Some Apple lovers continue to frown upon the fact that their laptops use a RAM capacity that they consider too small to be in full swing in 2024.
A recent interview by two Apple executives in the Chinese media IT Home has generated some controversy among followers of the brand. Speaking about the company’s laptops, both Apple representatives defended continuing to sell MacBook models with an initial configuration of 8GB of RAM. The problem: experts and specialized journalists argue that this RAM memory capacity is already obsolete, very insufficient for minimally complex tasks that are carried out on a daily basis.
This is a debate that goes back a long way, against which the technology company has always put forward arguments such as, for example, that the architectural design of its software makes 8GB of RAM in a MacBook equivalent to 16GB in a Windows laptop.
In this interventionpublished on April 12, Product Marketing Manager Evan Buyze and Apple’s vice president of hardware engineering Kate Bergeron again supported the company’s decision to continue using this volume of temporary memory.
However, and taking into account that in the year we are in, other manufacturers no longer use less than 16GB of RAM in their devices, several experts show their confusion at Apple’s decision to continue using these capacities.
Not so much because they are used in MacBook Airs, but also because the initial configuration of the MacBook Pro, a version specifically aimed at users who run demanding programs, works with 8GB. This is, therefore, a very important issue that anyone considering buying a computer from the Apple brand should consider.
Apple’s arguments
From the company, they argue that this RAM capacity is more than enough to perform the most everyday tasks, such as browsing the Internet, playing multimedia, lightly editing photos or videos or playing video games casually. However, talking about ‘light’ editing is subjective, since needs can vary greatly from one situation to another.
Lauti.js
@lautidev_
8GB of ram is no longer useful for programming.
If you are going to buy a new PC, let it be 16GB.
Afterwards they thank me.
The VSC is blocking me. And I have an m1 with 8 ram.
I have the db open, the server running, chrome and spotify.April 28, 2024 • 21:02
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The company ensures that, thanks to the design of Apple Silicon, Apple’s new chips, data transfer between processor, graphics card and RAM is very fast and efficient. The unified memory architecture (UMA) of these chips is an asset for the company compared to competing devices. All this, together with the storage speed of the SSD compared to the HDD or the optimization of the software, means that MacBooks can do more with less, so to speak.
Holes in speech
However, this speech raises the eyebrows of many who warn of the intensive use of applications that we all use every day, such as the Chrome browser. Three open tabs in the browser can consume 1.5GB of RAM, which is no small thing.
In addition, MacBook Pro marketing sells them by highlighting their suitability for creative work, such as video editing or music creation. Apple has its native programs for these tasks (Logic Pro X for music or Final Cut for video), and these are optimized to make the most of the device’s features.
Despite this, 8GB of RAM represents a very tight capacity to execute these tasks to their full potential. Editing long, high-quality videos, making music with dozens of tracks, editing photographs at a professional level, doing 3D modeling or programming software or video games are tasks that are too demanding in terms of RAM to trust that these programs will not crash. sometime.
If Apple really thinks that its MacBook Pro users use it for jobs like these, the decision to continue with 8GB is strange, according to the specialized press. Or maybe it’s that the actual average user of these devices uses them for much simpler tasks than you might expect.
Falling short is too expensive
If someone wants to buy an Apple laptop and wants to ensure strong power that can withstand the advancement of technology for several years, the solution is simple. Instead of the initial option, it is possible to choose MacBook models with 16 GB or more.
However, going from 8 to 16GB represents a change in budget of at least $200, a considerable difference. In addition, the user has to consider this before making the purchase, since Apple’s hardware, since it comes soldered, cannot be modified to extend the RAM later.
