New Mac Mini Provides Two Clues About RAM in Upcoming MacBook Pros

[Elcuria]

Apple today introduced a redesigned Mac mini with M4 and M4 Pro chip options, and the computer provides two clues about RAM amounts for the next 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models, which are expected to be announced tomorrow.

First, just like the new iMac, the base-model Mac mini with the M4 chip starts with 16GB of RAM, which is double the 8GB of RAM included in the equivalent previous-generation model. As has already been rumored and leaked, it now looks almost certain that the next base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 chip will start with 16GB of RAM too. Given that a vocal contingent of Mac fans have long criticized Apple for including only 8GB of RAM with some Macs, the increased 16GB minimum would be a long-awaited change.

Second, all higher-end Mac mini configurations with the M4 Pro chip start with 24GB of RAM, and this upgrade will likely extend to the incoming 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with the M4 Pro chip. The current MacBook Pro models with the M3 Pro chip start with 18GB of RAM, so this would amount to a 6GB increase for the new models. The increased unified memory can benefit multitasking and Apple Intelligence performance.

Apple has yet to announce the M4 Max, so it is unclear how much RAM that chip will support.

All of this information will likely be confirmed in less than 24 hours.

Article Link: New Mac Mini Provides Two Clues About RAM in Upcoming MacBook Pros

My body is so ready.

 

[sos47]

I just want enough memory to run Llama 70B using the GPU.... while also playing Rick Astley on loop via Spotify in Chrome.

(Never mind this would probably require more RAM than any Apple Silicon Mac has ever had)

I do both on my Macbook Pro M1Max which is not as powerfull as the M4Pro

 

[ThailandToo]

Agree. In my case, I was (and am) never defending Apple, as much as rejecting the notion that an 8GB Mac is "useless". Like you, I use mine often and it performs the tasks I use it for perfectly. I might be able to notice some apps opening faster with more RAM, but overall, it would make little difference to my enjoyment. And I do not plan to upgrade, until I actually feel some sort of limitation in my use. Which is not likely to be because of AI, since I can't use it where I live, probably not until at least 2026. But of course it is a good thing for everyone that Apple made the base version even better.

I don’t think people say it’s useless. I think it’s absurd and limits the capabilities of the Mac drastically; obviously the reason Apple did it was to force obsolescence and new purchases. It’s a company that’s all about greed since Tim took over. The shareholder always wins and Tim wins. I don’t see many customers who aren’t shareholders winning this battle. And customers are stakeholders, thereby ticking off your customers in the long run by selling under spec’d products means loss of goodwill and the inverse. Again this is the problem CEOs face when their main focus is greed based rather than what’s best in the long run.

 

[mikebenton]

I think it's unfortunate that increased memory is pretty much at the top of the list when it comes to expectations. I think Apple is a great company, and they make great products. However, each year is faster CPU, faster memory, more memory, more nits, etc. I would love to see innovation in a form that's different from just more of the same. I don't know....put the same sensors on the MacBook that support hand movements similar to VisionPro. Anything that is new to a laptop.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I personally can’t wait to see posts of complaints about how 16GB isn’t good enough now for the next 5 years.

That won't start for a while. 16GB is still ok for a base config.

Now it's time to start complaining about storage. 256 is too small!

 

[nostradumbass]

There are PCs from top companies that ship with 8GB of RAM for those bulk purchase office PCs.

That will probably change now too if **** like Copilot eat RAM.

 

[nostradumbass]

I don't understand why these don't start with either 512 SSD or 1 TB SSD. It is ridiculous to have to pay an extra $200 if you want to use it. Once you load the OS and sync your phone to it, you are already almost or even over the 256 GB. The real big issue is if you want to install any software as there just won't be enough space. Anyone who has a 512 SSD Mac knows the feeling trying to find something to delete to get space under 500 GB free. Just think about trying to do that with a 256 GB model.

There are many office type users who don't ever tap out even 128GB of saved files. They might not even have 20GB of files saved locally.

You upgrade the base specs slowly over time when component prices fall enough, otherwise those type of customers are buying more than they need and the cost of components become more expensive for all.

 

[nostradumbass]

Remember when none of that mattered because we could just upgrade it later? Good times…

Samsung solders the memory of their Intel based Galaxy Book laptops and they don't have an SoC. They are the only company now that has no excuse for unupgradable memory.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple is still to blame since it created a huge amount of electronic waste during the last years, cause all those machines withe Apples „we need only 8GB“ are falling behind now.

