Apple finally got around to making 16GB of memory the base option for the iMac and how to do the same for MacBooks
One of Apple’s most frequently repeated criticisms of Mac devices is that the 8GB base memory is far too low, especially in this day and age when 16GB is widely considered the standard in many laptops.
It’s understandable, but still disappointing, why Apple continued this policy cycle after cycle. The M-series chips are incredibly efficient and require much less memory to run than Windows laptops. However, this strategy is finally catching up with the tech giant, as program sizes are now not only much larger than they were five years ago, but are also beginning to hinder Apple’s own technical progress.
But the recent announcement about the M4 iMac gives me hope for the future of the Mac line, as it was revealed that the base model will come with 16GB of memory. After this, it would be incredible if the rest of the Mac line, especially the MacBooks, expanded.
The MacBook Pro is the obvious choice for an upgrade to 16 GB, but the MacBook Air could also use one
The MacBook Pro would be the perfect candidate for such an upgrade. Unlike the MacBook Air, it is intended for creative work that requires much more memory due to the CPU-intensive programs required and the larger-than-normal app footprint of creative apps like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere, among others.
And while the MacBook Air may be more of a general-purpose laptop, more memory is always a boon, allowing users to run more apps at once without slowing down or receiving the inevitable and annoying message that forces you to close programs to Save RAM.
There’s also a more practical reason why the laptops need this memory boost: Apple Intelligence technology, which requires 8GB of memory to function. iMacs are already making the jump to 16GB to better accommodate it, and it logically follows that the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air should get the same upgrade.
If Apple wants to keep its Mac devices, especially the MacBook lines, competitive with the market and able to keep up with its own technological advances, the tech giant needs to get started on the program.
Don’t let the M4 iMac be the exception, but rather let it be the forerunner of much-needed change with a product line that has been slowly stagnating for years.