Why I Won’t Buy a Mac With 8GB of RAM Again
3 min read
Key Takeaways
- Macs with 8GB of RAM might not be enough if you’re not a casual user.
- You may have trouble running several apps in the background or having a bunch of Safari tabs open simultaneously.
- Using creative apps like Adobe Lightroom and Premiere Pro can be challenging with 8GB of RAM.
A MacBook Pro with 8GB of RAM met my needs when I first bought it, but I would absolutely not consider doing it again. Today, I’ll share the top three factors that contributed to my decision so that you don’t make the same mistake I did.
1 Browsing Was More Difficult
One of my biggest frustrations with my base spec MacBook is how difficult it can be to browse the web sometimes. While I try to keep fewer tabs open, it’s sometimes unavoidable due to the nature of my work as a writer or “journalist.”
Safari has frequently crashed when I have close to 10 tabs open, especially if one of them is playing media. Meanwhile, Chrome has sometimes closed and reset while I’m in the middle of work.
You can try various fixes if Safari keeps crashing on your Mac, but over enough time, regularly dealing with these browsing issues becomes annoying.
2 I Had More Computer Crashes
Besides browser-related issues, I’ve experienced several instances of my computer crashing or freezing. This often happens when I have multiple apps open, and while I don’t regret switching from Spotify to Apple Music, I’ve noticed that Apple Music sometimes crashes when I’m performing other tasks.
Again, I try to keep as few apps open as possible. But sometimes, you just have to use more than one. And when that happens, you want a computer that you can rely on. Nobody enjoys waiting for the rainbow wheel to disappear before you can continue doing your work.
3 Harder to Use Some Creative Apps
My girlfriend often works with spreadsheets for her work and has to use a Windows computer. I jokingly tell her to “just buy a Mac” whenever her apps crash, but the truth is that I’ve had my fair share of issues with apps and tasks that need more energy.
I do a lot of photography and enjoy exploring other creative disciplines like videography, so I spend a lot of time using editing apps. Let me just say that if you have a 1,000-photo catalog in Lightroom on a Mac with 8GB of RAM, you’re in for a rough ride. I have experienced lagging and crashes when my library gets too big, and this quickly becomes frustrating.
As much as I love using my MacBook for writing and other creative projects, I need more than 8GB of RAM for my lines of work. A base-spec Mac may be adequate for your needs, but if you’re anything like me, I strongly suggest spending the extra money on more RAM to handle your tasks. Plus, there’s nothing wrong with future-proofing your machine.
