This episode is all about current topics from social media. You have thoughts and we share and respond to what you have written.
This is episode 897 with Jason Cross, Michael Simon and Roman Loyola.
Listen to episode 897 on Apple Podcasts
Listen to episode 897 on Spotify
Watch episode 897 on the Macworld Podcast YouTube channel.
The first topic is news from Monday, August 12. Patreon, the company that provides a membership platform for online content creators, announced that Apple is forcing them to switch the Patreon iOS app to Apple’s payment system. This means that Apple will keep its 30 percent share of Patreon memberships paid through the app. Patreon is advising creators to either increase their fees to offset Apple’s share or tell new subscribers not to use the iOS app.
Christopher Lawley (@chrislawley_), who does the Comfort Zone podcast for MacStories, had some thoughts. He said:
This has been one of the hardest times for independent creators. Ad revenue is down, everyone and their mother has a membership so good luck trying to open a new one, and the platforms want their cut (:cough: YouTube’s 45% :cough:). Even I’ve considered getting a normal job, and I hate normal jobs. How can Apple not see that they’re not taking 30% from Patreon, but from independent creators?? The people they supposedly love.
@chrislawley_ (threads), August 12, 2024
Our next topic is the problem with 8GB of RAM in Macs. On X, software developer Hasen Judi posted a screenshot of his M2 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM. He had no apps open except Activity Monitor and 4.7GB of that RAM was in use – more than half of his MacBook Air’s RAM.
Our last topic of the show is the upcoming M4 Mac lineup. Reports suggest that they will begin rolling out in the fall and spring of next year. Roman wrote an article saying Apple should have skipped the M4 and not updated the Mac until the M5 is ready. The main reason for this is that the M4 is now in the iPad Pro and the Mac should have a better chip than the iPad Pro. Here are some email responses sent to Macworld to the article:
(The) iPad Pro didn’t beg for more power with an M4, its problems aren’t in its lack of power. Apple needs to start addressing the iPad OS issue and expanding on the impressive hardware the iPad Pro was already capable of. But when you’ve already achieved impressive results with the M2 and M3, it gets harder to sell a new M series with each iteration.
John S. via email, August 9, 2024
Everything you said about the M4 chip made me nod and say yes and yes. I have the M4 iPad Pro. I’m writing you this message right now. I also have the MacBook Pro M3 Max that I use on my website. It’s a monster of a machine but I see no reason to buy the M4 when it comes out. I will definitely buy the M5 Max. I’m sure a lot of people feel that way. I really think Apple shot themselves in the foot.
Richard H. via email, August 8, 2024
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