 16GB was £2000? Presumably - "this is what it costs Apple to make these laptops, so if Apple removed the 'value' machines, they'd be forced to charge you £2000 for a 16GB laptop".

 

[Zest28]

Sorry. But how does the presence of a cheaper model force people to pay for a more expensive one? If you take the cheap model away the more expensive one doesn’t automatically get cheaper. The cheap model exists so people who don’t need 16gb have a cheaper point of entry.

Surely removing the cheap option would ‘make’ people pay for the more expensive one?

So, Apple lures in people for new Macs with a low price. But then they realize they need more and then they get upselled to more expensive models.

That is the role of the base models.

If the MacBook Pro started at $1800, instead of $1600, it would have drawn in less customers (who are then later upselled to the more expensive machine)

 

[andrewstirling]

Absolute nonsense. The 8gb option exists because people buy it. If people didn’t buy them they wouldn’t exist.

 

[Zest28]

It is not non-sense. The cheap option is there to appeal to the wide audience. And then through basic ladder pricing, which is a well known marketing technique, people get lured to the premium upgrades where Apple makes a killing in profit. Apple is quite famous for it.

A consumer can first look at a cheap $500 iPad, but then once that consumers goes through Apple their ladder pricing, the consumer ends up buying a $1000 iPad Pro.

 

[mode11]

It's the same with premium cars. The starting price seems reasonable, but once you've added on a reasonable set of options the price quickly climbs. And cheaping out not only defeats the point of buying a nice car, but make it hard to sell later, as no one wants a poverty-spec luxury car.

 

[andrewstirling]

I’ll put money on the base models being the best selling.

Besides the car comparison doesn’t hold up as the cars are built to spec based on what the customer orders. The 8gb MacBooks pro are prebuilt and shipped to stores for people to buy. They don’t get your older then chuck an extra 8gb in. Most retail stores in the uk don’t even stock the higher spec macs.

 

[Gudi]

You're right. 8GB was an impressive amount of memory for a 13" laptop... in 2009.

Oh, but they sold it with 4 GB in 2009.
You had to pay extra for up to 8 GB. 😁

 

[mode11]

I’ll put money on the base models being the best selling.

Yeah, but not through choice. They're just the only one's most people can afford, or justify buying. And those with more demanding requirements (or disposable income) pay through the nose for upgrades. Win-win for Apple. Bit ****ty for the Mac platform though, if most people are on base spec machines.

 

[andrewstirling]

Yeah, but not through choice. They're just the only one's most people can afford, or justify buying. And those with more demanding requirements (or disposable income) pay through the nose for upgrades. Win-win for Apple. Bit ****ty for the Mac platform though, if most people are on base spec machines.

People are buying MacBooks because they have no choice?

 

[mode11]

People are buying MacBooks because they have no choice?

Yes, if they want to use macOS. What would be your suggestion? Hackintosh? Just use Windows?

 

[nebo1ss]

I just upgraded to a 13inch MacBook Air m2 from an Intel 2015 Air. During the time I had the 2015 Air I upgraded both the memory and the SSD. Knowing that there was no upgrade path on the new machine I went with 16 gig memory and 512 Gig of Storage. Just seem to make sense.

 

[Username-already-in-use]

Apple exists to make money and corporate buyers putting in orders for the M3/M2/M1 base model speaks more volumes to Apple’s SKU decisions, than a bunch of nerds arguing about it on a forum (myself included).

 

[mode11]

I just upgraded to a 13inch MacBook Air m2 from an Intel 2015 Air. During the time I had the 2015 Air I upgraded both the memory and the SSD. Knowing that there was no upgrade path on the new machine I went with 16 gig memory and 512 Gig of Storage. Just seem to make sense.

If you intend to keep the M2 for a similar amount of time, that seems like a wise decision. Particularly the storage. 256GB is like buying a 64GB iPhone - doable, but a hassle to keep removing stuff you're not using.

Apple exists to make money and corporate buyers putting in orders for the M3/M2/M1 base model speaks more volumes to Apple’s SKU decisions, than a bunch of nerds arguing about it on a forum (myself included).

Good point. Businesses aren't going to waste money giving staff extra storage space for their photos and videos; they'll just want the lowest cost. And if you spend most of your time in MS Office, 8GB is fine. Though the Air is even cheaper, and just as capable for that stuff.

 

[h.gilbert]

Yes, if they want to use macOS. What would be your suggestion? Hackintosh? Just use Windows?

People have no choice to buy a mac if they want the software that only mac uses

 

[Adelphos33]

An M3 Macbook Pro, upgraded to 16GB storage and 1 TB RAM, costs very similar to both MacBooks spec’d similarly, and may be a better buy. Once you start adding stuff to the MacBook Airs, even the M3 MacBook Pro looks more compelling

 

[Abazigal]

It is not non-sense. The cheap option is there to appeal to the wide audience. And then through basic ladder pricing, which is a well known marketing technique, people get lured to the premium upgrades where Apple makes a killing in profit. Apple is quite famous for it.

