In recent years, whenever Apple introduced the basic configuration of Mac devices with 8GB of RAM, the Cupertino-based technology giant faced a backlash from consumers arguing that 8GB of memory is not enough for today’s needs.
For example, when Apple equipped last year’s MacBook Pro models with the M3 chip, critics expressed disappointment that the entry-level configuration only offered 8GB of RAM.
“Apple has lost its mind,” said one Reddit user.
When Apple dropped the M3 MacBook Air earlier this year with the same base configuration, it also sparked a heated discussion on social media about whether 8GB of RAM is enough.
The only 8GB RAM Macs.
Credit: Razulation / Shutterstock.com / Canva
Whether Apple is worried about support for Apple Intelligence (the new AI suite requires more memory bandwidth) or was actually listening to critical feedback, it looks like the new batch of M4 MacBook Pro models now starts with 16GB of RAM. The same can be said for the new M4 Mac and M4 Mac mini models that dropped this week, too.
The death of Macs with 8GB of RAM
Apple released new M4 MacBook Pro models on Wednesday, and they all start with a minimum of 16GB of RAM. As mentioned, the iMac and Mac mini just dropped again start with 16GB of RAM.
Mashable Light Speed
Promo image of the M4 MacBook Pro on Apple’s website
Credit: Apple
Even the MacBook Air family now starts at 16GB of RAM, at no additional cost to consumers.
Do you know what that means? The end of an era.
Last year, Apple’s VP of Worldwide Product Marketing Bob Borchers said that “8GB [of RAM] in the M3 MacBook Pro is almost the same as 16GB in other systems” because its machines use memory more efficiently with improved memory compression and integrated memory structure.
This comment did not go down well with consumers.
“There’s no way that having 8GB of RAM is going to give you the same performance as a machine with 16,” Jordan Jackson said in a Reddit post on the subject.
“8 gigs is a complete joke if you’re thinking of doing something more difficult than a couple of Chrome tabs,” said one Redditor.
As noted earlier, we’re not sure if Apple Intelligence or customer listening has anything to do with Apple’s new 16GB RAM standard, but we’re not complaining.