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Investing in a high-spec model with "headroom" versus buying a new machine more frequently
- Thread starter Sami13496
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I don’t think you will have to wait a whole year. If Apple launches the M4 with the new iPad Pro in a few days, most (if not all) macs will be updated with an M4 before this year ends.
Great topic, some interesting posts in here. Fair points about buying the low end and then doing more regular upgrades by selling the old one. Not thought about it like that. Though I don’t tend to sell anything, I just keep it. My 2004 PowerBook lasted 7 years before I upgraded to an 11” MBA in 2011. I kept the PB. I then switched from the MBA to a 13” Intel MBP which I maxed out in 2020. Had I known Apple silicon was coming, I’d have held out. The MBP is still going strong. I’d like to upgrade to M-Series given the battery life and other improvements, but I reckon I have a good few years to get out of the MBP at the moment. And even when I do upgrade, I’ll keep the old one around to sit next to the MBA and PB. Need to swap out the swollen battery on the MBA.
Better buy a PC. You can upgrade any component you want rather than a whole computer everytime.
I think this depends on what you do with that computer. I am a pro designer and I use a M1 iMac with 16GB and a 256GB drive. I use it since the new iMac was released and never ran into any performance problems.
People using its laptop for high school and so on will also be able to use a computer for a loong time without performance problems.
If you need a lot of cpu and gpu power, you should go for the latest release to get best performance.
People using its laptop for high school and so on will also be able to use a computer for a loong time without performance problems.
If you need a lot of cpu and gpu power, you should go for the latest release to get best performance.
Somehow I miss the times when I had my PC which was upgradable. It was so exciting to get a new mainboard with CPU and Ram…
My approach has always been to upgrade more frequently and pass the older equipment on via auction site or sale (sometimes gift) to family and friends.
It means I bought a lower end MacBook Air about 10 years ago and have been recycling through that same pool of money ever since 😂 (with a few top ups from pocket money)
I went online to buy a “cheap” used base model M1 Mac Mini and was aghast that they are barely any less than a new M2 retail! The people who bought them in 2020 are laughing all the way to the bank.
It means I bought a lower end MacBook Air about 10 years ago and have been recycling through that same pool of money ever since 😂 (with a few top ups from pocket money)
I went online to buy a “cheap” used base model M1 Mac Mini and was aghast that they are barely any less than a new M2 retail! The people who bought them in 2020 are laughing all the way to the bank.
The 2018 minis are going for even more. Some people still need that Intel processor, whether for Windows or Linux (that works now).
I moved-on from my Mac Pro 1,1 to the 5,1 in '14
Last year, I move-on from the 5,1 to a '23 Mac Studio.
No real interest in changing things very often
Last year, I move-on from the 5,1 to a '23 Mac Studio.
No real interest in changing things very often
Maybe, anecdotally .. but it’s clear that RAM and Storage are performance-affecting. So limited base RAM leads to greater paging and SWAP memory usage which can compound performance-related issues when free storage is low — especially on low-RAM devices. Net-net: There is clearly a performance difference between base specced devices and specced-up devices and it follows that there will be a lower incidence of performance-related service issues on higher-specced devices. I’ve seen this play out on Apple Watches (remember the Series 3 and all the headaches caused by barely enough RAM?), AppleTVs with low storage and especially iPhones when storage is near full, but haven’t been in a position to observe this on Macs because I’ve never bought/used base specced Macs.
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I am one of those people who bought the 2020 M1 mini (16GB RAM + 1TB SSD). I traded it in when the M1 Max MB Pro became available as the pandemic lockdown was lifted and travel restrictions were reduced in the US. However, that mini is still arguably the best Mac I’ve owned — even compared to a much higher-specced (32GB Ram, 10 Core CPU/32 Core GPU) M1 Max MacBook Pro. I think about getting another one at least once a week to have a permanent desktop device (mostly for running process simulation models), but will probably hold out for the M4 version.
