Apple charges $400 for an extra 16GB ram on the new Air. 16GB of ram for a Windows laptop costs just $30 on Amazon. 400 dollars vs 30 dollars. Think about that.
That's how they make money, of course. They have the relatively low starting price on the base model to bait you in, then make you pile on extra costs to get it up to decent specs. They know their market.
But I think tbf, people watching this are techies that just want a better machine for cheap, for people just running mail + safari the base probably is fine.
@@jacksukerman5150 There is absolutely zero harm to users in setting the base config to 16gb/512gb. The only reason Apple doesn't do that is because they want you to be forced to consider the insanely marked up models with more storage and RAM, and because they don't want to eat the slightly extra cost per unit.
My first thought was: keep doing what? Building good computers with minimal speed increases each year? Planned obsolescence perfected by Apple at ridiculous prices? Lack pf innovation? Which one, I thought… 😅
Apple has returned to dual NAND modules for the 256GB storage rather than the one that was in the M2 (see MaxTech). That means that we have parallel sequential reads and writes as was in the M1. It also means extra dRAM for swap (maybe 2-3GB over M2) before it has to start using the slower flash storage. This means that the M1 MB Air is less interesting now that it has gone back to parity (M1=M3).
@@piotrd.4850 we will have to see when those tests come out. What is clear is that the M3 base SSD speeds are close to the M1 and well ahead of the M2.
I do fully agree that the base models need more RAM included. Im glad they are offering a upgraded model pre-built though. Those can and will be offered at discount at third party retailers at some point, which is good.
Get a long magnet and place it on the edge of macbook on each side of the trackpad and it will think the lid is closed! This is how we have shut off the internal display for years while leaving the macbook open. The internal display turns off when the magnets are engaged so this should work for the new Macbook Air
@@TThoMusic You misunderstand how it works. You can't fix a hardware based problem with software. So it won't happen until the next version. Magnets can't be shut off with software.
@@joesalyers Actually you can tell the software to ignore the trigger of the magnets. Remember when we close the lid of the Macbook and went immediately to sleep mode? Just by having it plugged in to the power cord, the software ignored the magnet switch.
I agree with your points regarding minimum memory and storage. It’s really annoying when you know the costs for Apple to do the right thing are minimal.
I still have the m1 air, and use a display link adaptor to run multiple screens. It’s for my home set up, and it might not work for some, but I think this will work for most. Display link fits the way to go.
I have it for over 5+ months now close to a year and it’s an absolute beast! I only maxed out the RAM to 24gb ram with 256gb SSD cause i don’t really see a difference with the speeds and I always don’t mind the waiting on the downloads anyway since I’m doing something else to keep me busy. Overall, I’m very satisfied with it! Use multiple tabs, have photoshop open while watching a stream or TH-cam, pretty much have multiple applications open and the 24gb ram REALLY helps to not wear out the SSD swap or MacBook itself, absolute powerful machine!
I’d be more willing to buy a MacBook Air if the base model came with 12-16Ggb RAM and 512gb base storage. That’s more than enough ram and storage for 85% of people
@@Love_Sharma_ Honest question: Are you truly holding out on purchasing the new MBA solely because the base model doesn’t come with “12-16GB RAM and 512GB storage”? The common purchasers of these base models that are not satisfactory for us watching tech videos like this…are not us. The people buying these models are the non-tech individuals who want to have an Apple product, but don’t have a use case for justifying the need for more than what the base model offers. And certainly not for the additional cost of upgrading. These people buying the lowest cost models are probably the bulk of the sales for Apple, which subsidizes the overall R&D and production cost for the rest of us who do watch these videos.
8gm ram is laughable, i thought it would come with 2x6gb for 12gb ram total,and that would be the base ram from now on since the MacBook Pro 16 has 18gb ram and uses 3x 6gb for 18gb total.
The base model and price is fine. Its the upgrade prices that are insulting because everyone knows you are getting bent over and that 8gb ram costs $20 not 200 and 256gb ssd costs $20 not 200. They skimp on the base model to rob you later. Shame, they could just set the base to 16gb / 512 and charge 1499 and people would be happy its the robbing that leaves a bad feeling.
8GB of RAM is not fine for 80% to 85% of users. More like middle school kids, high school teens, and elderly. Every other college student and working adult should get 16GB of RAM. Regardless of the laptop brand, 16GB is the new norm.
8gb ram is more than enough for 95% of people the way Mac OS handles it in the new m processor laptops. I would prefer 16gb ram but i also recognise that i want the ram for additional browser tabs to be open. Which means that the extra ram is going to make me less productive by having me keep 40 browser tabs open rather than 20. More isn’t always better. If you need 16gb ram for heavy software, then sure. But you’d be surprised how well the 8gb handles those.
There is a simple solution to this. We as consumers have to stop buying there products. Corporations only care when you affect there bottom line. Apple says if you are dumb enough to buy it, then I am smart enough to sell it to you.
I had the M1, upgraded to 16gb and 1tb. The base model was just not going to do what I needed it to do, but I didn't feel the need for a Pro. Then my M1 needed to be replaced, and I got an M2 with the same configuration. I wish I'd gotten 24gb RAM, but otherwise it's still okay. Again, I feel no pull toward the Pro models, but I sure couldn't take the base configuration. I can't imagine ANYONE being seriously okay with the base model. It's just too, too limited.
Nothing justifies shipping a device in 2024 with basic storage of 256 and 8 gb RAM, especially for such high price tag. FYI, devices with less RAM and storage tend to have shorter lifespans than devices with higher specs.
Can’t understand why the mini wasn’t upgraded at the same time, 256GB was too small back in 2020 when we got the first M1’s. I must of missed something by I thought the the new air got the M3 last year but that must of been the 15 inch only
Thank you Greg for the honest and to-the-point review! I feel it is reasonable to expect base-level Macs to come with more storage than the base-level iPhones. Now-a-days the base-level iPhones are as close in price point as the base-level Macs. 🤔
16 GB RAM and 512 SSD should be base without the giant price boost. I think logenvity is on the line here. The base model specs pretty much doom this as a low end laptop, that will need to be replace sooner than later.
