Sidenote of the Week: All MacBook Air Models Now Start With 16 GB RAM

Apple has announced that the MacBook Air lineup now starts with 16GB of RAM, up from 8GB previously, with no price increase. This change applies to the 13-inch model with the M2 chip and the 13-inch and 15-inch models with the M3 chip. The base RAM increase is a significant improvement, especially considering Apple's MacBook lineup was overdue for a bump in base RAM. The last time base Mac RAM increased was in 2017, and even with the transition to Apple Silicon, Macs were still due for an upgrade. The change is particularly notable for the entry-level $999 M2 MacBook Air, which now starts with 16GB of RAM. Apple Intelligence, which requires at least 8GB of RAM, is one factor that likely contributed to the upgrade. However, the way memory is managed on MacOS means that 8GB of RAM on a Mac is less than 8GB of RAM on an iPhone or iPad. The increase in base RAM is a welcome change, especially considering the differences in how memory is managed on MacOS compared to iOS. The upgrade brings the MacBook Air lineup more in line with modern computing needs. Overall, the increase in base RAM is a significant improvement for the MacBook Air lineup.