New 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M6

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Apple’s new 14‑inch MacBook Pro with the base M6 chip is drawing mixed reactions, with many praising the hardware, battery life, display options and $1,999 price (now with 1TB storage by default), but questioning limits like a 32GB RAM cap on this model. Commenters debate whether the M6 is a meaningful upgrade over M1–M3 era machines, especially for workloads like local LLMs where memory bandwidth and capacity matter, and whether a high-end Air remains the better value. The release also rekindles long-running frustrations over Apple’s closed hardware/software ecosystem, lack of native Windows or turnkey Linux support, and increasingly complex product lineup and naming.

Display, nano‑texture, and form factor

  • Confusion over “nano‑texture glass vs display vs finish”; consensus that “glass/display” are etched glass, while “finish” (e.g., foldables) is a softer film on top. Some note generational differences in fingerprint resistance.
  • Jokes about the pricey Apple polishing cloth, but several say the nano‑texture upgrade and included cloth are genuinely good.
  • Ongoing wish/rumors for OLED and touch: expectation of touchscreen/OLED MacBook Pros in upcoming events; some hope for Pencil support.
  • Strong split on size: many love 16" for productivity, others prioritize lighter 13"/14" models plus an external display. Some want a 15" Air with high‑end display.

Performance, RAM, and LLMs

  • Base 14" M6 Pro model is capped at 32 GB RAM and 170 GB/s bandwidth; higher RAM remains tied to Pro/Max tiers, which may arrive later.
  • Multiple commenters say 16 GB has been base too long; “pro” users see it as inadequate.
  • For local LLMs, consensus that base M6 (and other base M chips) are bandwidth‑limited and inferior to M‑series Pro/Max and high‑end GPUs. Advice: pick M5 Pro or older M1/M2 Max with 64+ GB for serious local models.
  • Detailed LLM anecdotes: models like Qwen, Gemma, Muse, LFM run well on 64 GB M1/M2 Max; tradeoffs between prefill (compute bound) and token generation (bandwidth bound) discussed.

Pricing, value, and upgrade cycles

  • Base price remains $1,999 but had already risen from earlier generations; some see it as impressive stability, others as hidden hike.
  • Many M1/M2/M3 owners report no compelling reason to upgrade; machines still feel fast with great battery life.
  • Some argue Moore’s law benefits have flattened; a well‑spec’d Air is “all you need” for most.

macOS vs Linux/Windows and openness

  • Several praise macOS hardware but prefer Linux desktops (often KDE) and want official or at least unimpeded Linux support on Apple Silicon.
  • Asahi Linux is cited as proof Apple isn’t fully blocking alternative OSes; others counter that lack of documentation and drivers is effectively hostile.
  • Heated debate on Boot Camp’s absence: some see it as Apple denying owners control; others say Apple rightly refuses to spend effort on Windows drivers and that virtualization (e.g., Parallels) is “good enough.”
  • Broader discomfort with OS‑level AI features; some prepare to move back to Linux and use tools to strip AI from macOS.

Product strategy, naming, and marketing

  • Many find the lineup and naming (Mx vs Mx Pro/Max with varying core counts) confusing, especially for non‑experts and resale.
  • Complaints that staggered releases (e.g., 14" with M6 while 16" still on M5 Pro/Max) create a muddled buying decision.
  • Some lament loss of Steve‑era simplicity; others note Apple has shifted from big once‑a‑year launches to rolling releases with less clear marketing impact.

Odds and ends

  • Storage is soldered; upgrading SSDs post‑purchase is technically possible but extremely difficult and unofficial.
  • Mixed reactions to Apple’s “fieldwork” marketing photo; some find it unrealistic or AI‑touched, others say MacBooks genuinely work well in rough outdoor conditions.