Apple M2 Review: Can It Keep Up with AMD and Intel?

[waclark]

The bringing up the build you own desktop was explaining the mind set of most typical enthusiast users. Which would me probably the majority reading this site.

As a person who has built my own home gaming machines, I understand that mindset. As that same person who buys laptops for work and personal use I do not apply all of the same criteria to building as I do buying.

And the difference with your Core i7 HP laptop is that they do have models that you can upgrade the ram and models that you can't. Apple doesn't even give you that option! You are forced into buying all the memory at the start of your purchase.

It's not about the laptop, it's about the chip. He said the M2, not the MacBook Air, was crap. Lack of memory expansion isn't entirely about the chip, manufacturers make decisions.

So lets say my work specs and apple machine for me with 16GB of ram. Then for whatever reason 2 years later the main app I use the dev of it decides the new version of the app now requires 32GB . I now have to throw away that laptop and buy a new one because I cannot upgrade the memory?

And because you buy apple products that is acceptable to you?

What if the dev requires a higher end CPU or GPU? What then? You have the same problem. The companies I've worked for replace on a 3yr cycle anyway.

Also, for the things I use my MacBook for, are not likely to have a significant increase in memory requirements for the next 3-4 years, maybe more. I'm likely to replace in 3-4 years, so I'll repurpose the current MacBook or sell it. It will still be a good machine 3 years from now for basic tasks like email, web surfing, word, excel, outlook, video streaming, music and so on.

I think in the case of the current 2 products that have M2s, which have a choice of 8-16-24G of RAM, I don't see that as a problem. I went 16G in my MB Air M1 because that was the max. If I bought today, I'd buy 24, it's only $200 more than the 16G option.

 

[rmcrys]

I went 16G in my MB Air M1 because that was the max. If I bought today, I'd buy 24, it's only $200 more than the 16G option.

That's "only" $200? Well, if you see the starting price, it's already too high; then each 8 GB costs $200 which is to laugh about; then the storage which Apple demands for 256 GB what costs 1 TB in the market

 

[neeyik]

With 96 Gb LPDDR5-6400 modules now in production by Micron, there’s scope for Apple to eventually have 48 GB M2-based products available. The 24 GB M2 Macbook Air will be using 48 Gb modules.

Edit: Doh! Forgot that the M1 and M2 only support two modules, so that means they’re already using 96 Gb chips. Hence, 24 GB for a single M2 is the maximum, until 128 Gb chips are in production. Then the limit will be 32 GB.

 

[waclark]

That's "only" $200? Well, if you see the starting price, it's already too high; then each 8 GB costs $200 which is to laugh about; then the storage which Apple demands for 256 GB what costs 1 TB in the market

Pricing is a different discussion and doesn't really speak to whether the M2 is a decent CPU or not. People who buy Apple products are buying them for a reason and low price isn't one of those reasons.

 

[Puiu]

Pricing is a different discussion and doesn't really speak to whether the M2 is a decent CPU or not. People who buy Apple products are buying them for a reason and low price isn't one of those reasons.

Neither is knowing the market price. The majority of mac owners I know don't know the market prices at all and actually think that prices shown by Apple are just slightly more expensive.

It's an unfortunate reality that we live in.

 

[rmcrys]

Neither is knowing the market price. The majority of mac owners I know don't know the market prices at all and actually think that prices shown by Apple are just slightly more expensive.

It's an unfortunate reality that we live in.

Maybe in your country but in most Europe people know that Apple offers the hardware of a laptop for 75% - 100% the price on top for a more premium materials, warranty and support, as well as Apple ecosystem.

As a thumb rule, a Macbook air would be €1000-1200 and a Macbook Pro would start at €1300-1400. ATM apple is asking for at least 500€ more than before and believe me, ANYONE notices it.

Specially because you find a lot of Dell and Asus for much less with much better specs. Most people I know jumped to Windows laptops, because W11 got so good and the UI fresh. The other ones search for M1 versions. I also see people with old pro or air. Few are buying the new M1 iPad Pro because the price is too high for what it does

 

[Puiu]

Maybe in your country but in most Europe people know that Apple offers the hardware of a laptop for 75% - 100% the price on top for a more premium materials, warranty and support, as well as Apple ecosystem.

As a thumb rule, a Macbook air would be €1000-1200 and a Macbook Pro would start at €1300-1400. ATM apple is asking for at least 500€ more than before and believe me, ANYONE notices it.

Specially because you find a lot of Dell and Asus for much less with much better specs. Most people I know jumped to Windows laptops, because W11 got so good and the UI fresh. The other ones search for M1 versions. I also see people with old pro or air. Few are buying the new M1 iPad Pro because the price is too high for what it does

You are seriously overestimating the common man.

 

[rmcrys]

You are seriously overestimating the common man.