DON'T Do This When Buying a New Mac... 

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I'm the guy that bought a maxed out Intel Macbook Pro in 2020. My wife's new M2 Air is twice as powerful, without a fan, never even gets warm, battery lasts forever and it cost less than half as much.

It’s true that older Macs can still run modern applications relatively well (I’m still running a 2009 MBP), but eventually they do get slower and are more prone to security vulnerabilities. I’ve upgraded virtually everything I can - I’ve swapped the optical drive for a 500gb SSD, upgraded the old 256 GB HDD for a 1TB SSD, upgraded the RAM and gone through multiple batteries. But at the end of the day, I’m still running El Capitan. At this point, changing to an M2 Mac will feel like a dream!

Another important thing to remember is the larger your SSD is the longer is its life span. TBW is the term SSD manufacturers use and the storage size of the SSD is directly proportional to its life span.

.... like most companys... apple is the absolute top elite of milking their clients last penny out ^^

Upgraded from Mid-2012 13' to M1 Pro base model last year. Only life-changing improvement other than gorgeous screen with the notch and slight general fluidness was when I did a demanding task like rendering a video, which you also can do with the 13' - much slower but effortless still. Daily tasks like checking your E-Mail, browsing and/or writing a document would feel just about same. I do not regret the purchase since it is the base model and 10 years is pretty fair time for an upgrade but I still wish that I would use its full potential, for which I paid for - regardless I use it or not. Don't upgrade your Mac unless you are absolutely sure what your benefits are. I get the FOMO but you won't be missing out anything if you don't need it.

I really struggled with the future proofing bug when I bought an M2 MBA a couple of months ago. If I doubled the memory and storage of the base model I was getting close to MacBook Pro territory, especially when the MBP 14 would go on sale. I had to take a serious look at my budget and my actual needs in a laptop. I finally ended up with the base model M2 MBA and I've been happy as a clam ever since (so has my wallet).

512 GB storage and 16 GB storage is a sweet spot for software development

Considering the significant price bump in the EU, even the base model is a big investment. As such, people tend to opt for higher specs - we don't know what will be sufficient for how long, but one thing is for sure, the year-on-year price increases.

I have found that a notebook (brand or OS doesn’t matter) has a practical life of 5-6 years. I buy with this lifespan in mind. After 5 or 6 years, the device likely won’t be able to stay current on the OS without involving upgrade methods that aren’t practical for the average person. Falling behind on the OS is the beginning of the end for application compatibility and more importantly security. I do have a 15 year old MBP that still works - so, yes, they will last that long, but it isn’t my “daily driver” because of how old the OS is and how it affects my ability to effectively collaborate with others on projects. My daily driver is now 4 and will get replaced within the next two years, once the OS begins to slip behind. Drive space and memory are cheap, even from Apple. I always over buy in these areas because the benefit-to-cost ratio is really that good. Just about everything one does these days, except for perhaps the most basic tasks, will benefit from having more RAM and storage. I have never upgraded my processor and have never noticed an issue. Maybe I don’t know what I’m missing. Upgrading the processor can get spendy, and the situations that benefit noticeably from more processing power within a 5-6 year lifespan are not as numerous for people who don’t really push their machines to their limits. The benefit-to-cost ratio isn’t as good for most people. I say most people. I understand this isn’t true for everyone, and one should put some thought into how they use their machine before deciding. I guess my philosophy is don’t over think ram and storage - buy as much as you can afford, because it will come in handy.

When I ordered my M2 MacBook Air as my new computing device for 2023 so-called future proofing was never in my mind and same with my choice of Windows laptops. As far as my budget would stretch I’d get the most powerful configuration so that my apps would open and run faster and get things done more quickly.

Appreciate the video. You caught me at the right time, been thinking of upgrading my 2018 Intel Macbook Air to something more “futureproof.” Definitely more to think about after watching this. Subscribed! Good stuff.

To be honest it doesn't really get that confusing, the upgrade options are pretty basic.. the only questions is if you know what you need and if it is worth it to you.

