If price is the problem, which it is for most of these people, why connect it to the configuration of the base model?
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Will 16GB of Memory Finally Come Standard Alongside the M3 Chip?
- Thread starter Juanchi007
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If price is the problem, which it is for most of these people, why connect it to the configuration of the base model?
No, it goes to the core of the question: Are you concerned about the base model configuration or price?
But let's make some new scenarios:
Scenario 3:
M2 MacBook Air with 8 Gb RAM: $800 for the whole Mac
M2 MacBook Air with 16Gb RAM: $1000 for the whole Mac
Scenario 4:
M2 MacBook Air with 8Gb RAM: Doesn't exist
M2 MacBook Air with 16 RAM: $1100
if you are concerned about the amount of RAM in the base configuration (and you are if you don't mention the price at all), you have to choose scenario 4.
But we all know what you want. You want Apple to include more hardware in the base configuration without increasing the price, as in a price reduction. So just be honest about that.
No, again, you either did not understand my point or are trying to make your point by distorting what I said.
I don't want more RAM for free. I want the end of the BTO system. I want models with higher RAM configurations to be available to all retailers just like base models. And to be on sale / discounted just like base models. Prices for additional RAM (e.g. $200 for 8GB) are already quite exhoribitant, and the BTO system often makes these premium even larger (sometimes $300 or more), by making sales on upgraded model much more rare. This in turn influences the used market, with base models flooding the market much more than they should. That's was my point. So again, your scenarios are not relevant to what I was saying.
Are you sure that's an Apple limitation and not just one of your respective retailer, who chooses to offer only BTO models?
In my country only Apple certified sellers can sell those models. I haven't seen anything official describing what rules they need to follow etc to be certified, but I guess it must be something similar to Apple certified repair shops. Anyway sales on those BTO model are a fraction of sales on base models, which agains makes upgrading RAM and storage even more exhorbitantly expensive than it already is (and what you posted shows it clearly, €1440 for a 16GB RAM device with a paultry 256GB of storage is huge and it's around a €300 premium over what you can find the base model for in Europe currently (and I have seen it lower, while these discounts on upgraded models are pretty rare in comparison)
That could be possible. But until lately there were either small shops, who only sold Apple products and large electronic stores, which sold no Macs at all. Now MediaSaturn in Germany are also Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASP). So basically everyone sells all configs.
Because the way people who don't like the price Apple is offering get a lower price is to wait for the price to go down at Amazon or one of the big box stores like Best Buy. If you can not get a machine with 16 GB RAM except as a CTO machine from AAPL, then you can never get the model (16 GB RAM) you want at a discounted price from these third party retailers.
The likelihood that AAPL would allow big box retailers to order CTO models is slim (as is the likelihood that these retailers would want to go through the trouble of special orders). So the only alternative would be for AAPL to offer an off-the-shelf 16 GB configuration--either as the base configuration or as a second configuration readily available off-the-shelf, not requiring CTO.
Thank you. Those are my concerns precisely. If my reply did not clarify this to @hans1972 hopefully yours does. It's about the price and availability issues inherent in the way AAPL currently structures its CTO system.
I have no problem with making high end configurations (e.g.24 GB RAM and/or 2 TB storage--even 1 TB storage) CTO. But they really need to either bump the base configuration or at least make an intermediate model readily available to all retailers, so that over time these models can also become available on sale and, thus, accessible financially to more buyers at the low end.
Mind you, over the last year I've spent a fortune on relatively high end machines (Mac Studio 32/1TB, MBP 16 inch 32/1TB, Studio Display). I don't mind spending for value BUT when it comes to a *budget* purchase, I really hate getting "rectumized," even when I am willing to wait months for the the M2 MBA to go on sale.
And I hate being unable to come up with a low-end configuration I can recommend to an Apple newbie that's actually affordable. There is no way I would recommend an 8GB/256 GB MacBook Air. By the time I spec a machine with 16GB/512, I can see their eyes glaze over. And, as it stands right now, I can't just say, "well, wait until it goes on sale at Best Buy/Amazon/etc." because that can never happen.