Apple does offer higher configuarations, and everyone is free to order them if they need to. I ordered the config with 24GB/2TB. So what's the point? Aah, get it. You want it cheaper.
Are you saying people shouldn’t? Their upgrade prices are like 90+% markup. You paid like $1000 more for a laptop that only includes maybe $100 max worth of extra hardware. That should annoy you. Particularly with a username like valuemastery
@@Kyt2024 It doesn't. When I buy something, I think about what I need, and if it is worth the asked price for me. In this case it was, so I bought it. I don't whine about what Apple or anyone else does, does not, or should do. I make my own decisions, and then I buy or buy not.
@@valuemasterythat’s all well and good, I don’t have any issue with you assessing that it was still worth it to you at the price you had to pay. That’s the value proposition we all have to assess. And the same one I also am currently trying to make as I’m in the market for a new machine. All that aside however, it’s predatory pricing on Apples part to charge what they do for these upgrades and I don’t think there is anything wrong whatsoever with criticizing them for it.
@@agent_ethan Technically it's not roberry, because you're not forced to buy. It's just an offer. Everyone's free to order or leave it. But I know what you're saying, the price for components included in these upgrades is lower than the price increase for the computer. Welcome to marketing 😁 Do you really think ordering the 22-inch rims for your car justifies 3x the price of the 17-inchers? How much added aluminum do they contain?
Before the base-model Macbook Air comes with 12GB/16GB RAM, the base model Macbook Pro needs to come with that. And only now with M3 the base-model Macbook Pro started with 512GB SSD. So I guess you'll have to wait for a long time still for the Macbook Air to have their base RAM/SDD upgraded.
I’ve been putting up buying a new Mac for ages. My MBP is 11 years old and I still use it daily. There has been always something wrong with the new ones, and I feel that every single current MBP is overpriced. I could do with MBA for my coding and usual stuff, most of my real computing happens on cloud or remotely on my desktop, as I’ve started doing with my old laptop. Plus the company provided laptop is quite nice. 😅 But 16GB RAM and 512GB storage are the absolute minimum, I feel 8GB of unified memory is an insult and 256GB storage is just there for people to pay 200$/€ for the upgrade so +400$/€ for both (WTH with these prices?!?!). Other than that, the current MBA seems like the best compromise for me.
Yeah, I do a lot of data analysis with large spreadsheets and need a ton of screen real estate but not much power. I finally gave in and got at ~$700 Lenovo yoga with 16 GB Ram instead of saving up for a MacBook Pro. I have it hooked up to 3 screens through a dock for 4 total with its own screen. This new “solution” with the M3 MacBook Air is seems like a bandaid rather than actually fixing an issue that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Why can cheap windows laptop support twice the number of screens for half the price?
Was going to pick up a 15 inch M3 MacBook Air with 16 GB/one TB. Then I saw the 14 inch M3 MacBook Pro for $50 less at $1849. For a somewhat similarly spec laptop on the Windows side I could get the same ram and storage configuration For a little over half the price I paid. I will say coming from a mid 2014 MacBook Pro, Apple’s laptops do last. I would have had it for 10 years in September of this year. So maybe their prices are justified? Especially since before I switch to Mac I used to buy Windows computers every 3 to 4 years because of a motherboard issue or a bad display or something where it cost too much to repair than what it was worth.
They confirmed the M3 MacBook Pro would be able to drive 2 displays, same as this one. What I was saying is the M3 Pro MacBook pro will also still only be able to do 2 external displays in any configuration (lid closed or not). It would be nice if it could do 3 external with the lid closed.@@Bifragura
Honestly the base specs aren’t even the problem imo. There are users they would be absolutely fine for. The problem is their ridiculous upgrade prices. Upgrading to 512gb and 16gb shouldn’t cost even $100 combined and yet they want $400. That’s predatory pricing.
As much as I hate myself saying this, I was against the 8GB model. Did not recommended it to anyone, until I used it. You can basically do anything and notice no difference. Most MacBook Air users are using it for emails and web browsing, maybe a little bit of note taking and programming. I am yet to come across anyone who uses Final Cut Pro or video editing as their daily, so I cannot comment on this, however, the 8GB is still not a bad machine for that. However, shipping the 1999€ model MacBook Pro with 8Gb is a crime.
I agree. I understand if they want to keep iphones and ipads at base 8 gb ram. But any laptop that’s more than $1000 should automatically have more than 8 gb ram (DDR5) nowadays. And that also goes to you Nvidia. Anything that’s $500+ gpu should have 16 gb vram minimum.
At $1499 you get a good computer but then I can hear people saying "if it only had a fan!". I can't buy a computer without a fan and I don't want one that throttles and slows down because it gets too hot!
Not as big of an issue as it seems...Well at least in some situations.Thermal throttling is quite rare for casual to even heavy use...And only happens if say you are in a hot environment processing something really heavy...So for most things its okay...If for some reason you need to cool it down you can buy a cooling metal pad that you put under the Mac...Its just a sheet of metal that soaks up heat...And you can find benchmarks that prove this completely fixes the problem or greatly reduces it to the point of irrelevance.
If you need a fan, then this computer is not designed for you in the first place. It's like saying "That Corvette is beautiful! I'd buy it if it only had front wheel drive."
Tossing up between the MacBook Air M3 15"(24gb/1tb, as a comparable, portable option to my iMac), or the soon to be released, spec'd out iPad Pro M3. Can the MacBook be used as a second display to my iMac, via USB-C or "Sidecar", like I can with my current iPad 10???
Sooner or later they will have to go to 16gb of ram and 512gb of storage. It's just a basic configuration as an entry point. The longer they wait is the longer they miss out on sales. I was interested but in Australia the initial purchase price is over the top, and the upgrade costs are insane. So no, it's a hard pass. Plenty of quality windows laptops out there with decent configs for the money.
