The MacBook Neo comes with 8GB of RAM, and that’s great news for all Mac users, even if they never buy a Neo. It means current and older Apple computers will continue to offer speedy performance when running macOS for years to come.
Here’s why.
MacBook Neo starting with 8GB of RAM is a win for everyone
To make sure everyone understands what we’re talking about, RAM, short for random access memory, is the short-term working memory of a computer. It temporarily holds the apps, files and data your Mac is actively using so the processor can access them quickly.
The more RAM a computer has, the more things it can keep readily available at the same time, which helps with multitasking and running larger apps.
On Macs, you’ll sometimes see this called unified memory. That’s because Apple combined the functions of RAM and VRAM (video memory). Don’t be confused — unified memory is still RAM, it’s just also doing something else to speed up your Mac, so Apple gave it a separate name.
8GB of RAM is enough
When Apple unveiled the MacBook Neo last week, it set off a storm of debate. The entry-level notebook includes 8GB of RAM, and critics claimed that would make the computer sluggish at even basic functions like accessing the web.
The reviews are in, and the naysayers were wrong. As the Cult of Mac review says, “The MacBook Neo utterly shatters the argument that if you want to do real work, you need to get a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro.”
The entry-level macOS notebook is flying off store shelves, and demand is expected to remain strong for the rest of the year.
That’s wonderful for every Mac user, even professionals who will never use a Neo. That’s because the computer sets a lower limit on how much unified memory macOS requires for the next five years … at least.
MacBook Neo pushes back creeping macOS RAM requirements
Apple’s tight integration between hardware and software helps make macOS very efficient in using RAM. Certainly more efficient than Windows. Nevertheless, before the MacBook Neo launched, every Mac came with at least 16GB of RAM. That even includes the $599 Mac mini.
It’s understandable if users of older Macs with 8GB of unified memory took that as a somewhat ominous sign. Was Apple signaling that it thought 16GB would soon be the minimal amount for acceptable Mac performance? Maybe Apple planned to add features to the operating system that require loads more RAM?
Then the MacBook Neo launched with 8GB of RAM, and that changed everything. Apple now must ensure that macOS runs well on computers with less than 16GB of unified memory. Some future OS update can’t turn Apple’s popular entry-level notebook into a brick overnight and create millions of angry customers. And that’s wonderful news for everyone still using another Mac with 8GB of unified memory.
Plus, the benefit extends to all Mac users — even ones with 16GB, 32GB or more unified memory. No one wants their computer’s operating system to become a RAM hog. The requirement that macOS use comfortably less than 8GB of memory means that for years to come, there’ll be plenty of space available for the applications we use every day, whether that’s Final Cut Pro or Chrome.
Tricks of the trade
If all this talk of RAM makes you worried that your Mac will be forced into premature obsolescence by a shortage of memory, then you need to know that macOS works hard to keep that from happening.
First off, your Mac can compress the data being held in RAM. If what an application has in memory can be compressed, the system shrinks it so more information fits into the same space.
If compression isn’t enough, macOS uses swap. It temporarily moves inactive memory data from RAM to the SSD. When the app needs that data again, macOS moves it back into RAM. This effectively allows the system to act like it has more memory than the amount installed.
These tricks are how a Mac with just 8GB of RAM can offer all the performance an average user needs.
Ed Hardy has been writing full-time about tech for 25 years, and using it for much longer than that. His intro to Apple was a Macintosh SE/30 (which he still has), but now he uses a 13-inch iPad Pro as his primary computer.
That’s because he’s a “tablet first” type of guy. Rather than use a Macbook, he connects a keyboard case to the iPad. And instead of a desktop Mac, he connects his tablet to a 27-inch display and full-size keyboard. (So don’t try to tell him that everyone has to use a Mac to be productive.)
Before coming to Cult of Mac, Ed wrote for NotebookReview, TabletPCReview and Brighthand, as well as other sites.
