\n\nFrom S$849<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\nFrom S$1,799<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\nFrom S$2,899<\/p>\n<\/td>\n
\nFrom S$9,999<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
One thing to note about the prices of Macs is that memory and storage upgrades are going to jack up the overall price of the system really quick. <\/b>Every extra 8GB of memory is going to cost around S$300 while every 512GB of storage is an additional S$300 too. With that in mind, let\u2019s talk about memory and storage considerations.<\/p>\n\u00a0How to choose memory and storage<\/h2>\n\nBetween memory and storage, always get more memory first. You can always increase storage later with external drives.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Rejoice, because Apple has finally decided to outfit all Macs with at least 16GB of memory as standard. This solves the 8GB memory conundrum that most buyers face when buying a new Mac. But even so, it\u2019s important to note that because of how tightly integrated Apple Silicon is, there\u2019s no way to upgrade memory and storage after you order your system<\/b>. In other words, you need to be certain of how much memory and storage you need and want.<\/p>\n
For most people, 16GB is adequate. It\u2019s enough to browse the web, answer emails, stream videos, work on spreadsheets, play some games, and multitask freely. It\u2019s also enough for light creative work like editing photos and short videos. Readers with more intensive workflows such as editing longer high-resolution videos, music production with hundreds of tracks, massive coding projects, or the need to run virtual machines should definitely upgrade their system\u2019s memory to suit their needs.<\/p>\n
As for storage, I think 256GB is a stretch for most people<\/b> unless they supplement it with some form of external storage or cloud storage, and stream all of their content. 512GB should be a more comfortable figure for most users. That said, if you had to choose between memory and storage upgrades, I\u2019d prioritise memory. Remember, memory cannot be upgraded but you still have the option of external drives and cloud storage to augment your storage should you need more in the future.<\/p>\nThe most affordable and cost-effective: Mac mini<\/h2>\n\nThe Mac mini has been given a complete redesign and is extremely small. Photo: Apple<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
The Mac mini is the most affordable and compact way to get into an Apple Silicon Mac. A recent redesign means it\u2019s smaller and more practical than before. It only measures 13cm by 13cm and is about 5cm tall. It’s insane that it’s only a bit bigger than the Apple TV 4K, and yet offers so much computing performance. It finally has USB-C ports on the front so you don\u2019t have to blindly poke around the back to connect devices and peripherals. You can order it with an M4 chip or the more powerful M4 Pro chip. Since monitors, keyboards, and mice can be had for cheap these days, a Mac mini is hands down the most affordable and cost-effective way for anyone to get into Apple Silicon.<\/p>\n
You can find the Mac mini\u00a0on Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.<\/p>\n
The most affordable and best MacBook for most: MacBook Air<\/h2>\n\nThe MacBook Air gets even better with the more powerful and efficient M4 chip. Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
For most readers who demand a portable system, the MacBook Air is the one to get. It\u2019s slim, light, has all-day battery, and more than enough performance\u00a0for most people. The lineup also received a new addition in 2023 in the form of the larger 15-inch MacBook Air. This new larger model is an excellent choice for people who prefer a larger screen. And best of all, despite the larger screen, it still remains very thin and relatively light. The lineup recently received an update in the form of Apple’s newest M4 chips and a price cut, making them more affordable than ever. One final thing to note is that all MacBook Air models have fan-less chassis. The upside to this is that they run silently. The downside, however, is that throttling can be an issue if you are running intensive sustained workloads. If you do a lot of gaming, video editing, or anything that requires sustained CPU and GPU performance, you might want to consider the MacBook Pro instead.<\/p>\n
You can find the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air on Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.<\/p>\n
The cheapest \u201cPro\u201d MacBook: 14-inch MacBook Pro<\/h2>\n\nThe base-model 14-inch MacBook Pro is the first Mac to get the M5 chip.<\/p>\n
Photo: HWZ<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Apple has finally given the entry-level MacBook Pro the upgrade it deserves. Gone is the dated design and controversial Touch Bar, and in its place, we have the same form factor and design as the 14-inch MacBook Pro. This is now the cheapest MacBook you can buy with active cooling, which is a must-have for folks who run intensive sustained workloads and intend to play games. It\u2019s also the cheapest MacBook to feature the gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display. The latest version even gets three USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports and 16GB of memory as standard. This is a great option for anyone who wants something a little better than a MacBook Air but doesn\u2019t need all the performance of the pricier 14 or 16-inch M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pros.<\/p>\n
You can find the 14-inch MacBook Pro on\u00a0Amazon,\u00a0Lazada,\u00a0Shopee, and the\u00a0Apple Online Store.<\/p>\n