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Maybe getting a MacBook Air

H

hkim1983

macrumors 6502
Feb 5, 2009
354
9
ohbrilliance said:
I disagree. I am a developer (so far from an extremely basic user) and my nearly-six-year-old Macbook Pro still serves me well.
Click to expand...

If your computer is still in pristine condition without any repairs or replacements, then consider yourself lucky. I'm curious how you've kept your internal clock battery and regular battery alive and productive during this entire time. Out of the 10+ computers I have owned, I have never had a computer last that long without something breaking down, and this includes desktops and laptops, from Apple, IBM, Dell, etc.

I still stand by what I said, and by my standards, I'm confident that the user experience for you using even something basic like the internet (unless you visit sites without any media whatsoever) is far from what it was when you first purchased your Mac.
 
A Hebrew

A Hebrew

macrumors 6502a
Jan 7, 2012
846
2
Minnesota
hkim1983 said:
If your computer is still in pristine condition without any repairs or replacements, then consider yourself lucky. I'm curious how you've kept your internal clock battery and regular battery alive and productive during this entire time. Out of the 10+ computers I have owned, I have never had a computer last that long without something breaking down, and this includes desktops and laptops, from Apple, IBM, Dell, etc.

I still stand by what I said, and by my standards, I'm confident that the user experience for you using even something basic like the internet (unless you visit sites without any media whatsoever) is far from what it was when you first purchased your Mac.
Click to expand...
If you throw out your optical drive and replace your hard drive with an SSD...really the only thing that can go wrong over time is due to improper care or, as you said, a dying battery.
 
D

dannyc1985

macrumors newbie
Sep 7, 2007
6
0
Go for the current 11

I am a software developer/ data analyst and I use an 11" Air for work. I have owned macs for years and this machine is currently my favorite!. I do have a 13 retina, a 15 non-retina, a 2007 MBP, a 2010 13 and a 2012 mac mini in the house also, so I have quite a few machines to compare to when I say this is my favorite machine in the house. It I have real computational needs I go for the 15, and anything artsy, the retina, but the 11" is my around the house, bring to meetings at work, go to machine. Since buying it I have barely touched my ipad. It is really a great machine. Go for a refurb and you wont regret it.
 
ohbrilliance

ohbrilliance

macrumors 65816
May 15, 2007
1,010
355
Melbourne, Australia
hkim1983 said:
If your computer is still in pristine condition without any repairs or replacements, then consider yourself lucky. I'm curious how you've kept your internal clock battery and regular battery alive and productive during this entire time. Out of the 10+ computers I have owned, I have never had a computer last that long without something breaking down, and this includes desktops and laptops, from Apple, IBM, Dell, etc.

I still stand by what I said, and by my standards, I'm confident that the user experience for you using even something basic like the internet (unless you visit sites without any media whatsoever) is far from what it was when you first purchased your Mac.
Click to expand...

I never said it was in pristine condition and don't see why it should be. Things have broken; I've had them fixed: mobo replaced under the nVidia recall. RAM replaced and increased. HDD replaced with a larger size. Superdrive replaced with an SSD. Battery replaced three times (and getting good life out the first non-authentic battery).

It all runs as well as when purchased. The fan seems to run more these days, but performance is still good. Some software runs slower, but I put that down to newer versions becoming bloated, e.g. Lightroom 4 versus 1. You may still stand by what you say, but I can vouch this thing is usable for a lot more than surfing the Internet.

My main incentive to upgrade is to take advantage of improvements that have happened in the last six years. I'm sure I'll greatly enjoy 6 years of improvements when I upgrade later this year.
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,030
7,870
ohbrilliance said:
I never said it was in pristine condition and don't see why it should be. Things have broken, but I've had them fixed rather than throwing out the machine: mobo replaced under the nVidia recall. RAM replaced and increased. HDD replaced with a larger size. Superdrive replaced with an SSD. Battery replaced three times (and getting good life out the first non-authentic battery).
Click to expand...

True, although with the MacBook Air and rMBP lines, there is less and less than can be upgraded. You can still get the battery replaced, and OWC does sell replacement SSDs, but for the most part the newer Macs are more "disposable." That said, fewer and fewer tasks are actually as RAM, CPU, or GPU intensive as in the past (as computing power has developed faster than our ability to take advantage of it).
 
T

Thors.Hammer

macrumors member
Jul 20, 2012
54
0
ohbrilliance said:
I never said it was in pristine condition and don't see why it should be. Things have broken; I've had them fixed: mobo replaced under the nVidia recall. RAM replaced and increased. HDD replaced with a larger size. Superdrive replaced with an SSD. Battery replaced three times (and getting good life out the first non-authentic battery).

It all runs as well as when purchased. The fan seems to run more these days, but performance is still good. Some software runs slower, but I put that down to newer versions becoming bloated, e.g. Lightroom 4 versus 1. You may still stand by what you say, but I can vouch this thing is usable for a lot more than surfing the Internet.

My main incentive to upgrade is to take advantage of improvements that have happened in the last six years. I'm sure I'll greatly enjoy 6 years of improvements when I upgrade later this year.
Click to expand...

Looks like it's in pristine condition to me. :D

I'm curious. What are you going to replace the old Pro with?
 
H

hkim1983

macrumors 6502
Feb 5, 2009
354
9
A Hebrew said:
If you throw out your optical drive and replace your hard drive with an SSD...really the only thing that can go wrong over time is due to improper care or, as you said, a dying battery.
Click to expand...

The fan can die out, and aside from that, they keyboard and trackpad can eventually wear out from use although that can be prolonged. I've never had a laptop display give out on me, but I suppose that would eventually die too.

