M2 MBP owners do you feel let down by Apple?

[mecloud]

There were literally three revisions of the 17-inch MacBook Pro within eight months in late 2008 through mid 2009. The “late 2008” (older pre-Unibody design) buyers were probably none too pleased when the “early 2009” (Unibody) update showed up just a couple months later. And then the ”early 2009” buyers had to deal with a speed-bump update that was released only a few months later…

 

[Johnny Steps]

Nowadays people suffer from FOMO. I don’t think it’s Apple’s fault at all. They’re a business and operate as such. It’s the people who freak out over a new color and new chip who are the issue in a lot of these. There will always be new technology around the corner and constantly trying to chase the latest is going to leave you unhappy and in debt.

 

[Howard2k]

Those of you who bought M2 MacBook Pro earlier this year, do you feel let down by Apple, considering they released M3 MBP’s so quickly after M2 with noticable performance gains? I don’t think it’s a big deal if M2 performance is enough for you, because after all, there will ne a new chip every year or so. But Apple did release this almost immidiatly after M2 MBP so I can see some people being annoyed by that. What do you think about Apple’s inconsisrent release schedule?

Apple should give me veto rights on all product launches. That would solve all of these problems.

 

[Kung]

Upgrading from an M2 Pro to an M3 Pro is more than a color change and a few % CPU speed. You get likely longer battery life, better thermals, Dynamic Caching, Hardware based Ray tracing/mesh shadowing, 2 extra GB of RAM, and possibly better SSD speeds.

You're not wrong...but it depends on the use case, as with anything. My assumption, and I think it's a safe one, is that more and more people are looking towards buying Macs in general, and MacBooks (Air/Pro) specifically, given the ubiquitous nature of iPhones and the advent of the M series Macs....but they also want to get as much as they can for as cheap as they can. I mean, there's a reason you can now get a MBP with an M3 vice just an M3 Pro/Max.

Given the above, and given the benchmarks that are coming out now comparing the MBP M2 Pros to the M3 Pros...my suspicion is that the people to whom the listed specs matter are very likely NOT buying a base MBP M3 or MBP M3 Pro. For those who increasingly are switching to Macs or just use them for daily surfing, music, desktop publishing, light video editing, etc., the improvements above aren't enough to sway them to upgrade from an M2 Pro to an M3 Pro.

 

[JoeDezibel]

The question to answer is: What do you do with your MacBook? If your M2 is capable of doing your tasks, why spec up?

 

[koelsh]

Not really. Was hoping my 2018 MBP would have lasted until M3 but died mid September so I jumped on a good sale on the M2 Pro.

I see it as a potential upside as M3 being introduced now starts the clock for when M4 then M5 and M6 are released.

 

[Bustermd]

Saying anyone should feel "let down" by the latest and greatest product being released is somewhat odd to me, to be honest.

I guess FOMO is real and its certainly exacerbated by social media. Also being an "enthusiast" in any area probably sets you apart from 99.99% of the population who just buy what they want/need/like when they can or when they need to, and they do not care so much about what others have.

 

[tekksan]

I’m no expert but to me the M2 is just a souped up version of the M1. Nothing really new.

The M3, while not earth shattering at the M3 Pro level, does offer performance improvements, some quite large, along with some new things not available in prior generations at all as mentioned above.

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Those of you who bought M2 MacBook Pro earlier this year, do you feel let down by Apple, considering they released M3 MBP’s so quickly after M2 with noticable performance gains? I don’t think it’s a big deal if M2 performance is enough for you, because after all, there will ne a new chip every year or so. But Apple did release this almost immidiatly after M2 MBP so I can see some people being annoyed by that. What do you think about Apple’s inconsisrent release schedule?

Then please tell us the exact date at which someone should not feel “let down” by Apple (or any other company) updating their products. Six months? A year? Eighteen months?

Does Apple need to ask us when it’s okay to release a new MBP or iMac or Mini? Or does Apple simply need to tell us not to buy their products because a new chip is being developed and shoppers shouldn’t buy what’s available today? Is Apple responsible for our buying decisions, and we have no free will?

