This is true and has always been the case, Sadly UI like Liquid Glass uses more horsepower than a more simple UI would. I remember back with my PowerBook G4 having to use an app to switch off Drop Shadows and (I think) Gradients because the later OS X versions stretched the hardware more. it’s life when you upgrade your software
This is very true. Very few things stretch a computer to the absolute max on a regular basis, and even if they do, it depends what you’re doing as to where the Bottleneck kicks in. Writing to drives, Using the Processor but if you’re only ever using your processor at up to 50%, the speed increase even for 10-15% isn’t significant.
If you’re doing video encodes and it takes 10 minutes to export, then a 10% increase will bring a minute off.
This is like 1/2 of the posts on that other mac forum, if you believe the rumors. Seriously though, the only answer is the same every time: buy a new one when you have to or when you want to. Sometimes I think folks just want a new shiny but need to hear some confirmation. My 16" M1 MBP does everything I need and does it very well. When it stops doing that, I’ll get a new one, but I imagine that won’t be for a while. My last Mac is a 2011 (which my daughter is still using almost daily).
On the top end of what I use it for, and right now coincidentally, I am Handbraking hundreds of MOD files from an old digital videocamera. It is absolutely plowing through them while matching the original quality (admittedly not high but hey it was the late '00s.) I’m typing while the cores are going full bore, and I can barely hear the fans, if at all. This will likely be the most CPU intensive work I’ll do for a while. I haven’t had to encode too much 4k, and the ones I do are few and far between. Encoding those take ~2x as long as the original video at H.265(x265) CPU only, no videotoolbox - that takes about 75% of the play time (we’re talking civilian level stuff here - no Hollywood productions). Either way though is plenty acceptable. Of course, a 16" base M5 Pro would crush that video in maybe 25-30% of the time, which is awesome for YouTube “influencers,” but I’m not influencing anybody outside of my house… and I’m not even sure about them.
I think the issue at hand is more about increased inflation of ram and ssd. Will the same machine you buy today be very significantly more expensive in 2 years? Apple are already responding by changing what ram is available. Is the NEO 8gb because of ram price increases? Apple are known to inflate ram and ssd prices. If this doubles in 2 years then buying now may simply be pragmatic.
There’s also the issue of increasingly baked in AI. If 2 years down the road the next OS is AI and you can’t turn it off or Apple simply use it in their OS then ram and ssd prices are really going to matter.
No, it is Apple’s SoC: A18 Pro. It comes with 8 GB RAM. By design. When eventually the next NEO will come out, it may feature the A19 Pro, which means that the next model may have 12 GB of RAM.
Yes, I have come to that conclusion. This year I did something that I have never done in regards to hardware upgrades. I asked Claude AI to give me the terminal commands necessary to evaluate my present computer usage regarding cpu, gpu cores, memory, and SSD. I fed Claude the list of my applications. It evaluated each program’s chip and memory requirements, along with how the program utilizes SSD, memory, and cpu. Upon my request Claude gave me the terminal command in order to evaluate and record in real time usage. It then evaluated that txt file.
At that point, I gave Claude my thoughts about the next 5 years usage on my end. It then gave me recommendations for my M5 upgrade and why. Seeing actual usage plus how each program utilizes the hardware was insightful, helping me settle on my upgrade. Suppose to arrive by the 18th. Oh, since it has been asked in other threads, I am on the Pro plan.
Seriously though, the only answer is the same every time: buy a new one when you have to or when you want to. Sometimes I think folks just want a new shiny but need to hear some confirmation. My 16" M1 MBP does everything I need and does it very well. When it stops doing that, I’ll get a new one, but I imagine that won’t be for a while. My last Mac is a 2011 (which my daughter is still using almost daily).