Remember how 8GB was vociferously defended as "just fine for most everybody"?

That was like... last week
😅

 

[turbineseaplane]

I think it's unfortunate that increased memory is pretty much at the top of the list when it comes to expectations. I think Apple is a great company, and they make great products. However, each year is faster CPU, faster memory, more memory, more nits, etc. I would love to see innovation in a form that's different from just more of the same. I don't know....put the same sensors on the MacBook that support hand movements similar to VisionPro. Anything that is new to a laptop.

It's a good point
There was a time where Apple would have ridiculed "the other guys" for being obsessed with specs and MHz

Now it's like Apple's favorite thing to tout about the new machines to seduce upgrade buyers

 

[ThailandToo]

I think it's unfortunate that increased memory is pretty much at the top of the list when it comes to expectations. I think Apple is a great company, and they make great products. However, each year is faster CPU, faster memory, more memory, more nits, etc. I would love to see innovation in a form that's different from just more of the same. I don't know....put the same sensors on the MacBook that support hand movements similar to VisionPro. Anything that is new to a laptop.

Won’t get anything innovative until there’s a product visionary as CEO. Tim can only see what Steve made and only knows how to make the shareholders wealthy. That’s a fact. Nothing Tim has done has secured the future of Apple - it’s only secured money for the present. I truly believe that the best times are behind AAPL.

 

[ThailandToo]

It's a good point
There was a time where Apple would have ridiculed "the other guys" for being obsessed with specs and MHz

Now it's like Apple's favorite thing to tout about the new machines to seduce upgrade buyers

But the specs mean the devices sold as new just four months ago will not run Apple Intelligence. That’s not cool. And anyone could have seen that coming.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Won’t get anything innovative until there’s a product visionary as CEO. Tim can only see what Steve made and only knows how to make the shareholders wealthy. That’s a fact. Nothing Tim has done has secured the future of Apple - it’s only secured money for the present. I truly believe that the best times are behind AAPL.

Yep
It's a BIG IF at the moment...

But... "IF" something were to truly displace the iPhone (might even just be fragmentation as opposed to everyone having a smartphone) ... they are cooked

Not Tim Cooked ... just Cooked

It's the "iPhone Company"
Everything else is a drop in the bucket in terms of scale

 

[turbineseaplane]

But the specs mean the devices sold as new just four months ago will not run Apple Intelligence. That’s not cool. And anyone could have seen that coming.

It's very much NOT cool, I agree 100%

Many of us have been saying for a couple years how bad it is that Apple had such a low base for RAM
People defending it were simply carrying water for Apple

It's quite clear, now, hopefully to everyone, that yes it was a problem to have such bad base specs as now there is a huge install base of ASi Mac users who can't run Apple Intelligence (or not well, or whatever the situation really is)

 

[ThailandToo]

There are many office type users who don't ever tap out even 128GB of saved files. They might not even have 20GB of files saved locally.

You upgrade the base specs slowly over time when component prices fall enough, otherwise those type of customers are buying more than they need and the cost of components become more expensive for all.

Okay. So it depends what you do. I have almost 350GB of photos and many terabytes of videos. I shot one film and had 8TB of video footage to edit. My cousin does audio, and he uses around 1TB per month. All this has to be downloaded to other devices. Yeah, if one is doing word documents, be fine with 114GB or whatever that actually is after macOS is installed. But then wouldn’t want to have to remove apps or the OS to do an update.

I don’t think the point is that Apple shouldn’t sell 256GB, I think the point is to not blatantly overcharge customers who actually intend to use their devices for something other than text documents.

Look at all the creators out there who need to upgrade to 4TB or 8TB just to manage their workflow. The prices are just not feasible. Could buy three MBAs on sale for the same as an 8TB upgrade or could buy one 8TB PCIe drive for $450. Apple can say it solders it to the board for our benefit of speed but it’s just not true or factual in any way.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Apple can say it solders it to the board for our benefit of speed but it’s just not true or factual in any way.

This ^^

People have conflated RAM & SSD in the "speed" discussion

 

[Velli]

I don’t think people say it’s useless.

Maybe not in those words, but there's a thin line between calling it garbage, and calling it useless.

The other way around, people also don't say it's "enough for almost everybody", which I have been accused of...

I think it’s absurd and limits the capabilities of the Mac drastically; obviously the reason Apple did it was to force obsolescence and new purchases. It’s a company that’s all about greed since Tim took over. The shareholder always wins and Tim wins. I don’t see many customers who aren’t shareholders winning this battle. And customers are stakeholders, thereby ticking off your customers in the long run by selling under spec’d products means loss of goodwill and the inverse. Again this is the problem CEOs face when their main focus is greed based rather than what’s best in the long run.

