Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

How long do you think your MBA will last?

B

Bakari45

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 17, 2010
227
2
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?

I hope to keep mine at five years, but I‘d probably consider upgrading in a year or two and passing the current one down to one of my kids if they promised to take care of it.
 
X

Xil3

macrumors regular
Oct 4, 2007
185
87
London
Bakari45 said:
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?

I hope to keep mine at five years, but I‘d probably consider upgrading in a year or two and passing the current one down to one of my kids if they promised to take care of it.
Click to expand...

Probably less than a year before I sell it.

I'm quite a gadget freak, so like to have the top models.
 
MultiBat

MultiBat

macrumors member
Jan 12, 2011
90
0
Sweden
I haven't bought it yet, but when I get it I hope it will last more than 3 years.

I have never owned a mac, but based what I have heard of apple build quality I think it physically should last at least 5 years (if taken care of).

Power wise (processor, RAM, SSD, screen resolution etc) it should last me at least 3 years, but hopefully 5 years.
I say this, because I will use it for simple tasks like writing, web, photo & music management. Occationally I will use handbrake and probably edit a video or two.
User with more needs (gaming, more serious photo & video editing) will have a shorter life span in my opinion.

So what I think it boils down to is whether I will want (not need) a new laptop after 3 years... :p
 
Hellhammer

Hellhammer

Moderator emeritus
Dec 10, 2008
22,164
582
Finland
I'm expecting/hoping 3-5 years. I find it relatively hard to predict because even 3 years is a very long time and one's usage may dramatically change during that period.
 
X

Xeperu

macrumors 6502
May 3, 2010
316
0
2 years before resale.

I will skip the next generation, but will get the one after that. I would prefer a higher res by then, 1600*900, 1920*1200 preferably. Hopefully also 512GB SSD and 8gb ram option.
 
T

telemark948

macrumors member
Jul 31, 2010
40
0
It depends if I still want a marriage or not.. MBA 13" was a XMAS present, it's going to last a few years so I've been told:D...possibly 5. When I wanted a new phone, I "accidentally" stepped on it when I got out of bed. This is a little drastic if I want a new computer.. :eek:


In reality:
Its for travelling with on the road with work...At the moment they provide me a lump of a machine or a crap netbook that doesn't fit all my needs...Once this current MBA doesn't fullfil those requirements anymore then I will get a new one....or I keep working on them to buy me an appropriate machine to travel with like.....MBA Version ??? when the time is suitable (fat chance)
 
shootingstar64

shootingstar64

macrumors regular
Nov 27, 2008
160
13
Monterey, CA
as for this time, i went the complete other route and opted for a "base" model mba 11",... i will definately upgrade to the upcoming or next generation "ultimate".

not that the "base" isn't capable for my needs, but this is my only workstation for the time being and i do want something with a little more spark to it :D

well, and i think upcoming osx releases and other software will dictate the pace of adjusting the hardware
 
P

philxor

macrumors regular
Dec 21, 2010
181
0
I bought the 13.3 2.13/4GB and I'm hoping this machine lasts me about 3 years as my main computer. I used an original 1.83GHz MBP for 4.5 years.
 
B

Bakari45

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 17, 2010
227
2
shootingstar64 said:
as for this time, i went the complete other route and opted for a "base" model mba 11",... i will definately upgrade to the upcoming or next generation "ultimate".
Click to expand...

I bought the base model as well, for the same reason. The MBA is not my main computer, and unless I make heavy use of it, I probably won’t upgrade for a while unless Apple adds some productivity updates that inspire me to upgrade. Taking care of and maintaining my Air for five years though will be a challenge simply because my kids will eventually be getting their hands on it.
 
B

baller1308

macrumors 65816
Dec 8, 2009
1,047
191
I would upgrade to a new computer after 3-4 years anyways. Out with the old, in with the new.

If you saved one dollar a day once you make your purchase, after 3 years you can buy a new 11" MBA:D.
 
K

Kachadurian

macrumors newbie
Dec 22, 2010
20
0
Traverse City, Michigan
Bakari45 said:
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?
Click to expand...

There was a time when I kept all my macs 3 years replacing laptop and desktop on alternating 18month cycles.

When I bought an original MacBook (black) after applecare ran out I was still using it and it was still doing everything I needed it to. On a whim I hacked a Dell Mini 9 and was sold on the small form factor, so I used that for the last year.

In short my MBA is the first Mac notebook I'm bought in almost 5 years. Unless something happens to change the OS and the processor won't handle it, or the way we work radically changes I could see keeping this for 4-5 years easy. My wife is still using the Black MacBook and loves it.