I want to buy my wife a new macbook, an upgrade from her M1, but I'm just toooooo sour on not being able to upgrade ram/storage after purchase. It's the one thing that's keeping us from upgrading.
I don't know why Apple still is offering 8GB RAM for the baseline Macbook, I guess Apple will say 8GB RAM is different from other PCs, or even better than others, we need to focus on experience, not only specification 😅
Yeah you're right, turning off the display when you close it is dumb... it could turn it off as soon as it detects 2 external displays are connected and turn it back on when less than 2 are connected. I doubt Apple will change it, they've already made up their mind how it should work.
Omg the 256SSD isn't slower than the M1 anymore? For real? That's fantastic news! I already ordered an M3 MacBook Air 16GB 256GB, and I know that it probably wouldn't have any impact on me, but I couldn't help myself from feeling depressed that for a single extra upgrade, I could have gotten read/write speeds AT LEAST as fast as the old M1. But it seems I don't have to worry about that anymore, which is great! I still have to worry about 256GB potentially not being enough storage space, but there are ways around that, and there are only 1 or 2 things that I may or may not download which might cause me to approach the full 256GB of storage anyway.
Great video. You’re right. Full Stop. No “buts”, no what if’s only “what is” I think Apple continued 8gb of RAM because they know it is good enough for 99% of Air users. Until the competition can produce a base model laptop more powerful than the Air. It’s business. Most Air users don’t need 3 screens or 16 GBs of RAM and Windows laptops are not better.
im new here i really did enjoyed your video and i subscribed to your channel 👍. i had just spoke to the apple support about the closing the lid when using the 2 external display if its a software thing or hardware thing but they just told me it could be either and they told me to just submit a feature request feedback to them not sure if that feedback will do anything but hopefully it gets noticed which i have no clue of that. Besides from that, i just got the MacBook Air M3 with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage upgrading from the M1 MacBook Air 8GB RAM with 256GB storage all because i like that MagSafe charger, newer chip, thinner design and much lighter weight to it. thats basically it.
Any idea when Apple is going to have their event this month because I’m curious to see what they might come up with for the Mac mini or something else I need more than a MacBook Air and I can’t afford a MacBook Pro right now and I need to screen real estate. I’m torn between waiting and getting a full loaded iMac to start my stream.
Best trackpad, probably better keyboard, much faster when running on battery, much longer battery life, no fan noise, less annoying OS (arguably). More reliable suspend/resume, fewer reboots required.
Can't run Windows X86. If you work in the enterprise space, that might be a problem. Be careful on memory as the MacBook swaps to SSD. Not good for the life of the SSD.@@paulwoodward8265
the thermal throttling takes away most of the gains of the chip upgrade... the only meaning full upgrade if someone buys this is the faster read and write speeds and two displays... thatsalll
Can you prove that, as all I have seen are benchmark tests that are not real life and are not representative of 99% of how we use an MB Air? Remember, if you are encoding or decoding media, the M3 Air has dedicated chips for this, along with the neural engine. What real-life scenario will make this thermal throttle? Other than buying it to run benchmarks all day!
not going to argue with a percieved fan boy!!! but any multitasking that goes beyond the normal usage is going to throttle the cpu quiet a bit... and if the argument is for normal usage the full power of m3 chip wont be used, then why have that chip in the laptop in the first place they could just have had the m2 with updated internals and say for normal users thats more than enough chip power. @@andyH_England
@@andyH_England not going to argue with a percieved fan boy!!! but any multitasking that goes beyond the normal usage is going to throttle the cpu quiet a bit... and if the argument is for normal usage the full power of m3 chip wont be used, then why have that chip in the laptop in the first place they could just have had the m2 with updated internals and say for normal users thats more than enough chip power. @andyH_England
@@zoeb-vora well there should be plenty of videos out there in the next week or so testing performance so I'm not going to guess now. I will wait and see. And if you're right, you're right and if I'm right I'm right!
A. Apple is just being greedy regarding memory and storage. B. The trade in program does assuage some of that. I got $580 for my MB Air M1, so it offset the cost of upgrading to the 12 ram/1 TB version. C. But it is time to start with 10 ram and 512gb.
It’s the price gouging requirement to upgrade both the storage and RAM that’s stopping so many of us from buying them. I have an older Intel MacBook Pro and whilst it’s good and all when I’m doing spreadsheets, chatting on Skype video makes it too hot to sit on my lap. There’s always a gotcha and it’s getting on my nerves A LOT.
why do they make the base model so low...? Because they want to raise prices, but for marketing reasons, need a way to advertise lower prices, but hope everyone buys the more expensive models, by making the base advertised price model crappy. Its the same old marketing gimmick they have used for many many years... get them in the door however you can, then upsell them.
It's a very old, and frankly deplorable sales technique. They draw you in with a low price but you have to purchase "extras" (In this case, £200 on more memory) before it will work properly.
How nice of you to ALLOW a profit. "Fair and "greedy" are subjective. if you can't afford it or don't need it, dont buy it. Complaining about it is silly.
@@CAMTechChris It's important for companies to be aware of customer concerns. When customers voice their dissatisfaction, like with the butterfly keyboard or Touch Bar, it can be a valuable opportunity for improvement. They no longer exist because of people complaining. This kind of feedback can act as a catalyst for positive change. Companies that listen can address these issues and develop products that better meet the needs of their customers. Of course, negativity isn't always necessary. However, constructive criticism can be a powerful tool for progress. "Complaining about it is silly." Would also, be a subjective opinion as well.
I bought a base M2 MBA and I just want to tell you that I won´t upgrade until 2027 even for a MBP I will go to a MBP M2 PRo. Those machines are powerful enough Unless you do very heavy task a MBA is enough even the base model.
Apple keeps doing this because they know they can get away with it. People keep complaining and still buy the base model. Wale up people!!! Stop buying them Apple will bump up the specs eventually.
