Apple doubles down on 8GB Macs despite calls to increase the base spec ahead of M4 devices

[iMore.com]

Apple sticks to its guns following calls to increase the Mac's base spec with 16GB of RAM.

Apple doubles down on 8GB Macs despite calls to increase the base spec ahead of M4 devices : Read more

 

[theoldcoot]

Not it is not. 16 isn't even enough. 64 on a M2 is just barely enough. Not sure why Apple would go that route except they figure they would diminish sales by saying you need more that 8GB

 

[EdwinG]

Not it is not. 16 isn't even enough. 64 on a M2 is just barely enough. Not sure why Apple would go that route except they figure they would diminish sales by saying you need more that 8GB

8GB of RAM is not enough, especially if you’re browsing the current-day Internet.

But 16GB should be sufficient.

I’m really not sure why someone would need 64GB for office-type tasks (browsing the Internet, reading email, word processor, and YouTube videos)?

 

[Just_Me_D]

Not it is not. 16 isn't even enough. 64 on a M2 is just barely enough. Not sure why Apple would go that route except they figure they would diminish sales by saying you need more that 8GB

I use a MacBook Pro M1 for work, and I tend to have at least 30 tabs open (Chrome and Safari combined). GitHub, Jenkins and bitrise.io are included. With that being said, I used Zoom, Slack, and Transport in conjunctions with the above open tabs and yet, my MBP running 16 GB RAM handles it all quite well. I can’t speak in regard to an M4, but 64 gigs on the M1/M2 would be overkill for most people in my opinion.

 

[Trees]

If I were recommending a minimum RAM configuration for a family member or friend who is considering purchasing a new computer, then 16GB would be the suggestion for a Chromebook, Mac, Linux or Windows system if budget were not a primary requirement or constraint.

• Buyze pointed to web browsing and media playback as examples of things 8GB of RAM is enough for most tasks, as well as casual gaming and some light editing of photos and videos.

As the iMore article mentions (quote above), if the use case is light, then perhaps Compressed memory or swap to SSD is utilized; since compression or swap is essentially seamless and transparent to the user.

• https://support.apple.com/guide/activity-monitor/view-memory-usage-actmntr1004/mac
• https://support.apple.com/guide/activity-monitor/check-if-your-mac-needs-more-ram-actmntr34865/mac