Is the solution for Apple to have a strictly adhered to release schedule, perhaps once a year at a particular date, regardless of whether a product is ready or not? That would certainly answer this concern. But in that case, updated products would sit in a warehouse because that date hasn’t arrived yet. And products that aren’t ready for release get pushed out the door anyway. It’s a recipe for disaster for us as consumers and Apple as a business. No other computer & phone maker does this, why should Apple?

It’s ridiculous, but that seems to be the logical conclusion to this argument.

 

[Zdigital2015]

Unless your M2 has mysteriously stopped working, I fail to understand why you would feel ‘let down’.

Because nitwits and emotional cripples keep conflating their own self-worth, sanity and personal happiness with technology instead of seeing it as a tool to get work or pleasure done.

Technology changes constantly and there’s too many people here who want it to keep moving forward until it affects their 3 month old computer purchase and then they all of a sudden have a problem with the release schedule.

Nobody gets to have their cake and eat it too unless they have an unlimited budget.

 

[Zdigital2015]

There were literally three revisions of the 17-inch MacBook Pro within eight months in late 2008 through mid 2009. The “late 2008” (older pre-Unibody design) buyers were probably none too pleased when the “early 2009” (Unibody) update showed up just a couple months later. And then the ”early 2009” buyers had to deal with a speed-bump update that was released only a few months later…

It didn’t bother me because my business leased their systems and we were on a 24 month cycle at that point due to Apple and Intel’s quick iteration cycles at that point. I’m an outlier in that regard, because as an end-user, I would have been a tiny bit upset, again realizing that technology moves quickly and the upgrade didn’t suddenly render what I bought obsolete.

There are too many fatalists here who cry every time Apple updates their hardware, like they are completely oblivious as to how Apple and other tech businesses work.

 

[ignatius345]

This is a pet peeve of mine. Does your computer magically suck now? The one you were so excited about and worked a charm just a few weeks or months ago? My M1Max and M2Pro are still wonderful machines and slightly overpowered for the tasks I set them (okay, I should have got the M2Pro with 32GB RAM but it’s fine). I look forward to replacing them as required and being absolutely blown away by the improvements. In several generations from now, when elements I find insufficient are addressed (or elements which were sufficient become laggy)…

Amen. I'm still coasting along on the huge performance bump I got when I upgraded my iMac and MacBook Air to M1 models. I rarely feel like I'm "waiting" for anything to happen, even with some pretty irresponsible levels of multi-tasking, running plenty of graphics apps with large files loaded in.

The only thing that would prompt an upgrade for me is the fact that I underspec'ed my M1 Air with 8GB RAM and a 256 GB SSD because I didn't realize I'd be using it for graphic design work. And even then, it's coping much better than you'd think.

I'd actually be pretty comfortable staying one generation behind just for the money savings, based on how well these M1 machines are performing.

 

[canadianreader]

Unless your M2 has mysteriously stopped working, I fail to understand why you would feel ‘let down’.

Not only that, also for new buyers who want a used model now Macs monetary value will depreciate faster with every new yearly release just like the iPhone.

 

[thadoggfather]

its reminiscent of the chapped butts like iPad 3 to 4 all over again, except at a way higher price tag

 

[minik]

I received the 14-inch MacBook Pro w/M2 Pro in early September. For the tasks I do, the M2 Pro is actually overkilled. Occasionally I need dual monitors support and that's how the M2 Pro comes in. While I put the MacBook Pro in a hard case and in clamshell mode all the time, space black or silver doesn't affect my daily usage at all.

 

[thadoggfather]

I received the 14-inch MacBook Pro w/M2 Pro in early September. For the tasks I do, the M2 Pro is actually overkilled. Occasionally I need dual monitors support and that's how the M2 Pro comes in. While I put the MacBook Pro in a hard case and in clamshell mode all the time, space black or silver doesn't affect my daily usage at all.

Still.. thats like 60 days max.