When Apple stops lying I will consider buying one. They claim they care about the environment but they do not....If they did then their devices would not be some of the least repairable devices on the planet.
Why Do You KEEP DOING THIS! The MBA M2 is one of the best laptops out there. But the keyboard is just rubbish. Yes it types but the key travel is not enough for me. The keys also wear off very quickly. The dual screen setting is also shit. Why does the MBA needs to be closed? Nearly any Windows laptop can support 3 screes for a 1/3 of the price. The MBA M3 is not worth the upgrade. The speed difference is neglegible. Anything up to 10% is not worth mentioning it. It becomes interesting from a 20% difference. 8GB is not standard and 256 is also no longer standard but Apple wants your money for something that is not expensive.
Using "literally" repeatedly, especially as it's unnecessary, detracts from the clarity and impact of your statements. When speaking people understand you are speaking literally,.on the rare occasions this is not so use figuratively to indicate you are not speaking literally. If it is an attempt to sound relevant and now then this literally became clichéd decades ago. I literally hope you understand.
Apple has become a byword for cheap and tacky due to the low RAM and storage cash grab. They spent so much on branding their products as luxury items... but then act like pathetic used car salesmen. It's in their power to sell good stuff but instead they take part in the enshitification of everything.
@@elmarcentral For transferring large files the bottleneck will usually be with the other end, not the internal drive. And if you're gonna be transferring lots of large files then you'll probably fill your drive and should have bought the larger capacity anyway.
@@dexopaw the internal SSD speeds matter too. As tested by MaxTech, transferring 100+ GB of data is 2 mins faster on the M3 than on the M2. If you want to get a low end storage to save money then you'll end up using an external SSD most likely. So it is relevant.
8 GB of ram in 2024.. apple is out of touch with reality 32 GB is where DDR5 duel channel starts. there is no 4 gb sticks of DDR5 unless they are running this in a single channel. Apple will get zero dollars from me sorry. for 1000 I can get an LG gram with 1TB and 32 gb of memory.
Is your argument that Apple should stop selling the base configuration that is satisfactory for 80-85% its its users, because the remaining people need more than the base and they don’t know how to upgrade? Wouldn’t that mean that those 80-85% are forced to pay even more for something they don’t need? Or do you just want more for the same amount of money (as I assume all customers do)?
Just buy a windows machine with 16GB RAM, it will serve you well, and you have plenty of money for other things, 95% of the people it will do the job just fine. Your welcome.
Yeah I got a windows 12th gen i7 512ssd 16gb ram 165hz screen AND a rtx 3060 for 899. Other than school laptop stays plugged in. Im 1000% content with windows over taxing ass Apple.
Wouldn't mind if Apple charged $50 for +8GB or +256GB but $200 is just fucking insane
$50 add on wasn't even happening in 2000s.
16GB 512GB should be free as the base model
Apple charges $400 for an extra 16GB ram on the new Air.
16GB of ram for a Windows laptop costs just $30 on Amazon.
400 dollars vs 30 dollars. Think about that.
And they wonder why sales have gone flat .
That's how they make money, of course. They have the relatively low starting price on the base model to bait you in, then make you pile on extra costs to get it up to decent specs. They know their market.
Before even watching the video: the answer to “why does Apple keep doing this?”, cause enough of us keep paying them to
Precisely
So what you’re really saying without actually saying it, is people are stupid and Apple knows just how stupid you really are.
But I think tbf, people watching this are techies that just want a better machine for cheap, for people just running mail + safari the base probably is fine.
@@jacksukerman5150 There is absolutely zero harm to users in setting the base config to 16gb/512gb. The only reason Apple doesn't do that is because they want you to be forced to consider the insanely marked up models with more storage and RAM, and because they don't want to eat the slightly extra cost per unit.
My first thought was: keep doing what? Building good computers with minimal speed increases each year? Planned obsolescence perfected by Apple at ridiculous prices? Lack pf innovation? Which one, I thought… 😅
even my graphics card has 12G memory, it really disgusts me everytime I see Apple publish a new product still with 8+256 specs
Apple has returned to dual NAND modules for the 256GB storage rather than the one that was in the M2 (see MaxTech). That means that we have parallel sequential reads and writes as was in the M1. It also means extra dRAM for swap (maybe 2-3GB over M2) before it has to start using the slower flash storage.
This means that the M1 MB Air is less interesting now that it has gone back to parity (M1=M3).
In Luke Miani's test M2 came distand THIRD and M1 had in real life copy write test best performance by large margin, even over M3.
@@piotrd.4850 we will have to see when those tests come out. What is clear is that the M3 base SSD speeds are close to the M1 and well ahead of the M2.
I do fully agree that the base models need more RAM included. Im glad they are offering a upgraded model pre-built though. Those can and will be offered at discount at third party retailers at some point, which is good.
Get a long magnet and place it on the edge of macbook on each side of the trackpad and it will think the lid is closed! This is how we have shut off the internal display for years while leaving the macbook open. The internal display turns off when the magnets are engaged so this should work for the new Macbook Air
Or... Apple could just fix this issue with an update?
@@TThoMusic You misunderstand how it works. You can't fix a hardware based problem with software. So it won't happen until the next version. Magnets can't be shut off with software.
@@joesalyers Actually you can tell the software to ignore the trigger of the magnets. Remember when we close the lid of the Macbook and went immediately to sleep mode? Just by having it plugged in to the power cord, the software ignored the magnet switch.
I agree with your points regarding minimum memory and storage. It’s really annoying when you know the costs for Apple to do the right thing are minimal.
I still have the m1 air, and use a display link adaptor to run multiple screens. It’s for my home set up, and it might not work for some, but I think this will work for most. Display link fits the way to go.