Very helpful video. I am one of those future proofing guys but your logic of buying what you need, use for 4 or 5 years, resell the unit and repeat is the winner. Genuinely helped me out. Thank you…

I was about to get the M2 Air 16GB and 512gb ssd, but I got a deal and bought the 14" M1 Pro for the same price. Don't regret it a second. I doubt I can see the difference between the 6 cores of the M2 and the 8 of the M1 Pro but I can for sure tell the difference between the standard display and the Mini LED near 4K 120Hz of the Pro. Plus even the 14" is tiny compared to my previous laptop, so no issues in portability. I think that 16GB ram is a must for a computer for me (I actually think that it is low for a windows pc, but apple optimises ram better) and 512GB is borderline for the SSD. Ideally I would opt for a TB but I definitely didn't feel like paying the extra and waiting a couple of months to get a custom ordered device. Plus considering the 6 and 8 cores, one has to keep in mind that for heavy tasks the M2 has actually only 4 performance cores while the M1 Pro has 6 performance cores, that was a big selling point for me.

As someone that's been in the IT industry for 20 years, I don't have a huge problem with some moderate "future proofing" since I do tend to use my Macs longer than PCs. Apple's pricing is steep because they tend to use higher qualify parts vs most others - in addition to paying the Apple Tax - so it all adds up. CPU/GPU upgrades are normally my first choice in an upgrade simply because I know I will use it. I want to make sure I have at least 1TB, likely 2TB of storage, then I see how much memory I can reasonably afford. Keep in mind that I'm likely buying for both personal and business use - not just ranting on social media. What I consider a reasonable upgrade is very different than the average Mac user. For students, the base laptops are normally enough - perhaps bump the storage up a tier (up to 1TB). If you have the money, go for at least 16GB of RAM. They will likely value battery life over performance. A Mac laptop should last all 4 years of college and likely the first year after. Once you have a real job, you can consider replacing your laptop at that point.

We’ve got a 2008 MacBook Pro (with SSD upgrade) that still runs just fine for web, email, Word, Excel and even a bit of photo and video editing for the kids school projects. I’ve just to swap out the battery every few years (easy, Apple allowed back then to have an under plate with clips to change your battery tool free in a minute). My every day Mac is a 2014 MacBook Pro 16GB RAM Quad Core i7 Retina. The main motivation to upgrade from here will be because Lightroom is sluggish. Both these MacBook Pros were beasts in their day, high spec because I was “future proofing” and together with Mac reliability we’ve gotten more than 14 yrs use from two Macs. Retina display on the 2014 is still good and it’s powerful enough to do creative stuff with.

Just buy a step above what you need or what you currently use, and you should be fine. 16GB/512GB was close to the limit for my 2020 laptop so I went up a step with 32GB/1TB for my new M1 Pro. I think it's fine to configure your new laptop one step up but anything more than that is unnecessary money spent on 'future-proofing'.

It's not future proofing if you're buying upgrades for use right now. That's why I always believe in upgrading storage space first; you'll notice it no matter what. Plus, you have a good feel for how much you'll need because you probably have a machine right now so you know how much space you're using. With RAM, you know if you need it. If you're on the fence, you probably don't actually need it.

I bought an m1 mac mini for school and personal use. I went with the 16gb even though I am the user you described in the beginning of the video. I went with the 256gb ssd only as well as I use icloud the most so I can access files and documents on my ipad pro, or iphone. I think if you have the money to spare sometimes it is worth it cuz you can get a slightly better return on resell with more ram. Before my mac I had a samsung laptop with 8gb of ram, and would constantly max out my ram with only using teams, multiple excel and word docs, and multiple browser windows. I know the m1 macs are more efficient, but figured better to have and not need then regret not ordering it. I paid less than $800 for the mac too with student discount, and plan on keeping this for a very long time. I will upgrade my ipad before my computer I bet lol as that is my true on the go device.

IMO, the vast majority of users shouldn't upgrade the processor. But almost everyone should upgrade the storage to at least 500GB. Likewise everyone should upgrade to 16GB of RAM. The RAM upgrade is for two reasons. If you're going to upgrade often, you don't care why you just feel like you're missing out with the base model. For those who won't upgrade, more RAM means it won't page as often, helping the SSD physically last longer. So unless you really want to put your laptop in an envelope, the base model 14" Pro seems like the best bet for almost everyone.

