So not sure what $7,000 M3 Max you are looking at my M3 Max was $3200 - 20% education discount = $2560 before taxes.
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If it’s not an M3 Max it’s not a MacBook Pro
- Thread starter TheRealAlex
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I mean, I'm a professional user, and I was able to use my 2019 MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM and i9-9880HK until I sold it recently and ordered the M3 Max. The M3 Pro is over twice as fast as my Intel Mac. I could definitely use it for everything I do. I bought the M3 Max because I wanted more RAM for future proofing and because it can run three displays and eventually I'm going to add a studio display or something to my two 4K displays. But the M3 Pro is totally usable, LMAO. This is a wild post.
This thing is perfectly fine for graphic designers and photographers and programmers. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone on my team who is coming from an older system. Most people don't upgrade their Macs every year or two. I would say most power users, myself included, don't upgrade their Macs that often. I mean, even Marques Brownlee is still using his M1 Max MBP which "only" scores 12,199 in Geekbench to edit videos, while the M3 Pro scores around 15,500! I know the GPU is better in Metal scoring around 78,000 vs. 113,033, but still.
It's pretty clear what Apple was doing this generation. They're moving people upstream to the Max by segmenting the performance more between the chips. If you look at the M2 Pro and M3 Max they are very similar in terms of CPU performance, scoring 14,233 and 14,500 in Geekbench. Even the M1 Pro and M1 Max are close at 12199 and 12215. The only real reason to move up to an M2 Max is if you need more GPU or RAM.
So Apple rebalanced the performance this generation. I'm sure next generation we'll see the M4 Pro jump up a lot more in performance relative to the M3 Pro, but the M4 Max will stay similarly far ahead of it. I can see how it makes sense to do this from Apple's marketing perspective, but really it's just hidden inflation on their customers. Apple has been really good at hiding inflation lately, by keeping RAM amounts stupid low at 8GB and 512GB SSDs like it's a 2015 MacBook or something. They did the same thing with the iPhone 15 Pro only being available at 256GB for a higher price than the old base model, even though it was technically the same price as it sold for last year.
But logically, it makes sense that, if M3 is base around 12,000, and M3 Pro is around 15,500, and M3 Max is around 21,000, that you have about a 30% increase between M and M Pro, and about a 35% increase between M Pro and M Max moving forward. They're more evenly spaced out in the lineup that way and most users, even a lot of Pro users (depending on what you do) don't actually NEED an M3 Max. But it sure is nice to have! As long as it stays in once piece and doesn't have unforeseen issues I think this thing will last me the rest of the decade.
This thing is perfectly fine for graphic designers and photographers and programmers. I would recommend it without hesitation to anyone on my team who is coming from an older system. Most people don't upgrade their Macs every year or two. I would say most power users, myself included, don't upgrade their Macs that often. I mean, even Marques Brownlee is still using his M1 Max MBP which "only" scores 12,199 in Geekbench to edit videos, while the M3 Pro scores around 15,500! I know the GPU is better in Metal scoring around 78,000 vs. 113,033, but still.
It's pretty clear what Apple was doing this generation. They're moving people upstream to the Max by segmenting the performance more between the chips. If you look at the M2 Pro and M3 Max they are very similar in terms of CPU performance, scoring 14,233 and 14,500 in Geekbench. Even the M1 Pro and M1 Max are close at 12199 and 12215. The only real reason to move up to an M2 Max is if you need more GPU or RAM.
So Apple rebalanced the performance this generation. I'm sure next generation we'll see the M4 Pro jump up a lot more in performance relative to the M3 Pro, but the M4 Max will stay similarly far ahead of it. I can see how it makes sense to do this from Apple's marketing perspective, but really it's just hidden inflation on their customers. Apple has been really good at hiding inflation lately, by keeping RAM amounts stupid low at 8GB and 512GB SSDs like it's a 2015 MacBook or something. They did the same thing with the iPhone 15 Pro only being available at 256GB for a higher price than the old base model, even though it was technically the same price as it sold for last year.
But logically, it makes sense that, if M3 is base around 12,000, and M3 Pro is around 15,500, and M3 Max is around 21,000, that you have about a 30% increase between M and M Pro, and about a 35% increase between M Pro and M Max moving forward. They're more evenly spaced out in the lineup that way and most users, even a lot of Pro users (depending on what you do) don't actually NEED an M3 Max. But it sure is nice to have! As long as it stays in once piece and doesn't have unforeseen issues I think this thing will last me the rest of the decade.
Sure, but they could've still done that while giving the M3 Pro 8 performance cores and keeping the e-core count at 4, like it was before, then adding the four more performance cores in the Max (which they did). That would still made for a clear performance separation between the two Pro and the Max without having the Pro feel crippled.
Making the Pro the only one in their lineup with 6 efficiency cores just seems...weird.
Rest assured, loyal citizen, Apple made it easy to know whether you can rightfully bestow judgment upon inferior MacBook "Pro" users: simply see if they have a USB C port on the right side. If they don't, shun them for their impoverished and non-Pro lifestyle.
It is kinda weird. I think you just uncovered their strategy for M4 Pro, lol. I remember commenting when the 6 efficiency core rumor came out that it didn't make sense.
Apple has a basic problem with the word “Pro”. They have overused Pro so much and so often the term Pro is now meaningless for Apple products.
M3 Pro ARM Silicon processor chip
A17Pro iPhone processor chip
MacBook Pro laptop
MacPro desktop computer
iPad Pro
iMac Pro
iPhone Pro
iPhone Pro Max
Apple Vision Pro
Pro Display XDR
AirPods Pro
Beats Fit Pro
Powerbeats Pro
Final Cut Pro software
It is to the point, that since so many things are “Pro”, nothing is actually “Pro” anymore.
M3 Pro ARM Silicon processor chip
A17Pro iPhone processor chip
MacBook Pro laptop
MacPro desktop computer
iPad Pro
iMac Pro
iPhone Pro
iPhone Pro Max
Apple Vision Pro
Pro Display XDR
AirPods Pro
Beats Fit Pro
Powerbeats Pro
Final Cut Pro software
It is to the point, that since so many things are “Pro”, nothing is actually “Pro” anymore.
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A lot of people assume Pro stands for 'professional'. But 'pro' is a word itself and means 'advanced' or 'in front of'.
And it makes perfectly sense if you have two or more versions of something to call the advanced one Pro. And if you have twenty things in your line-up with two or more versions you'll have twenty things called Pro along the twenty regular ones.
And it makes perfectly sense if you have two or more versions of something to call the advanced one Pro. And if you have twenty things in your line-up with two or more versions you'll have twenty things called Pro along the twenty regular ones.
If you didn’t max out that Max then you’re just a ‘semi-pro’ 😂
I might be socially inept, but I'm hoping most of this thread is sarcasm.
I make a lot of money with my 14" M1 Pro. An M3 Max isn't going to increase my income, so am I not a Pro user?
I make a lot of money with my 14" M1 Pro. An M3 Max isn't going to increase my income, so am I not a Pro user?
If you really think someone couldn't get some work done on an intel mac, then you're're delusional. You're aware that there exists programmers, ones that develop your favorite things, use or have used intel mac's to engineer things, right?
I kept mine. Its the best road computer ever made. I got all of macOS and my favorite peecee games ( Sea of Thieves, Ghost Recon Wildlands, and Forza Horizon 5) in one box. It stays in my travel bag.