I have it for over 5+ months now close to a year and it’s an absolute beast! I only maxed out the RAM to 24gb ram with 256gb SSD cause i don’t really see a difference with the speeds and I always don’t mind the waiting on the downloads anyway since I’m doing something else to keep me busy. Overall, I’m very satisfied with it! Use multiple tabs, have photoshop open while watching a stream or TH-cam, pretty much have multiple applications open and the 24gb ram REALLY helps to not wear out the SSD swap or MacBook itself, absolute powerful machine!
before watching the video I'm going to assume it's the 8GB RAM
Edit: 8:10
Of course, it's apple
Crazyblox what in the mother flicking world are you doing. (please make AVM easier I can't beat it :()
No, its 7.9989889 GB
I’d be more willing to buy a MacBook Air if the base model came with 12-16Ggb RAM and 512gb base storage. That’s more than enough ram and storage for 85% of people
When that happens i will gladly trade in my pro and buy air for sure 😊
And that’s why they don’t give you it…
@@Love_Sharma_
Honest question:
Are you truly holding out on purchasing the new MBA solely because the base model doesn’t come with “12-16GB RAM and 512GB storage”?
The common purchasers of these base models that are not satisfactory for us watching tech videos like this…are not us.
The people buying these models are the non-tech individuals who want to have an Apple product, but don’t have a use case for justifying the need for more than what the base model offers. And certainly not for the additional cost of upgrading.
These people buying the lowest cost models are probably the bulk of the sales for Apple, which subsidizes the overall R&D and production cost for the rest of us who do watch these videos.
Dumb reply, they purposely don’t give it to you so they can sell you the more expensive model. Sounding like captain obvious
Never gonna happen. What company doesn't want consumer to pay more than the base price.
8gm ram is laughable, i thought it would come with 2x6gb for 12gb ram total,and that would be the base ram from now on since the MacBook Pro 16 has 18gb ram and uses 3x 6gb for 18gb total.
You nailed it. I would MUCH rather have an M1/16/512 instead of an M3/8/256. Exactly!!!!
The base model and price is fine. Its the upgrade prices that are insulting because everyone knows you are getting bent over and that 8gb ram costs $20 not 200 and 256gb ssd costs $20 not 200. They skimp on the base model to rob you later. Shame, they could just set the base to 16gb / 512 and charge 1499 and people would be happy its the robbing that leaves a bad feeling.
I’ll be keeping my air M1 it’s still going strong
The M1 MacBook Air might go down in history as the best valued MacBook ever.
Same still rocking my M1 MacBook Air second tiered one with 512ssd & 8 GPU
8GB of RAM is not fine for 80% to 85% of users. More like middle school kids, high school teens, and elderly. Every other college student and working adult should get 16GB of RAM. Regardless of the laptop brand, 16GB is the new norm.
8gb ram is more than enough for 95% of people the way Mac OS handles it in the new m processor laptops. I would prefer 16gb ram but i also recognise that i want the ram for additional browser tabs to be open. Which means that the extra ram is going to make me less productive by having me keep 40 browser tabs open rather than 20. More isn’t always better. If you need 16gb ram for heavy software, then sure. But you’d be surprised how well the 8gb handles those.
doesn't hooking external monitors up to any external usb-c docking station allow for 2 monitors plus laptop display?
There is a simple solution to this. We as consumers have to stop buying there products. Corporations only care when you affect there bottom line. Apple says if you are dumb enough to buy it, then I am smart enough to sell it to you.
I had the M1, upgraded to 16gb and 1tb. The base model was just not going to do what I needed it to do, but I didn't feel the need for a Pro.
Then my M1 needed to be replaced, and I got an M2 with the same configuration. I wish I'd gotten 24gb RAM, but otherwise it's still okay. Again, I feel no pull toward the Pro models, but I sure couldn't take the base configuration.
I can't imagine ANYONE being seriously okay with the base model. It's just too, too limited.
Nothing justifies shipping a device in 2024 with basic storage of 256 and 8 gb RAM, especially for such high price tag. FYI, devices with less RAM and storage tend to have shorter lifespans than devices with higher specs.
If Apple fixed the multi monitor support with software than they would lose key selling points for the m5 MacBook…
Can’t understand why the mini wasn’t upgraded at the same time, 256GB was too small back in 2020 when we got the first M1’s.
I must of missed something by I thought the the new air got the M3 last year but that must of been the 15 inch only
Butttt, when you get the base MacBook Pro you will still need to upgrade the ram as well at least. Which them least puts that at 1900
Thank you Greg for the honest and to-the-point review! I feel it is reasonable to expect base-level Macs to come with more storage than the base-level iPhones. Now-a-days the base-level iPhones are as close in price point as the base-level Macs. 🤔
16 GB RAM and 512 SSD should be base without the giant price boost. I think logenvity is on the line here. The base model specs pretty much doom this as a low end laptop, that will need to be replace sooner than later.
Apple does offer higher configuarations, and everyone is free to order them if they need to. I ordered the config with 24GB/2TB. So what's the point?
Aah, get it. You want it cheaper.
Are you saying people shouldn’t? Their upgrade prices are like 90+% markup. You paid like $1000 more for a laptop that only includes maybe $100 max worth of extra hardware. That should annoy you. Particularly with a username like valuemastery
@@Kyt2024 It doesn't. When I buy something, I think about what I need, and if it is worth the asked price for me. In this case it was, so I bought it. I don't whine about what Apple or anyone else does, does not, or should do. I make my own decisions, and then I buy or buy not.
@@valuemasterythat’s all well and good, I don’t have any issue with you assessing that it was still worth it to you at the price you had to pay. That’s the value proposition we all have to assess. And the same one I also am currently trying to make as I’m in the market for a new machine. All that aside however, it’s predatory pricing on Apples part to charge what they do for these upgrades and I don’t think there is anything wrong whatsoever with criticizing them for it.
We don't want it cheaper, we just don't want it overpriced. $400 for just 8Gb more and 256Gb more? Come on, you know that you're being robbed.
@@agent_ethan Technically it's not roberry, because you're not forced to buy. It's just an offer. Everyone's free to order or leave it. But I know what you're saying, the price for components included in these upgrades is lower than the price increase for the computer. Welcome to marketing 😁
Do you really think ordering the 22-inch rims for your car justifies 3x the price of the 17-inchers? How much added aluminum do they contain?
