“Apple just introduced a new MacBook model,” Jonny Evans writes for Apple Must. “I just wanted to note this line in the PR: ‘Apple also today made 8GB of memory standard across all configurations of the 13-inch MacBook Air.'”
“Right now the only new Mac you’ll get with the old standard 4GB RAM is the Mac mini,” Evans writes.
“I always tell people to invest in extra RAM when they get a new Mac,” Evans writes. “RAM is Viagra for computers.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If at all possible, always MAX out the RAM, is our motto.
SEE ALSO:
Apple updates MacBook with latest processors, longer battery life and new Rose Gold finish – April 19, 2016
*and base 11″ MBA
It’s about time.
Max Memory Is The Only Way To Go.
16Gb to me is the new normal. Preferably 32Gb. And on pro machines 128Gb. RAM is cheap and the benefits tangible.
Amen. It makes a huge difference.
Somone handed me a malfunctioning MacBook Air the other day. It literally had 2GB or RAM and a 60GB hard drive. The hard drive was full.
I just couldn’t believe Apple sold it with such limited resources, but they did. I wasn’t sure whether or not to be impressed that OS X 10.10 ran with only 2GB or pissed off at Apple for duping a customer in such a way.
Once I created some disk space the computer ran ok. Snappy even.
My first Mac was a Mac Iici that came with a 40MB hard drive and 1MB of RAM that I had to save up to increase to 4MB. I feel ripped off now that Apple didn’t give me gigabytes of memory and terabytes of storage.
Thanks for proving the point I made below.
It’s the Hard Drive, stupid. (I’m not calling you stupid)
Why this is an ‘about bloody time’ subject:
Apple made ALL Macs 64-bit back in the fall of 2006. This was a coup over the Windows box niche, where 32-bit PCs were the standard and remained the standard for various reasons for several years onward.
One of the benefits of 64-bit computing is the ability to use more than 4 GB of RAM in a computer. In the case of Windows boxes, 64-bit computing allows PC to use even a full 4 GB of RAM, thanks to the limitations of Windows and PC hardware. 32-bit Windows software can only address ~3.1 GB total.
Therefore, Apple is catching up to its own universal 64-bit platform about ten years later by shipping Macs, but default, with enough RAM to take advantage of their 64-bit hardware, operating system and included software.
Meanwhile, Windows 10 is still available as 32-bit in order to accommodate the vast number of 32-bit hardware and software still running within the Windows PC realm.
I had to modify my 2007 Mac Pro 2,1 machine with a modified boot.efi file so it could run true 64-bit El Capitan or anything past Lion 10.7.5.. Frustrating having a true 64-bit machine (as it even was advertised on the box it came in) hampered by a single boot up file letting the machine go full-on 64-bit and allow OS X versions past Lion. Irritating that Apple doesn’t support this, all it needed was an updated video card to run but Apple would rather sell you a new machine. Plenty of life left in this as it moves into second machine status awaiting what Apple reveals at WWDC in a hopefully more pro-oriented 2016 Mac Pro.
What Apple needs to realize here is if you keep compounding disappointments (however attractive the ecosystem and OS X) pro people will then go where their needs are actually met.
Ten years ago a megabyte of RAM cost a shilling. Today it’s down to a farthing. Was it Apple dragging their feet? I think they were keeping their Macs affordable, waiting for chip design and fabrication to finally catch up.
Well, yeah. 😉
I can also cynically point at the infamous price gouging Apple has applied for years when customers want to upgrade their default RAM via Apple. 😛 I always got my RAM upgrades from OWC.
If Apple is going to go the direction of non-user upgradeable products, they should be fair about standard RAM/ HD prices. Whether or not non-user upgradable models is a good idea is a whole other can of worms I could get into, but I see arguments both ways.
Exactly–this is literally the only aspect I hate about the newer MacBook Pros. The SSDs make for an awesome user experience but the prices have been insane which is compounded by the complete lack of post-purchase options.
But there is no option to upgrade to 16GB?
Am I seeing that correctly? Yikes!
Maybe they can make 32GB the new normal for storage on an iPhone instead of gouging consumers for the 64 GB tier. Oh wait, this is Apple I’m talking about. Nevermind.
Replacing a disk hard drive with an SSD drive produces the best performance enhancement ever. Amazing the difference that makes and probably one of the reasons why my 4 year old rMBP is still kicking ass.
Agreed that 64GB SSD in a MBA is ridiculous unless the only use will be surfing the web and checking email.
“always MAX out the RAM” – MDN
While RAM is important,
the new Viagra for computers is now SSD, not RAM.
+1. Yep, RAM is overblown. Apple knows RAM does not make a difference with regards to performance. That’s why 2GB and 4GB was all you needed. The only time RAM makes a difference is when I have inadvertently too many applications open at once.
It’s the Hard Drive, stupid. But if RAM is what you think you need, it’s your money.
Did you notice Apple offered SSD’s before more RAM. Anybody notice that?
This needed to be done… 4 years ago. Better late than never, I guess.
Everything, all the time.
I bought the Air with 4GB and took it back a few days later to get it replaced with an 8GB version. The Apple Store employee tried to convince me that 4GB was adequate. Maybe they just didn’t want to process a return. I’m glad I got the 8GB model.