The best tech channel by far on RU-vid, thanks a lot for the information man. Still rocking my M1 MacBook Air and doing intense photo/slight video work on it. The laptop hasn't complained so why change it.

32 gigs of ram to prevent memory swapping , 2 tb to make sure it lasts atleast 5 yeayrs considering TBW of SSD, 16 inch so that need for an external monitor can be avoided while travelling.

I am a software engineer and some of the programs I use require a lot of RAM. A good example is Docker Desktop, which won't even start if you have 16 GB of RAM and have 16+ tabs open in Chrome. You have to exit Chrome and other programs to be able to start Docker Desktop, then re-open the other programs, which will end up using swap memory allocation. Because of this and other similar scenarios, I did get my MacBook Pro 16" with 64GB of RAM. So yeah, it depends on what you're going to be using your Mac for and the specific requirements of the programs you'll run. Now, my MBP 16" is late 2019 so it has the i9 processor, but it runs fantastically great, so I'm not upgrading to the new M2 model, no need for that. Nice video, it should help some people save money, keep up the good work!

I bought the highest end MacBook air m2 besides the 2tb ssd (just got the 1tb SSD) the reasoning behind it is, it fits my work load, I need space, I work in game dev and I need a portable device for when I travel. If I had got a MacBook pro, I wouldn't be able to travel as light. I don't need the extra ports and high refresh rate screen. Those were the biggest temptations but I came to realize the portability was more important.

I bought a M1 MacBook Air when they first came out. I bought the 16GB of ram and 1TB storage, 8 core GPU model. I love it! It is still a BEAST in 2023. Runs whatever you throw at it.

Future proofing, that is, buying versatility that can accommodate future contingencies, largely consists in this: the ability to upgrade and service your device. Unfortunately, Apple and other manufacturers have made it a policy of denying those options. My 2012 i7 Mac Mini and 2011 Dell Latitude (both dual boot) have been upgraded or repaired through the years with SSD's, extra RAM AND modern Linux OS'es with updates for years to come.Both continue to be responsive and capable devices for my use cases. When another of my duct taped laptops finally gave up the ghost I removed its CPU, RAM and drives to upgrade my family's devices. Meanwhile the future proofed Apple is headed to the landfill.

I like how you deliver your perspective and insights. Informative watch!

This video has totally changed the way I’m looking at my next Mac purchase

I have thought about upgrading but struggle to find a good reason to so far. I am writing this on a 2016 MacBook Pro I bought for college. Now, I have graduated college for a couple years but still using the same MacBook pretty regularly. Surprisingly the battery still works well enough and the screen is still in great quality. I have never needed any repairs for the device either. I think purchasing a more expensive model with more RAM and storage than I needed at the time was the right call as I am really glad I have those upgrades now. It saddens me that the Touch Bar is gone and I would be losing that feature if I do upgrade but it would be nice to have more performance, longer battery, and a better keyboard since some of my keys occasionally get stuck after years of typing. It is also concerning that my Operating System is quickly becoming more and more out of date and I am beginning to feel less comfortable managing business and financial accounts on a system that is no longer receiving frequent software updates. I am pretty impressed though that nearly a decade later this laptop still feels pretty snappy and can handle my daily tasks with ease. Easily the best laptop I have ever owned despite its high initial cost.

I am the person who purchased a future proof Intel MacBook Pro in 2020. My refurbished M1 is in the mail. Thanks for the video.

2011 iMac here... Still works perfectly well with the SSD upgrade which was done 5 years back. Great computer...

This video was awesome, gave some great perspectives, thank you!

Very thorough! Good content.

I opted against updating my Intel MBP from 8gb to 16gb in 2018. Now I have issues with both the battery and lack of memory. If my machine had 16gb, replacing the battery for a couple of hundred dollars would be a no-brainer. It would probably last me another two or three years. Now, I'm getting a new MBP instead. And I'll future-proof it by updating the memory.