Apple is just making this s***t up now. My 2014 can run a display when the lid is closed.
Before the base-model Macbook Air comes with 12GB/16GB RAM, the base model Macbook Pro needs to come with that. And only now with M3 the base-model Macbook Pro started with 512GB SSD. So I guess you'll have to wait for a long time still for the Macbook Air to have their base RAM/SDD upgraded.
I still have my M1 Macbook pro and it still looks new.. its perfect for my needs 👍🏻
I’ve been putting up buying a new Mac for ages. My MBP is 11 years old and I still use it daily. There has been always something wrong with the new ones, and I feel that every single current MBP is overpriced.
I could do with MBA for my coding and usual stuff, most of my real computing happens on cloud or remotely on my desktop, as I’ve started doing with my old laptop. Plus the company provided laptop is quite nice. 😅
But 16GB RAM and 512GB storage are the absolute minimum, I feel 8GB of unified memory is an insult and 256GB storage is just there for people to pay 200$/€ for the upgrade so +400$/€ for both (WTH with these prices?!?!). Other than that, the current MBA seems like the best compromise for me.
i want more power for video/foto editing... not just only more storage... even if its entry level.
Yeah, I do a lot of data analysis with large spreadsheets and need a ton of screen real estate but not much power. I finally gave in and got at ~$700 Lenovo yoga with 16 GB Ram instead of saving up for a MacBook Pro. I have it hooked up to 3 screens through a dock for 4 total with its own screen. This new “solution” with the M3 MacBook Air is seems like a bandaid rather than actually fixing an issue that shouldn’t exist in the first place. Why can cheap windows laptop support twice the number of screens for half the price?
Was going to pick up a 15 inch M3 MacBook Air with 16 GB/one TB. Then I saw the 14 inch M3 MacBook Pro for $50 less at $1849. For a somewhat similarly spec laptop on the Windows side I could get the same ram and storage configuration For a little over half the price I paid. I will say coming from a mid 2014 MacBook Pro, Apple’s laptops do last. I would have had it for 10 years in September of this year. So maybe their prices are justified? Especially since before I switch to Mac I used to buy Windows computers every 3 to 4 years because of a motherboard issue or a bad display or something where it cost too much to repair than what it was worth.
If the MBA can do 2 displays with the lid closed, the M3 Pro should be able to do 3 displays with the lid closed.
They're making an update to allow this
They confirmed the M3 MacBook Pro would be able to drive 2 displays, same as this one. What I was saying is the M3 Pro MacBook pro will also still only be able to do 2 external displays in any configuration (lid closed or not). It would be nice if it could do 3 external with the lid closed.@@Bifragura
Honestly the base specs aren’t even the problem imo. There are users they would be absolutely fine for. The problem is their ridiculous upgrade prices. Upgrading to 512gb and 16gb shouldn’t cost even $100 combined and yet they want $400. That’s predatory pricing.
As much as I hate myself saying this, I was against the 8GB model. Did not recommended it to anyone, until I used it. You can basically do anything and notice no difference.
Most MacBook Air users are using it for emails and web browsing, maybe a little bit of note taking and programming. I am yet to come across anyone who uses Final Cut Pro or video editing as their daily, so I cannot comment on this, however, the 8GB is still not a bad machine for that.
However, shipping the 1999€ model MacBook Pro with 8Gb is a crime.
My son has 5 yr old Intel MBA. this is a good replacement laptop for him later this year
Do these M2-3 laptops are affected by staingate issues?
thinking of switching from my intel macbook pro from 2020 to this...
I agree. I understand if they want to keep iphones and ipads at base 8 gb ram. But any laptop that’s more than $1000 should automatically have more than 8 gb ram (DDR5) nowadays.
And that also goes to you Nvidia. Anything that’s $500+ gpu should have 16 gb vram minimum.
At $1499 you get a good computer but then I can hear people saying "if it only had a fan!". I can't buy a computer without a fan and I don't want one that throttles and slows down because it gets too hot!
Have you tried it once?
Not as big of an issue as it seems...Well at least in some situations.Thermal throttling is quite rare for casual to even heavy use...And only happens if say you are in a hot environment processing something really heavy...So for most things its okay...If for some reason you need to cool it down you can buy a cooling metal pad that you put under the Mac...Its just a sheet of metal that soaks up heat...And you can find benchmarks that prove this completely fixes the problem or greatly reduces it to the point of irrelevance.
If you need a fan, then this computer is not designed for you in the first place. It's like saying "That Corvette is beautiful! I'd buy it if it only had front wheel drive."
It's pointless to expect that every Apple laptop perform like a high end MacBook Pro. The Air doesn't get hot or throttle for its target user base.
Tossing up between the MacBook Air M3 15"(24gb/1tb, as a comparable, portable option to my iMac), or the soon to be released, spec'd out iPad Pro M3.
Can the MacBook be used as a second display to my iMac, via USB-C or "Sidecar", like I can with my current iPad 10???
Sooner or later they will have to go to 16gb of ram and 512gb of storage. It's just a basic configuration as an entry point. The longer they wait is the longer they miss out on sales. I was interested but in Australia the initial purchase price is over the top, and the upgrade costs are insane. So no, it's a hard pass. Plenty of quality windows laptops out there with decent configs for the money.
I want to buy my wife a new macbook, an upgrade from her M1, but I'm just toooooo sour on not being able to upgrade ram/storage after purchase. It's the one thing that's keeping us from upgrading.
get a m2 pro, 24 gigs a ram. 1 tb storage. prob enough for y'all
@@BillyonTopp I just can't justify the prices. I had to really push myself getting the M1 when I did.
