Apple exec defends 8GB $1,599 MacBook Pro, claims it’s like 16GB on a PC

Eight gigabytes has been the standard RAM load out on new MacBook Pros for the better part of a decade, and in 2023, Apple execs still believe it's enough for customers.

With the launch of Apple's M3 MacBook Pros last month, a base 14-inch $1,599 model with an M3 chip still only gets you 8GB of unified DRAM that's shared between the CPU, GPU, and neural network accelerator.

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In a show of Apple's typical modesty this week, the tech giant's veep of worldwide product marketing Bob Borchers has argued, in an interview with machine-learning engineer Lin YilYi, that the Arm-compatible, Apple-designed M-series silicon and software stack is so memory efficient that 8GB on a Mac may equal 16GB on a PC - so we therefore ought to be happy with it.

Eight gigabyte of RAM in and of itself isn't an issue, on a budget machine. Apple is selling incredibly expensive machines labelled as pro" with a mere 8 GB, and charges 200 for another 8, which is highway robbery, plain and simple. I wonder how many people at Apple - at any level - use Macs with 8 GB of RAM.

I have a feeling that number is quite low.