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Apple Fan 2008

macrumors 65816
May 17, 2021
1,492
3,613
Florida, USA 🇺🇸
I haven’t tested it myself, but theoretically, transitioned, optimized apps would use less ram. Like on the iPad.
Here's some proof. Intel app- Screen Shot 2022-08-12 at 11.38.31 PM.png





ARM app- Screen Shot 2022-08-12 at 11.37.59 PM.png
 

theorist9

macrumors 68040
May 28, 2015
3,880
3,060
Sorry it's a little blurry but the intel app took 148 MB And the ARM app took 129.98 MB
RAM usage varies a lot. Were you able to confirm these were consistent, e.g., close and open both programs a few times, and get about the same RAM usage each time? And were these both native apps? And did you find this across multiple native apps? This could just be an accident of the ARM version of this specific program being more RAM efficient.

Not asking you do this work, just pointing out that you'd need much more evidence to demonstrate a consistent difference.
 

pastrychef

macrumors 601
Sep 15, 2006
4,754
1,453
New York City, NY
Sounds plausible about the quantities, especially compared to their consumer devices. Though a few years ago Apple acknowledged it wasn't supporting its pro customers as well as it should have (the "apology tour"), and subsequently took steps to correct that. Given this new focus, they might still want to give seven years or so of OS support after the Intel Mac Pro is discontinued.

Or, if you want, you could count 8 years after the 27" iMac was discontinued, which would be early 2029. Historically, over the past 10 years, they've been averaging about 9 years of OS support across all models.

But of course none of us actually knows--just some fun speculation :). We shall see what Tim Cook meant when he said, in June 2002, that "We expect to release new software for Intel based Macs for years to come".

He also said "...we have new Intel based Macs in the pipeline that we’re really excited about." Not sure what happend to those. Will there be a new version of the Intel Mac Pro?


View attachment 2042380

If you look at the list of Macs supported by Ventura, you can see that anything older than 2017 is being dropped. Those are release dates of the Macs, not discontinuation dates. So a 2016 Mac will lose support later this year. That's 6 years from the date those Macs were released.

Screen Shot 2022-08-12 at 11.58.13 PM.png

Source:https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-ventura-preview/


Assuming they drop 2017 models with the next macOS release and 2018 models with the one following that, etc. Macs released in 2019 have two more versions after Ventura.
 

canadianpj

macrumors 6502a
Jun 27, 2008
553
500
iPad can’t sit as a compressor system on the network and use Apple Compressor. My 2010 Mac Pro with 8GB does this just fine.
No, it wouldn't and no one who has intentions to use Appel Compressor would think that it does.

You're talking about a fringe, not important to the majority of users example of a computer requirement.
 

Apple Fan 2008

macrumors 65816
May 17, 2021
1,492
3,613
Florida, USA 🇺🇸
If you look at the list of Macs supported by Ventura, you can see that anything older than 2017 is being dropped. Those are release dates of the Macs, not discontinuation dates. So a 2016 Mac will lose support later this year. That's 6 years from the date those Macs were released.

View attachment 2042387
Source:https://www.apple.com/macos/macos-ventura-preview/


Assuming they drop 2017 models with the next macOS release and 2018 models with the one following that, etc. Macs released in 2019 have two more versions after Ventura.
But that wouldn't be "for years to come" also macOS releases such as 10.9, 10.10 didn't change their requirements.
 

973358

Cancelled
Aug 3, 2022
48
20
It depends on what you do with it. If you only use your AS Macs to browse web light to no any editing, yeah, 8gb is fine, but if you do some light to medium editing, you should at least get the 16gb ram. Even when your AP Mac can run without enough ram, it will look for alternative sources like SSD swap. I wouldn't take chance knowing that my SSD that can't be replaced can be damaged just like that.
 

unrigestered

Suspended
Jun 17, 2022
879
840
Here's some proof. Intel app- View attachment 2042379





ARM app- View attachment 2042382

i don't think that this is any proof at all, unless each screen capture is taken from one native intel and ARM machine respectively with otherwise same environments (same OS, same amount of RAM)
Otherwise you are more likely to see an increased memory footprint just because those are wrapped, non native apps.

ARM macs actually have less RAM available, since they use shared memory and don't have the additional GBs of the dedicated graphics chips that were used in the intel era.
this has some performance benefits for people who are heavily into 3D graphics (gamers, 3D rendering artists...), but for most other use cases you will simply end up having slightly less RAM available, since the graphics RAM required for buffering and screen display will have to come from the only pool of RAM available, the system memory.

and a (hopefully) efficient memory allocation is usually done by software (the OS).
 
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Jumpthesnark

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2022
1,242
5,146
California
This is intentional strategy for planned obsolescence, by only making 8GB RAM as the only available pre-configured models.

That's a sweeping and inaccurate statement. Check their pre-configured models for the 14 and 16 inch Macbook Pro, the Studio or the Mac Pro and you will not even see 8GB RAM available, they start at 16, 32 and 64GB as the only available pre-configured models.
 

JoshNori

macrumors regular
Aug 5, 2022
176
196
No, I won't pay extra for 16 GB RAM. I know it's simple to do that.
OK then go buy a PowerBook G4 for its debut price of $2,999, and be even more entitled and out of touch about it. Do you realize that you’re complaining about a dirt cheap machine with specs that put entire categories of laptops to bed?
 

yellowhelicopter

macrumors regular
Jun 5, 2020
202
115
All I can say is that 8GB M1 works fine with virtual memory and in usual practical use it's undistinguishable from using actual RAM. It shouldn't be a problem in foreseeable future too. Of course it may be different if you're regularly using Mac for heavy video editing or similar tasks.
 
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Dnzilla

macrumors member
Sep 23, 2021
78
46
8 GB was maybe fine in 2013 (that's the RAM on a PC that I built back then, now it's been upgraded to 16 GB and is normally using about 60% of it).
8 GB on 2017 iMac wasn't enough. I upgraded it myself, as Apple RAM was a rip-off.
8 GB in 2022 is already a joke. I believe, 16 GB is an absolute minimum these days, no matter the architecture.

What's wrong with these new computers (Apple and many Windows too) is that they are not upgradable, so Apple can easily upsell, charging its huge premium, if you want a decent amount of RAM or storage. And then, in a few years, you cannot simply add what you want, so you buy a new computer.
Yes burning reckon they’re also obliged to keep their ecosystem 8gb capable, so keep the OS smooth and safari optimised etc

So that’s prob also a big factor No?
 
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