Even though you primarily cover Apple stuff, RU-vid recommended me this video (I'm a desktop Linux user!) and I'm going to say this: your opinions also apply to ARM-based PCs! Dare I say, your opinions also apply to x86-based PCs that have limited upgradability! I was considering getting an older ThinkPad Yoga, but I forgot that my workflow had changed in 2021 to be more cloud-focused, so the stuff I only really run on my ThinkPad X250 these days are Web browsers, Web-based productivity apps, and remote access apps. The cloud-focused thing is really just mostly my own homemade cloud with my NAS and my desktop PC, since I can't use regular online storage services as I currently don't have the time to clean them of years of data. Edit: I think RU-vid recommended me this video because I watch PC-focused tech channels that sometimes cover Apple stuff, like Linus Tech Tips.

I really love your analysis. You have really made some good points

You make a lot of sense. Thanks for that.

Very earnest video; appreciate you! been struggling to decided between the 8gb m3 vs 16gb m3 and was leveraging the concept of future proofing as a means to justify the "higher spec" model. Ultimately, its only going to be used for remedial tasks and I'm now thinking even the baseline model will be more than sufficient! Thanks for creating this video

The trouble is most people don’t know how to tailor the specs to their usage requirements, then there’s the temptation to get bigger and better. Throw in some fear of missing out and bragging rights and there you have it.

Well when I bought a mid to high-spec mac in 2000, 2007, 2011, they all have lasted more than 10 years--and my 2016 and 2019 purchases going strong. When I bought a low spec mac in 2015, it was already too slow three years later.

You're right. I didn't know which mac to buy. Ended up buying the base model M1 air two months ago. And man, it flies, it as all I need. And it's cheap!

I've been in doubt about which Mac buy, but at the end of the day I bought the basic M1 Air model: right now, I don't need extra RAM or extra space (until now I've just used an iPad 9 with a keyboard with zero problems and a lot of satisifaction) and if I'll ever need them it means I've a job that will allow me to afford a new MacBook Pro.

I use a MacBook Pro M1 Pro 14 with 16GB ram and 512GB SSD for data development. Since I always use an external SSD plus Git repos the configuration works fine! The is no real need to spend more money. Next time I‘ll choose the 1TB SSD version. Ram was really never an issue. The base CPU is perfect for me.

Great video as always. I really wish Apple would acknowledge their products have two sides with different lifespans - the inside & the outside. I thought Apple Silicon would allow them to drop the 'motherboards' (insides) into a stick which could then be replaced maybe 2-3 times over the enclosure (outside) lifespan. Not as green as we thought, shame.

I am upgrading from a 2012 5,1 cheese grater tower. Bought a M1 base mini. Just to test the pro audio app performance. But stalled up till now. It’s a computer I use a lot and it’s performs amazing. Was going to upgrade to a Mac Studio. Now I’ll just get more large capacity thunderbolt drive and save myself $1900 from upgrading a base max studio. Down the road I’ll have solid choices.

I'm using a MacBook Pro A1278 and i'm fine with it. I upgraded it's RAM from 4 to 10 GB and changed it's HDD to an SSD in order to make it faster and it worked. I'm waiting for a MacBook Air with OLED screen.

I had an 2013 macbook. I got a m1 16 inch cause i use my laptop all day every day. Its not like i NEED the power. But its a massive quality of life improvement. The screen brightness is amazing and the snappiness saves me time every day

Excellent video! I bought a base 13" Macbook air M1 last year, was afraid the base config would not be enough for me (a casual user) but it turned out fine. I saw the little spinning wheel only 3 times in a year due to loads of Google pages loaded but that's it. So this year I am getting a base 15" Macbook air M2 and I'm no longer worried of the specs. I came from a Windows gaming PC with crazy RAM and HD. But I no longer need these specs for casual browsing and app gaming. I have been "future proofing" my laptops all my life. But I still never kept a PC for more than 3 years. So the video is true.

You pretty much got rid of all of my anxiety with my 8gb model macbook. Thank you

I really like your video, it's always so practical and make me realize where I should spend my money on

This is the most sensable video i seen in a wile. Thanks for the great info.

I'll agree, Really depends on each user & their actualy daily computer usage. Look at it this way. Buying a brand new 2023 base macbook is like buying a 3-5 year old High End spec out Mac just a few years ago. Example: today's pricey top tier MacBook Pro 2023, well in 3-5 years time anyone that buys a 2026 base model will be equal in performance or better. Again, it's not just the year of the machine itself but the parts that define that year. Most folks that dished out a lot of cash ti have Mac Pro are kicking themselves because today's macbook pros can compete and in many areas surpass performance.

