this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
85 points (88.3% liked)
Apple
4976 readers
1 users here now
Here you can talk about Apple's ecosystem, Apple's OSs (Operating Systems), Apple's apps, Apple's everything!!
founded 4 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
They are good enough for the vast majority of their customers. You have to remember that the vast majority of laptop users only use their laptops for email, social media, and occasionally word processing; they aren't using Baldur's Gate III or Final Cut Pro or some other app that needs the extra RAM. You don't need more than 8GB of RAM for that.
Sure, but then you don't need a 2500 computer for that either
And why exactly would these customers get a MacBook "Pro"?
I can see how a MacBook Air with low base specs (8/256) has its audience. I recommended a base spec M1 Air to my aunt 1-2 years ago and she absolutely loves it. She got it for about 950,-€ I think, and with her coming from Windows laptops costing half as much at most, there was no way she would've spent more than 1.000,-€. She does some surfing, mailing, word processing, video conferencing and photo library management (using iCloud Photos). It's completely fine - might even say pretty great - for that.
Nowadays you can find some deals where the base M2 Air is < 1.000,-€, and that's also a decent deal.
The base model M3 MacBook Pro is 1.999,-€. Now Apple magically added 200,-€ after accounting for taxes and exchange rate ($1,599 is about 1.500,-€, add taxes to that and you're at 1.785,-€, so 1.799,-€ should've been the price, but they made it 1.999,-€ anyway), but even if third party sellers sell it for like 1.800,-€ in a few months, it's still 800,-€ more than the base model Air. I know you get more ports, a way nicer screen etc., that's not my point. My point is that people who are looking for a "good enough for simple tasks" laptop usually don't shop in that price range, and people who do usually have higher requirements than 8 GB of RAM.