I'm sorry, but people have been complaining about the base level Mac since the dawn of time. Saying Jobs was any better is skewing history. If you want to complain about it, fine, but using it to say Cook is doing a bad job is ridiculous.

And no, I'm not a shareholder.

 

[Velli]

It's the "iPhone Company"
Everything else is a drop in the bucket in terms of scale

Compared to iPhone, yes. Compared to competition, no.

 

[Velli]

But the specs mean the devices sold as new just four months ago will not run Apple Intelligence. That’s not cool. And anyone could have seen that coming.

Not cool, but also not true. Any Mac with Apple Silicon will run Apple Intelligence.

How to get Apple Intelligence - Apple Support

Apple Intelligence is the personal intelligence system that helps you communicate, work, and express yourself. It combines generative models with your personal context to deliver intelligence that is most useful and relevant to you, while protecting your privacy.

support.apple.com

Slower than with 16GB, for sure. But it will run.

 

[Velli]

Apple can say it solders it to the board for our benefit of speed but it’s just not true or factual in any way.

Pretty sure Apple never claimed that.

 

[Velli]

Remember how 8GB was vociferously defended as "just fine for most everybody"?

That was like... last week
😅

No, I don't remember. Who ever said "most everybody"?

Many said "just fine for casual use". I have even said that it would be fine for my work computer, because what I do for work only requires what amounts to casual use. It's just fine for me, for browsing, email, playing music, calendar, simple Excel, simple Powerpoints etc. And, as I have claimed many times, it does these tasks better than my 16GB Lenovo. I have done side-by-side tests with Powerpoint, which is the most demanding of my tasks. That's what matters to me, not how well it would run Photoshop, because I don't. I think there are a lot of users with this kind of use, that doesn't mean I think it is "most everybody", or even a majority. Just that it is a significant enough group. Sure, 16GB like they will get now doesn't hurt, but it's ridiculous to claim that everyone will get a bad experience from 8GB of RAM. It's simply not true. You can complain that the config you want is too expensive, that I have no qualms with. But I am 100% convinced that people would complain less about an entry computer with 16GB at 799,-, than they have been doing about an entry computer with 8GB at 599,- and an upgrade at 799,-.

 

[turbineseaplane]

No, I don't remember.

You don't remember any 8GB RAM discussions or threads?

It's been a topic about 150 times it feels like

Many said "just fine for casual use".

"casual users" are exactly who's going to most likely to want a whole bunch of the Apple Intelligence features they won't be able to access without buying new hardware again

 

[Velli]

You don't remember any 8GB RAM discussions or threads?

Yes, but I don't remember 8GB being "vociferously defended as "just fine for most everybody" in any of those discussions.

"casual users" are exactly who's going to most likely to want a whole bunch of the Apple Intelligence features they won't be able to access without buying new hardware again

8GB M1 supports Apple Intelligence.

I don't think anybody buying the base model expects it to last as long as someone buying the top spec model. You buy it accepting that there will be features in the future that will be slower or not supported. That's the price for saving some dollars here and now. It's not like Apple isn't telling you how much RAM is in the computer you buy. If you want more longevity, buy a bigger model. Complaining about the base model is really complaining about Apple's pricing. You are only complaining about the 8GB version because you want the 16GB version to be cheaper.

And now it is, so why are we still discussing this?

 

[Velli]

There are PCs from top companies that ship with 8GB of RAM for those bulk purchase office PCs.

That will probably change now too if **** like Copilot eat RAM.

I can buy a 600 USD Lenovo which the largest retailer in my country puts a "we recommend" sticker on right now, with 4GB of non-upgradable RAM. But sure, only Apple is ripping people off. I'm sure that Pentium 8505 will just rip through Solitaire.

 

[ThailandToo]

I can buy a 600 USD Lenovo which the largest retailer in my country puts a "we recommend" sticker on right now, with 4GB of non-upgradable RAM. But sure, only Apple is ripping people off. I'm sure that Pentium 8505 will just rip through Solitaire.

Well, Apple even upgraded the M3 MBA with 16GB today, IMO proving they have ruined the experience for so many out there who have 8GB of RAM. You can say well AI runs on 8GB right now. What about in a year or two? And how well will it run any of it? I suspect not well. Apple has lowballed with the RAM for many years in all its products.