[nikhizzle]

Ex-Apple kernel engineer here, Apple will deal with the memory shortage by making software more efficient in ram usage. Apple will just make every aspect of the system more and more memory efficient. They've done it before over and over and can do it again.

[HerbManic]

This is a great long term strategy despite what the share holders would want to believe. If you increase efficiency even on lower end devices, you will get people coming back for more. It isn't the sale today, it is the sale tomorrow that matters.

[upmostly]

I read this as satire.

[NitpickLawyer]

I've been running an M1 Air w/ 8GB for a few years, and it's still working fine.

[tomalbrc]

Me too but the latest macOS version has ruined it for me, I had to switch back to a previous version.

[manmal]

But how are Neo users dealing with this? It’s a new machine, surely it works with 8GB?

[hirvi74]

My Neo runs like a sowing machine with 8GBs. So well that I honestly cannot think of any instances where I have felt the system slowdown. I use the device appropriately though -- I'm not trying to run SOTA LLMs locally or anything. For web browsing, light programming, and an iPad replacement, the Neo has exceeded my expectations. Compared to my M4 Mini, I honestly cannot tell a difference.

[mamonoleechi]

can you still go online with it? do you have access to security updates?

[andsoitis]

Apple provides security updates for the current and two prior versions of macOS. Occasionally, critical updates for older versions.

[lifestyleguru]

Better performance will be achieved by adding more whitespaces and increasing the radius of rounded corners.

[jorisw]

Because

[szmarczak]

Apple? Sure. What about other developers? Firefox, Chrome already use gigabytes of RAM.

[astrange]

It's the websites that use that RAM, not the browsers.

(Often the ads on the websites.)

[stingraycharles]

And it’s the applications using web browsers as their UI kit that are the worst offenders in my experience.

[nickjj]

Browsers still have a lot of memory usage on their own.

I am running Arch Linux here. When I boot my machine into a full desktop environment it uses 1.1 GB of memory total, for everything.

If I open Firefox, it in itself uses about 1.3 GB to have Firefox open with just HackerNews in 1 tab. I have no extensions except uBlock Origin.

[astrange]

Read about:memory then.

[szmarczak]

No, it's the browsers. Check how much memory they commit and how much is actually resident. Firefox often commits 2x more memory than it is actually using.

[clumsysmurf]

I disagree, there is low-hanging fruit Firefox is leaving on the table. The main thing that comes to mind is tab unloading. They don't unload tabs automatically like chrome can.

I was pleasantly surprised at the tab unloading settings under "memory saver" in ungoogled-chromium.

[Jap2-0]

Firefox has been unloading tabs for several months or so (at least on nightly).

[Dunedan]

Firefox unloads tabs under memory pressure since more than 4 years: https://hacks.mozilla.org/2021/10/tab-unloading-in-firefox-9...

[clumsysmurf]

It is a naive and suboptimal implementation, they even describe it in the link you posted

"We have now approached the problem again by refining our low-memory detection and tab selection algorithm and narrowing the action to the case where we are sure we’re providing a user benefit: if the browser is about to crash."

I would prefer FF to be more proactive in unloading tabs way before "its about to crash" to keep system level memory pressure lower. Firefox is the main memory hog on my M1 mac.

Chrome can do this, there is no reason we should be stuck with "manual tab unload" and "unload when the browser is about to crash".

I am using an extension, but that just reinforces the argument: they could be doing much more here.

[intelkishan]

Which extension are you using in Firefox for memory unloading?

[drooopy]

I believe that Firefox does it but not as frequently as Chrome does, but don't quote me on it. However, I am using a "tab suspender" addon on firefox to control how fast the unloading happens on tabs that are not active.

[clumsysmurf]

Indeed, I am using something similar "auto tab discard".

[bombcar]

Suddenly Safari can surge ahead again!

[replygirl]

welcome to the rust community

[tardedmeme]

Fortunately, Apple devices only run approved software. Google will be forced to optimize memory or become unavailable on those devices.

[jorisw]

Signed software. Not approved software. Mac apps can be installed after being downloaded from the web.

And as if Apple would ever block/pull/disapprove the world’s most popular browser.

[silon42]

Aren't they actually blocking alternative browser engines on IOS still?

[exac]

Yes

[littlecranky67]

not in the EU

[cybercatgurrl]

i wonder if this is the real reason behind the push for the snow leopard like release this year

[kotaKat]

Apple also has all that fast flash to swap to. I never notice when I'm swapping. Even a Neo has fast enough flash to handle a little swap, as a treat.

[Danox]

You can thank Apple for buying Anobit many years ago…

[egorfine]

With no memory balooning device in sight for macOS virtual machines I don't really see Apple moving in that direction.

[7e]

They won’t be able to do that for AI models, because they suck at AI.