Great post, yes, these BTO/CTO (I guess it's the same thing, here in Switzerland they are called CTO) models are a way for Apple to make exhorbitant margins on the higher end configurations, which are also those that could last longer...
While I have bought some models, like my 16GB RAM 1TB M1 Mini, and was temped by a 32GB 1TB M2 pro Mini, I have decided not to give Apple that kind of money (around $2000). With some research I can find a decent upgradable Ryzen mini PC with similar or better specs for half the price and silent operation (which is the main reason why I would go with Apple since I am fine with Windows too, on the contrary I need Windows only software daily for work, but I don't want to hear any noise, while idle or under load).
yea - I think the ideal outcome with the m3s would be
8 GB / 256 SSD M3 Air less gpu cores and then step up two
16 GB / 256 SSD M3 Air OR
16 GB / 512 SSD M3 Air
they could drop the 2nd or 3rd model
but make the step up model standard with 16 gb - so some of the retailers start to carry them.
Today in the US - if you got a popular consumer shop, aka Best Buy, you are stick with
8 GB / 256 SSD M2 Air
or
8 GB / 512 SSD M2 Air.
And CTOs are only at specialized shops or straight from apple.
8 GB / 256 SSD M3 Air less gpu cores and then step up two
16 GB / 256 SSD M3 Air OR
16 GB / 512 SSD M3 Air
they could drop the 2nd or 3rd model
but make the step up model standard with 16 gb - so some of the retailers start to carry them.
Today in the US - if you got a popular consumer shop, aka Best Buy, you are stick with
8 GB / 256 SSD M2 Air
or
8 GB / 512 SSD M2 Air.
And CTOs are only at specialized shops or straight from apple.
So it's still about the price. They want to buy cheap Macs from third parties.
Rule for the best world: Base configuration should have 16Gb of RAM
World #1:
Base config 8Gb RAM $1200
Base config 16Gb RAM $1400
World #2:
Base config 8Gb RAM doesn't exit
Base config 16 RAM $1500
If you have such a rule you had to choose world #2 even if the Mac with 16Gb of RAM was more expensive than in world #1. You can't choose world #2 since it violates your rule.
That's why complaining about base configuration without tying it to price is stupid if you're more interested in the price you pay.
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The above is a different argument than "base configuration should have 16Gb of RAM".
It's like X -> Y -> Z
You want Z but you complain about X. I just want you to complain about Z which is Macs with 16Gb of RAM is too expensive because you can't get a rebate at third parties.
Best Buy even certified their "agents" to do AppleCare repairs on Apple's behalf. I doubt they couldn't sell you every configuration you want. Have you actually tried asking them for a rebate on a 16 GB Mac?
Did I ever say it wasn’t about price? My initial reply to your comment about it being about price was: “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”
Speaking as a former Apple Computing Pro at BBY, we did not have access to every configuration available on the Apple website, not even if ordering via Best Buy for Buisiness. What Geek Squad can do as an AASP is completely separate from the sales side of the business.
And why is that? Could Best Buy do anything different to get access to Apple's whole product line?
CTO configurations are just that - configured to order. Best Buy can only sell what they have in their warehouses and distribution centers. If Apple decides to make a bunch of a specific CTO configuration, then it's possible Apple Stores would get some of them, but it would be hard to make enough for Apple Sales channels and third party retailers such as Best Buy.
It seems to be no problem for third party retailers in Germany. I can literally order any Mac I want.
I guess, if we are talking about cost, the question is whether when you order a Mac that isn't the base configuration, does that model ever go on sale? In the US, even if you COULD order a 16 GB/512 or 1 TB model from a third party retailer, that configuration would never go on sale.
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I posted a screenshot #304 of a 16 GB MBA on sale. I have no idea why this shouldn’t be possible in the US. 🤷
You're comparing business practices in an EU member nation to business practices in the US. There are a multitude of regulations among EU member states that do not apply elsewhere in the world.
What is the "Ret." in the product description (Apple MacBook Air Ret. 13" (2022))? Is that perhaps a refurbished unit or a customer return?