This! I have breathed new life in my old Intel base MBP from 2011 by giving it more ram and later on a SSD. Gave it another ~5 years of useful life (sold it in 2019 for ~150 euros or so...). I am really hoping my current M1 Pro can do what I want with 16GB for a long time...But I am not sure. And spending 400 euros on something you are not sure if you need it, is just stupid (or not, if you would need it in the end).
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Is 8GB of RAM Enough for MacBook Pro?
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That's actually a thing on some servers for CPU cores, so RAM is not much of a stretch.
It's not much difference in cost to the manufacturer and it allows smaller installations to get the latest and greatest -- and if their needs change, they license more without buying a new machine.
So you lot just want them to take the word ‘Pro’ off the name but keep everything else the same to fit YOUR subjective model of a ‘Pro’ machine not realizing that in every other aspect it is the ‘Pro machine except the ram and that Some customers Very Easily use 8GB but want everything else that makes that machine the ‘Pro’!?!
Cry me a river!
Cry me a river!
Apple sells 8GB for a reason. They wouldn't if it wasn't selling. If you are doing basic email, web, and MS Office things in a job, you might only need 8GB. If you are doing more than basic of these things, then you would need more RAM.
Oh, and hopefully nobody thinks that Apple will just give away an extra 8GB for nothing. They will add $200 per machine for the 16GB. You are not going to get it for free.
Oh, and hopefully nobody thinks that Apple will just give away an extra 8GB for nothing. They will add $200 per machine for the 16GB. You are not going to get it for free.
The issue isn't about the label 'Pro' as much as it is about ensuring the hardware aligns with what professionals realistically need in today's computing environment. Yes, the machine excels in many aspects typical of a 'Pro' model, but RAM isn't just a minor feature—it's a core component that determines the machine's capability to handle professional-level tasks.
While some users might manage with 8GB, it's about providing a baseline that caters to a broader range of professional uses, not just the bare minimum. It's about expecting a product to deliver on its promise, especially at a premium price point.
Apple are the kings of e-waste thanks to the under speccing they do while soldering everything down. Sad from a company that masquerades as giving a crap about the environment.
Have you ever had the idiot boss who said you can only buy pro's? I have.
Other brands currently do it on slim Intel powered systems, so it can't be impossible for Apple.
No other model of MacBook Pro will make Apple more money:
1) It's going to be one of the most sold MacBook Pro models in the next year
2) It will cause a lot of customers to pay extra for memory and higher SSD storage
That's why Apple has released it.
1) It's going to be one of the most sold MacBook Pro models in the next year
2) It will cause a lot of customers to pay extra for memory and higher SSD storage
That's why Apple has released it.
Why didn't you suggest Apple could make a subscription based on Gb/month?
That would make even more people angry
My 14” MBP with 128gb of ram should arrive today. The sting of the $1,000 upgrade still leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
Not every person can handle 8Gb of RAM.
I can using Safari, Office, Teams, Mail, Calendar, Photos, Music, Podcast, Preview, Stocks, Keychain, Terminal, Maps, MS RDP, LDAP Browser, Notes, and even Parallels with a Windows 11 virtual machine.
Although it require a certain finesse.
Why should Apple have any problems with that?
It's one of the main reasons Apple has a low-end MacBook Pro.
I don't disagree but I do use a Windows VM with 8gb of RAM. It works fine since I'm only giving the VM 2Gb of RAM.
Not using Chrome or any heavy web apps helps.
NO, 8GB of RAM is not okay for this model in particular because it cheapens the "Pro"moniker.
If the question were "does 8GB RAM equal a bad experience on a Mac computer for the average user?" the answer would be no. Burt that is not the question being asked. For context, I just bought a 15" air at a killer price from Best Buy and 8GB of RAM is fine for my use, as it is primarily for browsing and writing. In my case, the 512GB storage was a more important upgrade for me but this is all wrong for a pro machine as the RAM is more heavily relied upon for heavy workloads in video or other art-related fields including motion graphics and 3D rendering, etc. The new entry-level "pro" model are essentially the low rung on the Pro ladder whose purpose is to make you increase your budget for a more expensive pro - NOT to perform as best it can at an entry level price. This kind of thing really generates some serious disapproval for Apple in my opinion. It's a bad look and they really need to stop doing this crap.
If the question were "does 8GB RAM equal a bad experience on a Mac computer for the average user?" the answer would be no. Burt that is not the question being asked. For context, I just bought a 15" air at a killer price from Best Buy and 8GB of RAM is fine for my use, as it is primarily for browsing and writing. In my case, the 512GB storage was a more important upgrade for me but this is all wrong for a pro machine as the RAM is more heavily relied upon for heavy workloads in video or other art-related fields including motion graphics and 3D rendering, etc. The new entry-level "pro" model are essentially the low rung on the Pro ladder whose purpose is to make you increase your budget for a more expensive pro - NOT to perform as best it can at an entry level price. This kind of thing really generates some serious disapproval for Apple in my opinion. It's a bad look and they really need to stop doing this crap.
It's pointless to argue whether 8GB is enough RAM in a MacBook Pro. Of course it is. Of course it's not.
It depends entirely on what you're doing with your MBP. My wife has the entry level 14" M2, and it came standard with 16GB and 512GB storage ($1749 on Amazon). She'd be entirely happy to sacrifice 8GB RAM for more storage!
The 14" M3 was positioned to be more entry level than the 14" M2. It makes sense, since actual professional users (the ones who actually make money with their equipment) will inevitably be focused on video and audio apps, and would select the 16" model, which comes with 36GB and a TB SSD in the base config (and video pros would certainly appreciate the bigger screen, and the ability to add more monitors). Sure, it's more expensive, but it doesn't cost professionals money, it makes them money. And it can be fully expensed against earnings.
It depends entirely on what you're doing with your MBP. My wife has the entry level 14" M2, and it came standard with 16GB and 512GB storage ($1749 on Amazon). She'd be entirely happy to sacrifice 8GB RAM for more storage!
The 14" M3 was positioned to be more entry level than the 14" M2. It makes sense, since actual professional users (the ones who actually make money with their equipment) will inevitably be focused on video and audio apps, and would select the 16" model, which comes with 36GB and a TB SSD in the base config (and video pros would certainly appreciate the bigger screen, and the ability to add more monitors). Sure, it's more expensive, but it doesn't cost professionals money, it makes them money. And it can be fully expensed against earnings.
Almost nothing but that's the SoC you're getting.
Hopefully it's more efficient than the SoC its replacing so it will use less battery.
I edited 4K video with the 2015 MacBook. It's not a problem for simple, amateur video editing.
So you would be OK with 8Gb of RAM if the price was cheaper?
It is about the price then?
There's a huge difference doing this with an Intel Mac and a M-based Mac.
I went from a 2018 MBA with 16Gb of RAM to testing on a M1 MBA with 8Gb of RAM and the performance difference was huge in favour of the M1 including using a Windows virtual machine under Parallels.
Did it use swap? Yes, fortunately, the Apple Silicon Macs uses swap aggresively.