 

[KingofGotham1]

People saying this was released "so quick" after the last release, but this would be similar to a November released iPhone followed by a September released iPhone the subsequent year, its really not a big deal

 

[ryguyMN]

A little bit. Bought my M2 Max MBP in June. With that said, it's plenty powerful for the photo and video work that I do on it. I've also come to the realization that all tech is outdated as soon as you buy it. There's always something greater in development.

I'm sure the iPhone 16 that I am planning on upgrading to next year will blow my iPhone XS out of the water.

 

[CalMin]

Unless your M2 has mysteriously stopped working, I fail to understand why you would feel ‘let down’.

This is a pet peeve of mine. Does your computer magically suck now? The one you were so excited about and worked a charm just a few weeks or months ago? My M1Max and M2Pro are still wonderful machines and slightly overpowered for the tasks I set them (okay, I should have got the M2Pro with 32GB RAM but it’s fine). I look forward to replacing them as required and being absolutely blown away by the improvements. In several generations from now, when elements I find insufficient are addressed (or elements which were sufficient become laggy)…

Let down because Apple released a newer model and some here can’t claim to own the latest and greatest? Absurd notion.

To these and other comments you might consider being a little more sensitive.

I'm lucky enough to be able to afford an upgrade any time I feel like it. That's not the case for everyone. It's not necessarily about being the on bleeding edge of technology, it's about buying a computer that needs to last a long time, and there's no getting around the fact that Apple will drop support for M2-gen earlier than M3-gen. I know that is many years away, but the fact that that someone might have bought an M2 and it JUST out of their return window can sting a little bit. It will also be INSTANTLY worth less than the M3-gen for the same money spent.

I have an M1Pro and it's still crushing it. It two years old and it feels like I'm going to have it for ever - I couldn't be happier with it and I don't care that the M3-series is out because the M1Pro barely breaks a sweat on my workflow. However, I did also just buy an M2 15" Air (had it about 6-weeks) and if the M3 Air comes out before the end of the year, I will feel a little miffed. Not because the laptop suddenly sucks, but it's so soon since I spent all that money and it's now instantly worth less than an M3 when I come to sell in a year or two.

 

[noteple]

If you wait a few months after a release you can always get a sale or refurb cheaper.
If you wait for the next new model the previous one will always drop dramatically in price.

But it’s not a stock or commodity, it’s never gonna increase in value.
As time passes it will only become obsolete or fail, on its march to the recycling bin.

Stop looking at your computer as an asset. Its only value, is in its use while you have it.

If you want something to make you happy, week in and out, buy a dog.

 

[TechnoMonk]

As an M1 Max owner, I feel let down why Apple has released M2 and now M3. They could have waited till 2026, when I am ready for upgrade. It’s a never ending loop.

 

[coachgq]

I own an M2 Pro Mac Mini and while they weren't updated, if the mini had been, I'd feel no need to upgrade.

 

[jagolden]

Not a bit. There’s always going to be a new processor just after someone bought the earlier model.

 

[Adreitz]

I have an M2 Max and I'm happy with the early update. We've struggled for so long with Apple updates for various model lines being multiple years apart, and the previous situation of the base processor being released many months to a whole year earlier than the higher-spec processors, which creates the unfortunate situation where cheap computers are faster (single-core) than expensive computers. So I think this shows Apple making progress in getting the chip design and fabrication in good control.

The only remaining issue is that Apple insists on putting the new chips in only a subset of the models that could accept them, with no indication of how long an update will take. Where are the M3 Airs and Minis? Presumably Apple does not have the M3 Ultra ready yet, so they can't update the Studio or Pro.

 

[OrenLindsey]

We've struggled for so long with Apple updates for various model lines being multiple years apart, and the previous situation of the base processor being released many months to a whole year earlier than the higher-spec processors, which creates the unfortunate situation where cheap computers are faster (single-core) than expensive computers. So I think this shows Apple making progress in getting the chip design and fabrication in good control.

This is so true, although it's still in effect on other products. Look at the iPad for example. Utter chaos in that lineup. Hopefully, they update all the models next year as rumored and really fix the lineup.