@@F34RTEHR34PER understandable
I don't know why Apple still is offering 8GB RAM for the baseline Macbook, I guess Apple will say 8GB RAM is different from other PCs, or even better than others, we need to focus on experience, not only specification 😅
Yeah you're right, turning off the display when you close it is dumb... it could turn it off as soon as it detects 2 external displays are connected and turn it back on when less than 2 are connected. I doubt Apple will change it, they've already made up their mind how it should work.
Omg the 256SSD isn't slower than the M1 anymore? For real? That's fantastic news! I already ordered an M3 MacBook Air 16GB 256GB, and I know that it probably wouldn't have any impact on me, but I couldn't help myself from feeling depressed that for a single extra upgrade, I could have gotten read/write speeds AT LEAST as fast as the old M1. But it seems I don't have to worry about that anymore, which is great! I still have to worry about 256GB potentially not being enough storage space, but there are ways around that, and there are only 1 or 2 things that I may or may not download which might cause me to approach the full 256GB of storage anyway.
What's your estimated delivery date?
@@mohkg1017 19th - 21st
Shoulda just got the 512gb one then.
If I could get more than 2TB storage then I would strongly consider a MacBook Air as my travel laptop.
Great video. You’re right. Full Stop. No “buts”, no what if’s only “what is” I think Apple continued 8gb of RAM because they know it is good enough for 99% of Air users. Until the competition can produce a base model laptop more powerful than the Air. It’s business. Most Air users don’t need 3 screens or 16 GBs of RAM and Windows laptops are not better.
It’s because they’re greedy
Ive owned both an m2 air in midnight and m3 pro in black and the print resistance is only marginally better on the m3. Minimal difference.
im new here i really did enjoyed your video and i subscribed to your channel 👍. i had just spoke to the apple support about the closing the lid when using the 2 external display if its a software thing or hardware thing but they just told me it could be either and they told me to just submit a feature request feedback to them not sure if that feedback will do anything but hopefully it gets noticed which i have no clue of that. Besides from that, i just got the MacBook Air M3 with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage upgrading from the M1 MacBook Air 8GB RAM with 256GB storage all because i like that MagSafe charger, newer chip, thinner design and much lighter weight to it. thats basically it.
Any idea when Apple is going to have their event this month because I’m curious to see what they might come up with for the Mac mini or something else I need more than a MacBook Air and I can’t afford a MacBook Pro right now and I need to screen real estate. I’m torn between waiting and getting a full loaded iMac to start my stream.
What game were you playing at 6:44?
Can anyone tell me the advantages of getting a macbook over a windows laptop?
Best trackpad, probably better keyboard, much faster when running on battery, much longer battery life, no fan noise, less annoying OS (arguably). More reliable suspend/resume, fewer reboots required.
Better build quality, better resale value
Can't run Windows X86. If you work in the enterprise space, that might be a problem. Be careful on memory as the MacBook swaps to SSD. Not good for the life of the SSD.@@paulwoodward8265
Why not a space black option? Think this is a lazy release.
the thermal throttling takes away most of the gains of the chip upgrade... the only meaning full upgrade if someone buys this is the faster read and write speeds and two displays... thatsalll
Can you prove that, as all I have seen are benchmark tests that are not real life and are not representative of 99% of how we use an MB Air? Remember, if you are encoding or decoding media, the M3 Air has dedicated chips for this, along with the neural engine. What real-life scenario will make this thermal throttle? Other than buying it to run benchmarks all day!
not going to argue with a percieved fan boy!!! but any multitasking that goes beyond the normal usage is going to throttle the cpu quiet a bit... and if the argument is for normal usage the full power of m3 chip wont be used, then why have that chip in the laptop in the first place they could just have had the m2 with updated internals and say for normal users thats more than enough chip power. @@andyH_England
@@andyH_England not going to argue with a percieved fan boy!!! but any multitasking that goes beyond the normal usage is going to throttle the cpu quiet a bit... and if the argument is for normal usage the full power of m3 chip wont be used, then why have that chip in the laptop in the first place they could just have had the m2 with updated internals and say for normal users thats more than enough chip power. @andyH_England
@@zoeb-vora well there should be plenty of videos out there in the next week or so testing performance so I'm not going to guess now. I will wait and see. And if you're right, you're right and if I'm right I'm right!
Thanks for sharing. Blessings on your day!
A. Apple is just being greedy regarding memory and storage. B. The trade in program does assuage some of that. I got $580 for my MB Air M1, so it offset the cost of upgrading to the 12 ram/1 TB version. C. But it is time to start with 10 ram and 512gb.
It’s the price gouging requirement to upgrade both the storage and RAM that’s stopping so many of us from buying them. I have an older Intel MacBook Pro and whilst it’s good and all when I’m doing spreadsheets, chatting on Skype video makes it too hot to sit on my lap. There’s always a gotcha and it’s getting on my nerves A LOT.
M3 Air is also too hot for lap. Get M1, it is the best.
why do they make the base model so low...? Because they want to raise prices, but for marketing reasons, need a way to advertise lower prices, but hope everyone buys the more expensive models, by making the base advertised price model crappy. Its the same old marketing gimmick they have used for many many years... get them in the door however you can, then upsell them.
WHY CANT THEY PUT THE PRO DISPLAY WITH IT ?!? The worst part of it
It's a very old, and frankly deplorable sales technique. They draw you in with a low price but you have to purchase "extras" (In this case, £200 on more memory) before it will work properly.
This would be nice for Immersed VR
they trying to make money off y'all don't be fooled m1 still the king started from the bottom now we here to take your money
I want a better front facing camera and yeah they need to fix that dual monitor issue.
I thought they had ramped it up to 1080p
@@MarkHolmes I believe they did, I just wish we could get it even better. Maybe that’s asking too much? Not sure.
@@songodan45 most windows laptop have 720 p and fitting a 4 k camera in such a small space is just not possible.
@@BillyonTopp bummer, but good to know!
@@songodan45 bummer, but at least we got a pretty good camera. btw what MacBook do you have?
and those but's cost a lot to upgrade.
Dual monitor is in the past, ultrawide monitors are king.
