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It would be a brilliant move if it wasn't castrated with 8 GB, even my netbook from 2009 got upgraded to 16 GB during its lifetime, which ended in 2024. A netb

by pjmlp 8mo ago

It would be a brilliant move if it wasn't castrated with 8 GB, even my netbook from 2009 got upgraded to 16 GB during its lifetime, which ended in 2024. A netbook from 2009, already had the capability to get RAM sticks up to 16 GB in total, go figure!

kingkawn 8mo ago
Is it a side effect of spiking ram prices and trying to meet their momentary price point?
- pjmlp 8mo ago
  It is a hard limit of using a phone SOC, it has what it has.
- deafpolygon 8mo ago
  the A18 has a hard limit of 8GB of addressable memory, iirc
anakaine 8mo ago
And they needed it. An 8gb macbook air is sufficient for browsing, writing, and viewing. These machines are aimed at low end users / high school / cheap college machines.
- pjmlp 8mo ago
  Outside US those demographics will be buying cheaper PC laptops under 500 euro, with higher RAM. Open a couple of Electron crap apps, and the 8 GB are gone.
AnonC 8mo ago
But 8 GB on a Mac is way different (in a positive way) from 16 GB on a different OS. On Windows 11, I can’t even imagine anything lower than 32 GB being a decent experience.
- pjmlp 8mo ago
  Given the quality of macOS memory allocator that is whishful thinking. My Windows 11 machines have 16 GB and work just fine.
- bigyabai 8mo ago
  It's kinda not. Windows has virtual memory compression by-default, and even most Linux distros provide zram as an install-time option.
shizzy0 8mo ago
I got the lowest of the low MacBooks on a black friday deal years ago for my wife that only had 8GB, thinking the same way. "It'll be fine for her needs." It was more than fine. It was good. Got myself one a month later. I don't know why but RAM is different on macOS.
- pjmlp 8mo ago
  Self suggestion I would say, https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255765423?sortBy=rank https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255765423?sortBy=rank It is not hard to find radar issues on the matter.

by pjmlp 8mo ago

kingkawn 8mo ago

Is it a side effect of spiking ram prices and trying to meet their momentary price point?

pjmlp 8mo ago
It is a hard limit of using a phone SOC, it has what it has.
deafpolygon 8mo ago
the A18 has a hard limit of 8GB of addressable memory, iirc

anakaine 8mo ago

And they needed it. An 8gb macbook air is sufficient for browsing, writing, and viewing. These machines are aimed at low end users / high school / cheap college machines.

pjmlp 8mo ago
Outside US those demographics will be buying cheaper PC laptops under 500 euro, with higher RAM. Open a couple of Electron crap apps, and the 8 GB are gone.

AnonC 8mo ago

But 8 GB on a Mac is way different (in a positive way) from 16 GB on a different OS. On Windows 11, I can’t even imagine anything lower than 32 GB being a decent experience.

pjmlp 8mo ago
Given the quality of macOS memory allocator that is whishful thinking. My Windows 11 machines have 16 GB and work just fine.
bigyabai 8mo ago
It's kinda not. Windows has virtual memory compression by-default, and even most Linux distros provide zram as an install-time option.

shizzy0 8mo ago

I got the lowest of the low MacBooks on a black friday deal years ago for my wife that only had 8GB, thinking the same way. "It'll be fine for her needs." It was more than fine. It was good. Got myself one a month later. I don't know why but RAM is different on macOS.

pjmlp 8mo ago
Self suggestion I would say, https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255765423?sortBy=rank https://discussions.apple.com/thread/255765423?sortBy=rank It is not hard to find radar issues on the matter.