Which Mac should I purchase?

hcsitas wrote:

Dude, you can offload that file with an untick. You can also upload from external including another machine.

True, you can choose to store files only in iCloud and choose to not store them locally. But then they cannot be used unless you have an internet connection, for instance, you would have to pre-download what you want/need in advance if on a plane, car, hotel with slow internet, etc. Also, the files must be downloaded to be backed up locally. Modifying image files for photos or video is not straightforward unless they are locally stored.

Finally, take care, testing iCloud with large files is against iCloud t.o.u. Remember, you’re not responding to an open question or existing problem.

I have read the entire terms of usage Legal - iCloud - Apple and see nothing about "testing" but Old Toad wasn't "testing" anyway, he was using iCloud for file storage and showing how it works and responding to a user who had posed an open question about Mac file storage and how much to get. Use of iCloud for storage is relevant to that query.

I would never get a new Mac with less than 1 TB, and now we are getting 2 TB. We are heavy users of iCloud and also Dropbox and Google cloud storage, no stranger to online storage and its pros and cons, but 256 GB is inadequate. The best way to see this is to see the scores and scores of posts in the Apple Discussions from users who are running out of local storage because they purchased a new Mac with only 256 GB file storage. It's called, "penny wise and pound foolish." One needs to pay one way or another -- one can get local storage when buying the Mac, one can purchase more online storage and pay per month, and/or one can buy external drives to store the files that won't fit on the local computer drive. One way or another one has to pay. The use of external drives is also inconvenient for that spillover storage because now that external drive has to be backed up in addition to the internal drive. All doable but inconvenient. My employer won't even allow employees to select a computer with less than 1 TB storage, that is the minimum allowed (and the employer pays for these Macs).