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I think about this topic a lot. And I've been buying Macs for 15+ years. I've bought all configs, and have come to this conclusion:
Buy the base/low-spec model, and upgrade more often. There is no such thing as future proof. The base spec models always offer the most bang-for-the-buck, the best resale value vs. initial outlay.
There are a few exceptions, i.e. M1/M3 iMacs where a $200 bump gets you more ports, Ethernet, TouchID keyboard and other things you can actually use immediately out of the box. But, if you're buying for use cases 3-years from now, you're doing it wrong.
I don't even mind 8GB of RAM. There I said it! For certain machines and use cases (i.e. my spouse/kids), 8GB is fine and I'd rather upgrade them every 4-5 years vs. dropping an extra $200 and thinking their machines can last 6-8 years without performance compromises.
Buy the base/low-spec model, and upgrade more often. There is no such thing as future proof. The base spec models always offer the most bang-for-the-buck, the best resale value vs. initial outlay.
There are a few exceptions, i.e. M1/M3 iMacs where a $200 bump gets you more ports, Ethernet, TouchID keyboard and other things you can actually use immediately out of the box. But, if you're buying for use cases 3-years from now, you're doing it wrong.
I don't even mind 8GB of RAM. There I said it! For certain machines and use cases (i.e. my spouse/kids), 8GB is fine and I'd rather upgrade them every 4-5 years vs. dropping an extra $200 and thinking their machines can last 6-8 years without performance compromises.
I bought a M2 Max Macbook Pro with 64 Gig Ram and 2 TB hard drive in January of 2023. My intent is to keep it and use it for at least 10 years. My thought is that it will be a capable machine the entire 10 years. However, when they released the M3 Macbook Pro less than a year later, it stung. I will be able to get over it, if the new iPad Pros come with the M4. I’m still planning on using my Macbook Pro for at least another 9 years. The only two things that I anticipate would have me buy a new Macbook Pro before then is a lot of new techology benefits and good resale value for my current Macbook Pro.
Sounds good otherwise, but then I'd have a PC.
Let’s assume that by future proofing you mean upgrading the RAM and storage.
Let’s say all you need today is 8GB RAM and 256 GB storage, but in 3 years you’ll need more. Then the best option may be to buy the base model and then in 3 years time get a new model. But the thing is… if this is what you said 3 years ago, and you’re now looking for a 16GB machine, it’s gonna cost you just as much extra as 3 years ago: $200. So in that scenario, your best option (I think) was to buy the M1 16GB 512gb MacBook Air when it released and still enjoy it even now (2024) for years to come.
TLDR: it may be the best option to buy just a little more than you need at a given time, but probably not worth “future proofing” a bunch.
Your financial condition can change quickly and drastically such as when your company goes under or drastically downsizes. I would always be prepared to keep my system for a longer than expected time.
I would imagine that if money is tight and the situation is bad, 8GB at once would be completely sufficient and work well 😁
Lots of interesting takes on a question we must all ponder when buying.
I confess that I probably over-spec'd my 16" M1 MBP as upgrade on the 15" mid-2015 MBP.
I bought the mid-2015 MBP in 2017 because I didn't like what I read about any of the later Intel models & their keyboards. It served me well, and when I upgraded to 1TB I kept the other SSD with its older Mac o/s as that had means to run some Windows-based software.
But the 16" M1 was exactly what I was waiting on.
I treated myself with some readies on the M1 Max'd out with 32GB.
This has the occasional grunt I need for some statistical work and for my bad habit of having lots of apps and browser windows open at the same time.
The only downside for this desktop equivalent is that is a noticeably heavy luggable, hence the purchase of a s/h 13" M1 MBA. Again I probably over-spec'd on current needs as I hunted and bagged one with 16GB.
What I conclude from this post hoc reflection of behaviour is that I have bad habits, am swayed by 3rd party reports but I don't like the hassle of frequent upgrades & resets with my odd collection of apps.
PS I had earlier tried and failed to use a probably over-spec'd iPad Pro w/keyboard as a travel substitute for the larger MBPs.
I confess that I probably over-spec'd my 16" M1 MBP as upgrade on the 15" mid-2015 MBP.
I bought the mid-2015 MBP in 2017 because I didn't like what I read about any of the later Intel models & their keyboards. It served me well, and when I upgraded to 1TB I kept the other SSD with its older Mac o/s as that had means to run some Windows-based software.
But the 16" M1 was exactly what I was waiting on.
I treated myself with some readies on the M1 Max'd out with 32GB.
This has the occasional grunt I need for some statistical work and for my bad habit of having lots of apps and browser windows open at the same time.
The only downside for this desktop equivalent is that is a noticeably heavy luggable, hence the purchase of a s/h 13" M1 MBA. Again I probably over-spec'd on current needs as I hunted and bagged one with 16GB.
What I conclude from this post hoc reflection of behaviour is that I have bad habits, am swayed by 3rd party reports but I don't like the hassle of frequent upgrades & resets with my odd collection of apps.
PS I had earlier tried and failed to use a probably over-spec'd iPad Pro w/keyboard as a travel substitute for the larger MBPs.
For next time.. would a 14" MBP better? Or an MBA would be fine? Did you felt any performance difference between these two machines?Lots of interesting takes on a question we must all ponder when buying.
I confess that I probably over-spec'd my 16" M1 MBP as upgrade on the 15" mid-2015 MBP.
I bought the mid-2015 MBP in 2017 because I didn't like what I read about any of the later Intel models & their keyboards. It served me well, and when I upgraded to 1TB I kept the other SSD with its older Mac o/s as that had means to run some Windows-based software.
But the 16" M1 was exactly what I was waiting on.
I treated myself with some readies on the M1 Max'd out with 32GB.
This has the occasional grunt I need for some statistical work and for my bad habit of having lots of apps and browser windows open at the same time.
The only downside for this desktop equivalent is that is a noticeably heavy luggable, hence the purchase of a s/h 13" M1 MBA. Again I probably over-spec'd on current needs as I hunted and bagged one with 16GB.
What I conclude from this post hoc reflection of behaviour is that I have bad habits, am swayed by 3rd party reports but I don't like the hassle of frequent upgrades & resets with my odd collection of apps.
PS I had earlier tried and failed to use a probably over-spec'd iPad Pro w/keyboard as a travel substitute for the larger MBPs.
No, 16 inch screen was a good decision. The M1 Max might have been overkill.
The MBA was not in the frame at the time, but maybe in future, especially as this MBP has a long life ahead of it.
But as stated elsewhere, let's see wait on the capability of the M4
You're not taking into account that the new model could offer serious performance or quality of life improvements (battery, MagSafe, etc.).
Plus if you 'turn' your computers more often, you'll get higher resale percentage (of price paid) in year 3 vs. year 5.
And storage/RAM upgrades rarely offer much extra resale value. Maybe 20% of what you paid.
On the flip side, there is the time investment needed, and risk of something going wrong during migration.
I haven't migrated a single thing from one machine to another, and I get a new Mac (at least) once every two years.
Between iCloud, iCloud Drive, OneDrive(or similar) and/or external storage, there's really no need for Migration Assistant or similar, these days.
You can say "oh I like my settings a particular way!", but in reality/practice, relying on Migration Assistant, you're just exposing yourself to more risks or instability.
Also, relying that much on Migration Assistant means you're exposing yourself to a potential catastrophe if your machine gets lost/stolen/irreparably damaged. Use the cloud and and external storage! These things have come a long way.
I agree that using cloud services makes some things easier. And for iPhone and iPad it is all you need (and is allowed to use). But if you have used Mac for many years and have a bit of custom setup, things are not that simple.
I have used many different Macs, and in my experience Migration Assistant works (though there is risk). On the upside—moving to a new machine is an opportunity to get to know your own setup better and spend some time to recreate only what you actually need. But neither option is great—spend time or expose yourself to risk.