A consumer can first look at a cheap $500 iPad, but then once that consumers goes through Apple their ladder pricing, the consumer ends up buying a $1000 iPad Pro.

Apple offers a wide selection for its increasingly diverse user base. I bought the 2018 iPad Pro because I know I use my iPad daily for teaching and entertainment and am willing to pay for the best. Conversely, I bought the entry level iPad 9th gen for my mom to use at home. It makes zero sense for Apple to waste production capacity on making a ton of base model MacBooks that people are not going to buy. Apple is not in the business of making things that people don't want to buy.

Common sense suggests to me that the cheap option is there because Apple has look at users' needs and determined that the majority of users are indeed adequately served with 8gb ram and 256 gb SSD. I am one such person. If 8gb ram is insufficient for my needs, I have not felt it. I still have 140gb of free space in my M1 MBA (with 256gb storage). While I wouldn't say no to if my entry level MBA came with 512gb or even 1tb of storage, it's still more than what I need. Fast forward to 6 years later when it's no longer supported and destined for the landfill. I still wouldn't have used any of that extra storage and it just means more resources that gets wasted at the end of the day.

Multiply this by the hundreds of millions of Mac users around the world and that is a ton of people who would be over-served by Apple bundling a ton of extra ram and storage that they probably won't ever need, all just so a small number of Mac users don't want to pay a couple of extra hundred dollars right now?

I think I am starting to see what this is all about, and I am embarrassed I didn't see this earlier.

 

[andrewstirling]

This whole thread is basically a complaint that macs across the board are $200 more expensive than users would like them to be. If everything dropped $200 then everyone would be fine.

Let’s just call it what it is. Of course that argument can be applied to a lot of things these days. At least macs have stayed in the same ballpark.

 

[canadianpj]

I'm so incredibly disappointed in the 14" M3 MacBook Pro. There is NOTHING about that machine that is "Pro". 8GB of RAM in a pro machine is a joke, as is only being able to drive a single external display and having only two Thunderbolt ports. The 512GB SSD is merely "acceptable", which is fine in the base machine I suppose. What's aggravating is that Apple had to TRY to neuter this machine. This is better than the 13" Pro it's replacing, but just barely. I'm continuing to hold out for an M3 Air 15". I'm sure it'll only be $200 cheaper, but I'm not paying extra for the 14" non-Pro.

Easy. They list it on their website and people still buy it. If not enough people bought it then they wouldn't. Given that I still been 90% of people out there don't even need the speed of an M1 it hardly matters.

 

[Abazigal]

This whole thread is basically a complaint that macs across the board are $200 more expensive than users would like them to be. If everything dropped $200 then everyone would be fine.

What will likely happen is they even if the MBP dropped in price, people will just continue to try their luck and complain that it continues to be overpriced by $X.

 

[Apple_Robert]

This whole thread is basically a complaint that macs across the board are $200 more expensive than users would like them to be. If everything dropped $200 then everyone would be fine.

Let’s just call it what it is. Of course that argument can be applied to a lot of things these days. At least macs have stayed in the same ballpark.

This thread, like several of its cousins, is about two core issues.

1) The self-titled "pro users" (whatever convoluted gibberish that means) in this thread can't stand that there is an entry model available to the supposed non-pro users. In their Apple status mind, doing so diminishes the luxury status and standing of the MacBook Pro. The reason so many here say nobody should be using 8GB, or that the MBP can't really be used with just 8GB, is because admitting that it can be used (and it can) is to admit that the MacBook Pro is really a machine for the masses and not just the niche group of some secret MacBook Pro society were subjective terms and phrases have been come standards without definitions. Many of these people have wrapped their entire indentity in Apple products and the thought of an average user paying for the base price to do simpleton type tasks angers them because they paid so much more for the same tool.

2) The people complaining about the 8GB of RAM would never buy such to begin with so, the non-argument that the base model is too expensive for 8GB of RAM is simply a red-herring to detract from the real core issue of people expecting Apple to give them more RAM for free because after all, Apple is rich and greedy. These people want the Apple bragging status but, they don't want to pay the price.

 

[Cape Dave]

Sorry. But how does the presence of a cheaper model force people to pay for a more expensive one? If you take the cheap model away the more expensive one doesn’t automatically get cheaper. The cheap model exists so people who don’t need 16gb have a cheaper point of entry.

Surely removing the cheap option would ‘make’ people pay for the more expensive one?

The reason they do it this way is because pricing is not easy. There is an entire psychology behind it. And Apple has the very BEST minds for this. They are THE BEST at pricing that there ever was. They have YOU right where they want YOU. And it will stay that way until they figure a way to make even MORE profits. Pure genius.

 

[Gudi]

People are buying MacBooks because they have no choice? 😂😂😂

It's called a unique selling proposition (USP). Something the customer wants and only your business can provide. That's how you create a market with only one supplier, who can dictate prices to its customers. Your profit margin depends on the uniqueness of your product.