If I’m critical of some of the things Apple does it’s because I have used their products for decades and like the company. But I’m not a fan of their constant efforts to get me to give them more money for services I don’t need or want. And I’m disappointed with some of their current design choices.
Yes, putting everything on one board and gluing/soldering things in place can make a lighter more reliable laptop. And it makes them less expensive to manufacture, but it also limits the life of the device. SSDs are consumables, like batteries. They have a limited lifespan and unlike a battery, they cannot be replaced in todays Macs.
How long will the SSDs last? No one really knows but it is generally agreed it is something less than 10 years. It depends a lot on the way it is used. As I understand it, they have a finite number of write cycles. So I would think they are likely to last longer for an executive who mainly sends emails and reads reports and less for a video editor who is constantly moving large files.
What can we do about that? Nothing other than accept that today’s Macs cannot be judged by the excellent reputation of their predecessors. They are a different animal and will need to succeed or fail based on their own merit.
And if asked, I will suggest that people do not try to “future proof” their Macs by purchasing more computer than they expect to need in the next 2 to 3 years. Why spend the money for something that isn’t needed and won’t extend the life of the machine? Save your money and buy an M4 when you need something faster.
Time may prove me wrong. If so it won’t be the first time and we will be the better for it.
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