New to MacBook air, need some advice.

rkahl said:

As in the past, when buying a computer online I always bypass the ram option knowing i can do cheaper elsewhere. Little did I know, you cannot upgrade the MBA ram. I ordered the standard 13" with 2gb ram. I tried to cancel the order, but its already prepared for shipment. Should I go thru the hassle of returning it for the additional 2gb or ram? I will be using PS elements, iPhoto, a little I movie, but my main concern is being able to upgrade to Lion when it comes out next year!

Your thoughts...

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We don't have any clue what else Apple might bring for Lion. The features that have been shown so far don't seem to require a lot more RAM. 2GB should be fine. However when you wanna run Windows for example side-by-side you should go with 4. If it's not too much of a hassle for you it would be of course safer to return it and get the 4GB version.

I would. Try calling them now and ask if they can still stop it. 4GB is only 100 bucks more but is totally worth it in the long run

rkahl said:

Yeah I tried that. Unfortunately, once your order says prepared for shipment, the only thing you can do is wait for it to be delivered, then you have to wait for their return labels, then you have to send it back, then you have to order your new one, then wait again for it. I'm leaning toward keeping the 2gb! I hardly think apple would introducing something that wouldn't run on the new Lion OSX after just a few months!

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LOL, I love how you stretched out the word then to make it seem like such a long drawn out process. Look, YOU KNOW in the back of your mind you'll wished you had gotten the 4GB ram and honestly it makes more sense to have it as applications aren't getting any "thinner", they are becoming more feature rich and more ram is necessary. When you receive it, call them to send it back and order your one with 4GB ram. You can "then then then" all day but at the end of the day it's not much more than a week total time to send it back and get the one you really want. You wouldn't have created this thread unless you really wanted the 4GB so stop trying to convince yourself that the hassle of exchanging it isn't worth the upgrade because in the end it will be.

My opinion, try not to leave unused programs open and you'll be fine.

rkahl said:

Yeah I tried that. Unfortunately, once your order says prepared for shipment, the only thing you can do is wait for it to be delivered, then you have to wait for their return labels, then you have to send it back, then you have to order your new one, then wait again for it. I'm leaning toward keeping the 2gb! I hardly think apple would introducing something that wouldn't run on the new Lion OSX after just a few months!

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No I don't think Lion wouldn't run on it at all anymore either!! But maybe it would benefit from 4GB of RAM more than Snow Leopard does at the moment.

If you really want the 4GB model ... and you are really in a hurry to get one ... and you have plenty of credit on your card ...

Simply order another one with 4GB ... and then return/sell the first one you receive unopened.

rkahl said:

I have a credit limit of $2000 using billmelater, so that just ate that amount. I called billmelater and they told me to repurchase everything, they said it could increase my credit limit. I did it and it worked!!!! Now all I have to do is send back my original order. I told Apple that they should make special comments regarding the inability to add ram at a later date for the macbookair.

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Very nice Grats!

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There's other threads with the same question. Return it. Apple will take it back. Call the 1-866 number for customer support.

Don't open it when you receive it (if you can have self control) and they will swap it.

Like others have said, it'll take time. Even the folks that ordered on we'd aren't expecting their shipments till this Wednesday.

Don't worry, your not the first nor the only one!!!!

rkahl said:

It is a long drawn out process.
Original item would not be delivered until Oct.28
Call apple to make labels
Send back to Apple (another 3-5 business days).
Wait for Billmelater to release funds to repurchase (up to 10 days)
Repurchase everything using expedited shipping
item will be shipped within 1-3 days
item will be delivered within 3-5 days.

How is that not a long drawn out process? They'll have a new one out by then! Apple PLEASE TELL PEOPLE YOU CANNOT MODIFY THIS LAPTOP!!!

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I'm not exactly sure why you are arguing against me with this? I was trying to recommend that you just go through the necessary steps so you can get your Macbook with the features you want, this is why you created this thread right? I mean, you realized that it's not possible to upgrade ram if you buy it stock but take some responsibility in all this. You came to MacRumors and the Air has tons of threads about it now and the 2 most talked about concerns are no backlit keyboard and no way to upgrade ram. Sure, Apple could put that info on their website but they are business that is in business to upsell you on their website. It's your responsibility as a consumer to ask questions and since you're here on MR you should've asked that question, especially when you're dealing with a new product and an ultra portable. Assuming makes it your fault, not Apple's. Sorry, not trying to be mean, but your not seeing this clearly.

For what it's worth, I just bought a 15" MBP and it shipped to me from Apple with a big dent, scratches near the trackpad and fingerprints on the screen, it was clearly used. I had to call and request for the shipping labels which took 48 hours for them to email me, then I packed up the MBP and sent it back and had to wait for an exchange. Guess what? The exchange was also defective. Was I frustrated out of inconvenience? YES, am I happy now? Yes. Why? Because I just dealt with it rather than blaming the company on a forum.

Just send it back and order the Air that you want. This will be behind you sooner than you think. If it's too much trouble, enjoy your 2GB model.