That extreme example happened to me 😅. Bought a fully speced MacBook in mid 2020 & Apple launched silicon chips after few months.I was gutted. I just sold that intel MacBook and looking to upgrade to M2 Pro chip now 😁

16bg & 512gb should be the starting base now. My 2012’s still work pretty fine (16gb & 1tb hd) . I just use them to download music. I really wish we can get back to upgrading them ourselves

My MacBook Pro is currently 11yrs but I’m finally making jump to upgrade!

and sometimes you're someone who loves tech, especially new tech and you're getting to the age where you know you're not going to outlast your money and you just buy what you want and not what you need. The truth is most people don't need more than a M2 Air, and even more so if it came in a 15"-17" screen size

This channel needs more subs with the amount of effort they have put in their videos keep up the content😊. I am planning to buy a new MacBook this year so do you mind giving me some tips.That would be really helpful. Thanks

I work for a cyber sec company, and we always buy the latest MacBook Pro with 32gb RAM and a 2TB SSD for our technical employees. Advanced workloads grow and it also ensures resale value in the long term.

This is why I still use my base model M1 Macbook Air. It's hard to justify the price jump of the 14" Pro when the base M1 is still really fast for 90% of my tasks at the $800 price point vs double or more price for the 14" Pro.

I personally like/ prefer a notebook with a 512GB storage capacity, and 16GB RAM. Purchasing a 2TB SSD makes the best sense to me. I only like having software applications and word documents on my notebook's physical storage. Media files all get stored on the external drive.

I've gotten years more life out of my i7 16 GB iMac that I ever would have gotten out of the 8 GB i5 version. Problem is they treat all the models the same in terms of support/updates etc.

I’m watching this as I contemplate what to get to replace my 2011 MacBook Pro. With its dedicated graphics fried (for the 3rd time) - it’s now exhibiting other problems that had me hitting the panic button. I decided to go with a base M2 MacMini with 16GB Ram, since that’s how much RAM my old MacBook had. I do have a 2014 MacMini and it’s had more problems than the 2011 MacBook since I got it- not having a SSD drive standard was the biggest (I added my own internal nVME storage not long after though - but the usb is going whack now). That computer is now the kids’. So this incoming MacMini is really a temporary replacement for my soon-to-be-totally-dead MacBook of 12 years… and a replacement for the kids’ old Intel MacMini when I get an M3 or M4 MacBook Pro in a year or so. Never thought I’d be able to hit two birds with one stone on this purchase. Great video. Didn’t know about chip binning.

To make it easy for anyone looking to buy a new MacBook, probably having issues picking one of those (14' MBP m2 or MB air m2. Points to consider: 1. What do you need it for. 2. Is size and weight a big matter to you 3. do you have other laptops for gaming / heavy tasks 4. where you will mostly position your laptop desk, bed etc ... Since both machines will cost nearly the same at the same specs , the main problem will be size and weight , heat/noise. If you are a light user who watches movies read docs and pdfs and play some Apple arcade games etc. I believe this is the best machine in the right size and weight, where you can carry it around and put it anywhere easily. If you are more concerned about heavier tasks and it will be your main machine , and size and weight is not a problem to you then MBP m2 would be a better option. Also consider picking more RAMs than going for the base model. Thanks

I have been listening for maybe 5-10 years now to buy computers with atleast 16gb ram for future proofing, I have been using 8gigs for all these years, never had any problems for the work I do

Of course, if apple allowed RAM, GPU and SSD upgrading instead of soldering everything nowadays,and frequently changing the os so it wont run on older machines (as well as changing chip manufacturers which render the older computers obsolete) , future proofing would not be an issue.

Base MBA M1 renewed is $709 on Amazon and a Base M1 iPad Air is $450 on Amazon. Got them both for under $1300 including Tax & AppleCare+. Save your money if you need to upgrade anything save up for the next trim of the product you want.

512GB Hard Drive, 16GB Ram is the most popular entry option for Apple Buyers. If you are in USA, you can get a 16GB Ram, 512GB Hard Drive MacBook Pro for $1499. Which is $1799-$300 discount. Which is even cheaper than the 8GB Ram, 512GB Hard Drive version you bought from the Best Buy.

Nice tips! I need a new MacBook air for my travel setup. I use regularly lightroom for my photography. Which is the best price/quality ratio you suggest me? Thanks a lot 😊

I could really go into one negating everything this guys says. He forgets that PC’s are peaking in performance and most people will not need anything better until touch-less or thought control comes along. I had my last MacBook Pro for 10 years. So please, go ahead, future proof your purchase. I’m very happy I did.

Nicely laid out! Unlike other RU-vidrs who just compare benchmarks on apps that would matter to a few, this is a better advise that people should watch to help in their practical decisions. Can we buy grocery in a Ferrari, sure. But is it really necessary 😊

Oooof sore spot as someone who bought a fully maxed out intel 16” MacBook Pro in 2020 I’m feeling it. Saving up to replace it this year

I used a 2012 i7 Mac Mini with (upgraded at some point) 32GB ram and an SSD until the M1 Mac mini appeared. Then a year or so ago I bought a mini with 16GB ram and 1TB drive. I hope to use it for at least another 6 years! 🤔

i've been using a 2013 base model MBP up until a few days ago. only reason i upgraded to a current model is a few software packages that aren't supported any more. performance wise it's completely fine, and i'll keep using it as a 'throw in the backpack' computer

great information

I'm still using a 2012 macbook pro and not until recently has it started to show its age. But one feature that really made me think about a new Macbook was upgrading Lightroom and Photo shop. With the new M1 and M2 I was unable to upgrade and use the new feature from Adobe.

I really appreciate your video and your points but were currently struggling with MacBook Air models that could be perfectly capable computers if they didn’t had 4GB of ram. In my job (office work) I mostly only need 8GB of ram but sometimes I really need 16GB, and my use could be defined as lightweight.

Nice point of view!!! BUT ,IN YOUR OPINION, wich set up would you choose If you are going to edit photos with programs like Capture One and want to keep your computer at list 10 years ahead? Take care!

Wife's 2009 iMac will not only not allow an OS upgrade, but Chrome won't update either, so even Google Maps won't run properly anymore. Sure, that's 14 years old and it's been internally upgraded with SSD and extra RAM, but the core system is now abandoned. Only good for a linux machine now to keep up. My 2013 MacBook Air can only upgrade to Big Sur and still feels like a lovely machine. It hasn't worn out or broken down, but is still "not good enough" for daily tasks anymore. So yes, our next machines will be monsters to hopefully get another 10 years out of them. It's cheaper than 3 base models purchased 2 or 3 times in that same decade.

Why should anyone buy a macbook only for basic tasks in the first place? I mean, things like browsing the internet, emails, videocalls, and even editing word documents can be done by a good Windows laptop of 600-700€ (or even less). Why should anyone pay 1200+€ on a laptop just for basic casual use? Disclaimer: the comment isn't aggressive, rather it's general. Because I always hear things like "the basic macbook air (8GB ram, 256gb ssd) is enough and it's doing the job for people who want to do the basic tasks" and I get so confused about why people are eager to spend that much money for no reason. And even if the macOS was the reason, I can't find any good argument on how windows could be less effective on emailing/browsing etc, so that the macOS would be the preferable operating system.

I max out upgrade my Mac desktop because that is where the heaviest work are done. In my Mac usage history, so far, I upgrade/change my Mac desktop ever 9-10 years. So, by maxing out my hardware, usually it will last me for 10 years. This is my my second desktop and the third one is not far on the horizon.

I’ve wasted so much money because I didn’t upgrade to enough ram and ssd space and then later got frustrated and got a slightly better version, and then later realizing that wasn’t enough either. So I’d hard recommend bumping up the ram and ssd as much as you can afford.

Fantastic explanation. I've just bought (today) the new 16" M3 Pro MacBook Pro and was already thinking of "future proofing" by upgrading (for an extra £1, 000!) to the M3 Max. I'm a casual user who just uses for web browsing, email and journaling so think I'll stick. I don't understand the CPU/GPU stuff but as for storage, 512GB should be enough (I usually get 1TB but have never got beyond 300GB). If needed I could buy an SSD. Anyway, thanks for this.