10 or more years ago Mac advancements happened so fast that 3 year-old hardware was almost worthless. Since OSX, not so much.

So I think the MBA is a Keeper, as long as I can hide it from my 16 year-old daughter.

Tom
 
J

jns2001

macrumors regular
Oct 13, 2009
151
16
Bought mine in July 2009, going for 2 years, my peeve is if I get a new one the processor is the same C2D 2.3 GHz
 
A

AMDGAMER

macrumors 6502
Jan 4, 2011
270
0
Ill keep it for years probably. I buy a new computer every 3 years or so, but i usually keep the older ones or give them to family. Nothing worth buying a whole new macbook air is coming out anytime soon.
 
B

bobobenobi

macrumors regular
Feb 4, 2010
202
0
Mine will last for thirty-seven years, two months, three weeks, five days, eleven hours, twenty-two minutes, and nine seconds.
 
K

KPOM

macrumors P6
Oct 23, 2010
18,031
7,872
bobobenobi said:
Mine will last for thirty-seven years, two months, three weeks, five days, eleven hours, twenty-two minutes, and nine seconds.
Click to expand...

1,172,488,929 seconds, to be precise.

Is that something related to 32 or 64 bits, or just a completely made-up number (or something else, like your age when you posted)?
 
F

firewood

macrumors G3
Jul 29, 2003
8,108
1,345
Silicon Valley
The cat destroyed my first iBook when it was only a few months old, due to it not having a magsafe power connector. But the replacement iBook G3, now over 7 years old, is still running strong, with less battery life, but useful for getting data off of a few of my ancient Mac Classic apps. The Mac 512Ke still booted when it was over 20 years old, but I haven't tried lately.

Last week, the cat tried to destroy my new MBA 11, but all he got was the end of a magsafe cable. Thank you Apple.
 
MultiFinder17

MultiFinder17

macrumors 68030
Jan 8, 2008
2,721
2,042
Tampa, Florida
My Air has been going strong for a bit over a year now, and I expect to get at least another one, hopefully two out of it. The new OWC SSD that's coming for it later this week should help a bit :D
 
2

2IS

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2011
2,938
433
I plan on running my MBA 13 to the ground before I upgrade. I use this machine a lot, but my usage isn't very demanding. I leave all the heavy lifting to my desktop PC so I really shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon. Realistically, i'll probably keep this thing around until the battery no longer holds a long enough charge.
 
W

wisty

macrumors regular
Feb 18, 2009
219
0
Kachadurian said:
There was a time when I kept all my macs 3 years replacing laptop and desktop on alternating 18month cycles.

When I bought an original MacBook (black) after applecare ran out I was still using it and it was still doing everything I needed it to. On a whim I hacked a Dell Mini 9 and was sold on the small form factor, so I used that for the last year.

In short my MBA is the first Mac notebook I'm bought in almost 5 years. Unless something happens to change the OS and the processor won't handle it, or the way we work radically changes I could see keeping this for 4-5 years easy. My wife is still using the Black MacBook and loves it.

10 or more years ago Mac advancements happened so fast that 3 year-old hardware was almost worthless. Since OSX, not so much.

So I think the MBA is a Keeper, as long as I can hide it from my 16 year-old daughter.

Tom
Click to expand...
Very true. There's been slight increases in performance/clock speed since Pentium 4. RAM has gone up about 4X. HDD is a lot bigger, and is going to SSD. But really, it's nothing dramatic. More and more cores, but not everyone cares.

There was a time when 5 year old hardware was only good as a paperweight. Now the MBA is slower than 5 year old hardware (in all respects except HDD) and it's still seen as snappy.
 
2

2IS

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2011
2,938
433
darknite38 said:
Then simply buy a new battery?
Click to expand...

That's certainly an option. However I typically take good care of my laptop batteries so they tend to last a while, by the time it goes bad i'll probably be ready for a new laptop anyway. If however it's still meeting my needs and I can get a new pack for around $100 or less, I may do just that.
 
D

darknite38

macrumors regular
Nov 18, 2010
224
62
Here is the thing for me. I have a 2009 13" macbook pro. I'm a high school student who only needs the internet, youtube, facebook, runescape, word processing, and minimal video editing. This laptop is perfect for me, and I plan to use it until it doesn't work anymore. How ever long that is it should be fine. 2.53 ghz core 2 duo is perfect for my needs. What else could I possibly need? I dont need a i7 8gb of ram or the newest video card.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom