Not sure the article matches its title all that well.
Microsoft are not "admitting" 8GB is fine.
They are pitching 8GB as viable to entry-level/budget consumers because of the RAM pricing bubble created by the AI boom.
8GB is not a great amount to run Windows, before even considering browser usage in Chrome, or any local LLMs users have or the OS itself pushes. And in comparison to Apple (as the article states) Microsoft comes off even worse as 8GB runs much better on a Mac, and Apple are pushing unified memory architectures too.
In 2026, nobody should be considering 8GB RAM on a device bigger than a phone. It's crap for productivity, gaming, and AI. Yes, RAM is expensive right but that's the horrifying reality of the situation big tech has created for itself. Buy secondhand, buy devices that can be expanded, or don't buy at all. Wait for the bubble to burst and then buy the next generation when prices have settled.
Not sure the article matches its title all that well.
Microsoft are not "admitting" 8GB is fine.
They are pitching 8GB as viable to entry-level/budget consumers because of the RAM pricing bubble created by the AI boom.
8GB is not a great amount to run Windows, before even considering browser usage in Chrome, or any local LLMs users have or the OS itself pushes. And in comparison to Apple (as the article states) Microsoft comes off even worse as 8GB runs much better on a Mac, and Apple are pushing unified memory architectures too.
In 2026, nobody should be considering 8GB RAM on a device bigger than a phone. It's crap for productivity, gaming, and AI. Yes, RAM is expensive right but that's the horrifying reality of the situation big tech has created for itself. Buy secondhand, buy devices that can be expanded, or don't buy at all. Wait for the bubble to burst and then buy the next generation when prices have settled.