I feel the same away about this idea of "future proofing". Especially when talking about Apple products as they have an extremely high upgrade cost. I'm also a tech nerd who loves new tech toys so even if I could push my laptop 5+ years I'm probably looking to upgrade to the latest tech by then anyway. The entry level MacBook Air is all and more than the avg user even uses on a daily basis. Paying for future proofing is a complete waste of money. For what it would cost me to upgrade the SSD and memory I'm already looking at over half the cost of a new laptop in 5 years time so I just rock the entry level for until I want to upgrade and use the money I saved by not upgrading and apply that to my next toy.

My grandpa uses an iPad 4th Gen for basic stuff like web browsing, emails and looking at the news.

I got a 2019 pro (13) found out these 2019 models are the last types that will receive updates in the future so pretty happy with that, but this 8gb ain't cutting it.

Excellent video, mate! I opted for 16GB RAM + 8-core for my M2 Air, but stuck with the 256GB SSD. I don't edit videos/photos or do any intensive work requiring heavy GPU use, so the slower SSD isn't a problem for me. I have several external portable SSD drives should I ever need a lot more storage.

You can upgrade an old Macbook Pro like my 2012 model. I have 16 GB Ram and a 1 TB SSD. My 2009 Macbook Pro has a 2TB SSD (have thought of switching it to the 2012) and 16 GB of Ram. I would like a new Macbook Pro but I will wait until someone gives me one for free. I do believe in a large SSD because when you travel you can bring a lot on your hard drive and not have to worry about crappy Wi-Fi connections. The new Macbook pros with a 2 TB SSD cost way more than $3K, or more than $4k.

Brilliant video. I really love your channel.

My two bobs worth…., I purchased a MacBook Pro early 2014, with 500 gb. Im a low level user, and figured that would be ample storage. 8 years later, the computer is full, thanks to photos, music and documents. So I’ve been through all my albums, deleted heaps of pics, but still have very little disk space to update to the latest operating system. I should have bought a 1 tb, but cannot remember if it was even an option. Now I find I can upgrade my storage, so I’ve ordered 2 tb to install. Hopefully that will get me another 5 years. Cheers.

had my i7 8gb 256gb macbook pro 15” from 2012 and it stood the test of time. looking to upgrade to the 14” macbook pro m1 and use this one for another 10+ years. worth the wait

I ‘future proofed’ my current 2017 MBP “13 by getting 16GB RAM. The machine is still lightning fast for my use case (50 chrome tabs, knowledge work in Google Workspace etc). I’m glad I upgraded my RAM. Otherwise I would have wanted to upgrade a few years ago already. Bottleneck now is the battery that only lasts 2-5 hours.

I was able to get the m1 mac pro with 10/16 cores and 1TB ssd for 1999.00 and hav no regrets at all. This is the same price as the base m1 pro model.

in most cases for these who watcing 256gb is ok, RAM is recommended to keep your mac releable over the next few years

I needed a MacBook for school in 2015, got the pro and it still works fine. Basic tasks work great even 8 years later.. I got the base model with a bit more ram

Great points raised in your video. Future proofing is not always good :(

One thing you get with higher specs is peace of mind. I don’t need 16 GB ram, but knowing I have that reserve ability is always present. 200 extra on already expensive computer gives you the sense of security all the time, whereas always watching how much storage you have left or if you’ve maxed the RAM… not favorable.

Good advice. Generally 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD is a good base for a MacBook. I splurged and went with 64GB RAM on an M3 MacBook. Granted I run several Linux VM'ssimultaneously

❤ You read my mind. I’m NOT a power user, yet I got 2021 M1 MBP 16” 16GB/1TB. MOSTLY for the awesome screen. But it’s clunky/heavy/bulky. Honestly .. a 15” MBA (hoping they make one!) would do me just fine. Thx!

I just got my brand new MacBook Pro 16" with an M1 Max, 32GB of Unified Memory. Yes, the latest and greatest came out a month ago but financially is a better choice when considering how much money I am saving. This laptop is an investment for the type of work I do and part of investing is also being wise on doing so. This laptop I'm sure it will give me a lot of time to work without issues. Loved the video.