@ohbrilliance: That sounds like exactly what I was stating. Diminishing returns + components breaking down. More time to do less work, lost time due to computer repairs, you may be able to tolerate that, but I can not.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
If the battery wears out, will the laptop still work when connected to the grid? (I don't see why it wouldn't, but the world is a strange place.)

Also, is the wear-out process a slow one, so that, for example, even a ten year old battery might work for 15 minutes (enough if you're just taking the laptop from one room to another)? And if so, is it somehow dangerous or damaging to use a battery in such an advanced state of decay? Might explode or something, lol.
 
ohbrilliance

ohbrilliance

macrumors 65816
May 15, 2007
1,010
355
Melbourne, Australia
Thors.Hammer said:
Looks like it's in pristine condition to me. :D

I'm curious. What are you going to replace the old Pro with?
Click to expand...

Haha, well found! The plan is to replace it with a 2.6/16GB/768GB rMBP, or whatever the equivalent is with the next update.

hkim1983 said:
@ohbrilliance: That sounds like exactly what I was stating. Diminishing returns + components breaking down. More time to do less work, lost time due to computer repairs, you may be able to tolerate that, but I can not.
Click to expand...
Once again, not an issue I've faced. Replacing ram and batteries takes next to no time. Upgrading the hard drive a few hours. Not much down time over a six year period. The only time I've been without the mac was for a day when the mobo was replaced - but that was effectively a warranty issue and not related to the machine wearing out. Fact is this machine has served me well for all this time and has not been a hindrance or a burden. I'm sure there are many others like me.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
Why shouldn't I get a (non-retina) MacBook pro instead of an air? My current thinking is that I want SSD for some additional speed, but maybe the difference isn't that big? Since I will mostly write and not do a lot of switching between apps or surfing or anything.

I don't need the extra space that comes with non-SSD, and I don't need the extra portability that comes with the Air.

Seems like the only thing that's different between them that I can really pin down that I want is speed, and for that the winner is Air (I think, but I'm guessing CPU-intensive processes could be faster on the Pro.). Oh, and I do like the design of the Air more, there is something delicious about it... although I like the proportions of the 11" better than the 13" (visually, but I still think the 13" is more useful).

Which is more durable, SSD or non-SSD? Is there another difference in durability between Air and Pro?
 
Z

zedsdead

macrumors 68040
Jun 20, 2007
3,403
1,147
SSD is the single best upgrade for a computer at this point, plus more reliable. Get the air.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
The space between the front edge and the keyboard (the area with the trackpad) is larger than I'm used to, esp. on the 13", does anyone feel they're stretching out their arms more than is comfortable when they write?

Is it possible to pull the laptop toward you so much that it goes over the edge of the table, and comfortably and stably write like that?

I've had RSI so I'm a bit picky about these things, and I basically want my upper arms to be aligned with the body at all times as I write.

This might be a reason for me to consider the 11". Practically the same keyboard, but a little closer.
 
I

ilifecomputer

macrumors 6502
Feb 9, 2005
391
100
CA
i just bought one today and am so extremely happy. the wait for haswell is long and although the lower wattage chips sound like a good idea, i know the current gen MBA is already an amazing computer. that said, all my haswell research hasnt led me to anything that seems incredibly important (except maybe battery life)
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
I'm ready to make a purchase, but now my brain has decided that I should wait for a discount, so there's where I'm at right now. Interestingly I feel fine with keeping my options open as to what exact model to get, anything from Air 11" standard to Pro Retina 13" standard.

Best of all, I've left that painful "must have NOW!" feeling and moved on to a feeling of non-desperate excitement that allows for comfortable waiting. I'll keep daydreaming, but without tha OCD-ish quality.

Feeling good. :D
 
Mattjeff

Mattjeff

macrumors 6502
Jun 2, 2008
261
3
el-John-o said:
You can write on a 166MHz PowerBook from years gone by running Mac OS 8 and AppleWorks Word Processor. Not as nicely.. but I mean, you CAN!

I think you're on the right track. I think the Air will be with you for years to come and work well for you. I also think the new Air will be with you for years to come and work well for you!
Click to expand...

I second this advice but if I were in your shoes and I had the money I would wait, patients pays, and get the 2013 13" Air. Only people who want the lastest greatest and every option out there refresh every year or two. If you are a casual user and mostly just write then the Air should serve you for many many years baring any faulty parts.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
If there are no discounts in the next month or so I might wait for the next model. Or I might not, right now I'm open for anything, I'll just wait and see.

The new model probably won't do much for me for a long while anyway (depending on what the update will be). E.g. I won't be pushing the current cpu to the max, so a faster one won't do much (maybe gain another second in boot time? But given that my current netbook takes a minute or something, I don't care that much about one second.)

Still, all other things equal, newer is better of course, but it's not equal, I'd have to wait. And while waiting a while is fine, I don't know about six months.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
JohnIV said:
I'm ready to make a purchase, but now my brain has decided that I should wait for a discount, so there's where I'm at right now.
Click to expand...

Well, that didn't take long. They've now all dropped in price. This is it! Now I just need to wait until price drops everywhere to get the best price. Oh, and I need to decide which to get, but that's a pretty nice problem.
 
J

JohnIV

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 27, 2011
31
0
I got it, yeah baby I got it. A MacBook Air! Went with a standard 11", and so far I love it. Ace keyboard, great responsiveness. 11" is totally fine for writing.

It was not much more than a year ago I got my first ever Apple product, an iPhone, then I got an iPad, and now a MacBook. Eventually I'll get an iMac too, probably.
 
bonskovsky

bonskovsky

macrumors 6502
Dec 31, 2012
453
2
I don't wait for anything, I just buy what's out. Just buy the next one when it comes out. Most of the time it's just a replica of the previous model.
 
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