8 Gb Ram version exists so Apple can charge for an upgrade to 16 Gb
Apple being money hungry as always
Are you opposed to Apple making a profit?
@@CAMTechChris Profit is allowed but up charging 3-5 times as much is greedy.
How nice of you to ALLOW a profit. "Fair and "greedy" are subjective. if you can't afford it or don't need it, dont buy it. Complaining about it is silly.
@@CAMTechChris It's important for companies to be aware of customer concerns. When customers voice their dissatisfaction, like with the butterfly keyboard or Touch Bar, it can be a valuable opportunity for improvement. They no longer exist because of people complaining.
This kind of feedback can act as a catalyst for positive change. Companies that listen can address these issues and develop products that better meet the needs of their customers.
Of course, negativity isn't always necessary. However, constructive criticism can be a powerful tool for progress.
"Complaining about it is silly." Would also, be a subjective opinion as well.
@@CAMTechChris it’s called ROBBERY not making a profit 😂
helpful video thank you!
Apple definitely aware of this short coming. It simply wants to make money out of it.
I bought a base M2 MBA and I just want to tell you that I won´t upgrade until 2027 even for a MBP I will go to a MBP M2 PRo. Those machines are powerful enough Unless you do very heavy task a MBA is enough even the base model.
SAME
Companies won’t learn until consumers start voting with their wallets.
4:50 Good idea. AAPL, are you listening?
8gbs in 2024 and a notch. They must be remote employees that don’t give a sheet and are not held accountable.
the notch one isn't even something bad. you won't even notice it. this just shows you don't have one
Apple keeps doing this because they know they can get away with it. People keep complaining and still buy the base model. Wale up people!!! Stop buying them Apple will bump up the specs eventually.
"If you need more power, you'll have to pay for it." Imagine that. For the record, 90%+ users DON'T need that extra power/storage.
When Apple stops lying I will consider buying one. They claim they care about the environment but they do not....If they did then their devices would not be some of the least repairable devices on the planet.
In 2024 Apple must let by default 16Gb ram
Apple gimps out their macbook for the money. As long as people continue to buy then they won't change.
Except the ugly notch, its fine.
Only weak NPCs get stuck in Apple's ecosystem.
Because giga nerds keep buying this pos 😂😂😂
Why Do You KEEP DOING THIS! The MBA M2 is one of the best laptops out there. But the keyboard is just rubbish. Yes it types but the key travel is not enough for me. The keys also wear off very quickly. The dual screen setting is also shit. Why does the MBA needs to be closed? Nearly any Windows laptop can support 3 screes for a 1/3 of the price.
The MBA M3 is not worth the upgrade. The speed difference is neglegible. Anything up to 10% is not worth mentioning it. It becomes interesting from a 20% difference.
8GB is not standard and 256 is also no longer standard but Apple wants your money for something that is not expensive.
Nice video
8+256 existing is to make people buy 16+256 or 8+512😂😂😂 so Apple makes more money
People who buy 8gb ram for 1000 bucks needs to be... ***
Using "literally" repeatedly, especially as it's unnecessary, detracts from the clarity and impact of your statements.
When speaking people understand you are speaking literally,.on the rare occasions this is not so use figuratively to indicate you are not speaking literally.
If it is an attempt to sound relevant and now then this literally became clichéd decades ago.
I literally hope you understand.
Apple stupidity: ok, disable built in screen - but at least allow keep laptop open to use keyboard and trackpad, camera ffs!
Apple has become a byword for cheap and tacky due to the low RAM and storage cash grab. They spent so much on branding their products as luxury items... but then act like pathetic used car salesmen. It's in their power to sell good stuff but instead they take part in the enshitification of everything.
Devolution has so far been divolving corruption. nothing else.
5:49 Hey now, 1500 MB/s is NOT painfully slow! A mechanical hard disk is painfully slow, the M2 Air was not.
It is painfully slow if relying on it for swap, which you probably will since the base spec is 8gb RAM
It's also slow for transferring large files.
@@RichWithTech Valid point with the swap usage, the difference in SSD speeds will be noticeable
@@elmarcentral For transferring large files the bottleneck will usually be with the other end, not the internal drive. And if you're gonna be transferring lots of large files then you'll probably fill your drive and should have bought the larger capacity anyway.
@@dexopaw the internal SSD speeds matter too. As tested by MaxTech, transferring 100+ GB of data is 2 mins faster on the M3 than on the M2. If you want to get a low end storage to save money then you'll end up using an external SSD most likely. So it is relevant.
8 GB of ram in 2024.. apple is out of touch with reality 32 GB is where DDR5 duel channel starts. there is no 4 gb sticks of DDR5 unless they are running this in a single channel. Apple will get zero dollars from me sorry. for 1000 I can get an LG gram with 1TB and 32 gb of memory.
Im ok wuth butts. Buts make the world go round. 😅
new waffle maker with M3 processor...
Crazy idea: the laptop already has a screen, if you need 2 screens just have one external monitor. Also desktops exist. :)
Money
Is your argument that Apple should stop selling the base configuration that is satisfactory for 80-85% its its users, because the remaining people need more than the base and they don’t know how to upgrade? Wouldn’t that mean that those 80-85% are forced to pay even more for something they don’t need?
Or do you just want more for the same amount of money (as I assume all customers do)?
Just buy a windows machine with 16GB RAM, it will serve you well, and you have plenty of money for other things, 95% of the people it will do the job just fine. Your welcome.
No thanks!! 😂
Yeah no thanks. I like my laptops to use 100% of their power even when they aren’t plugged in 😂
Yeah I got a windows 12th gen i7 512ssd 16gb ram 165hz screen AND a rtx 3060 for 899. Other than school laptop stays plugged in. Im 1000% content with windows over taxing ass Apple.
1100+ for a laptop with a 60hz refresh rate display
U and Luke Miani tend to make the same videos occasionally - is that planned?
No we're both just really intelligent guys. (I'm slightly smarter and better looking tho)