I’d imagine Apple wants to make sure there is competition in AI against Microsoft.

This is true, I don’t recommend them to anyone due to Apple’s tight control, It used to be an easy recommendation between 2008- 2012.

I’ve refrained from upgrading my Intel MacBook Pro, and the M3 Max seems like the perfect opportunity. However, I struggle to overlook the constraints Apple imposes on their devices. It feels like they have little regard for their customers.

Apple is the exclusive provider of both the software and hardware. They have a significant amount of power, and it’s important they use it responsibly. I would hope Mac users would be more vocal about expressing their dissatisfaction when we feel taken advantage of instead of acting as enablers. We have nowhere else to go as switching platforms is a massive burden. It wasn’t too long ago that Apple were on the verge of bankruptcy, and it seems they may have forgotten that period.