11" MBA 2015 Model. Worth this price?

[Appurushido]

iPhone user since the 4, and iPad 3, but this will be my first dive into owning an apple computer with OSX. Upgrading from a 2008 Windows PC laptop. I do a lot of traveling abroad for work and my old 2008 14" Asus isn't cutting it anymore. Weighs in at 4.5-5.5lbs if I recall. Not ideal for traveling. Getting the MBA would knock off close to 3.5lbs. I want to get familiar with OSX, which I have never used. This laptop would probably be a good start. It's ideal for traveling due to it's size and weight.

Now I'm eyeing the MBA 11" 2015 edition (11.6in/i5-Broadwell?/4GB/128GB flash mem) that just came out a couple months ago. The price at BestBuy is $899, which is the default price anywhere for the base model. It's on sale for $799, $100 off. I also received a $100 off coupon because I work at a university as an educator. The coupon works with the sale price, ultimately bringing down the cost to $699+tax (roughly $750).

I will use it mostly for MS Office, such as Word, PP, and Excel. Also email and web browsing. Is $750w/tax worth the price for the new base model 2015 MBA 11"? Does it run smoothly with Yosemite OSX considering I am only using it for what I said? Any input or opinion on this price is greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[motrek]

iPhone user since the 4, and iPad 3, but this will be my first dive into owning an apple computer with OSX. Upgrading from a 2008 Windows PC laptop. I do a lot of traveling abroad for work and my old 2008 14" Asus isn't cutting it anymore. Weighs in at 4.5-5.5lbs if I recall. Not ideal for traveling. Getting the MBA would knock off close to 3.5lbs. I want to get familiar with OSX, which I have never used. This laptop would probably be a good start. It's ideal for traveling due to it's size and weight.

Now I'm eyeing the MBA 11" 2015 edition (11.6in/i5-Broadwell?/4GB/128GB flash mem) that just came out a couple months ago. The price at BestBuy is $899, which is the default price anywhere for the base model. It's on sale for $799, $100 off. I also received a $100 off coupon because I work at a university as an educator. The coupon works with the sale price, ultimately bringing down the cost to $699+tax (roughly $750).

I will use it mostly for MS Office, such as Word, PP, and Excel. Also email and web browsing. Is $750w/tax worth the price for the new base model 2015 MBA 11"? Does it run smoothly with Yosemite OSX considering I am only using it for what I said? Any input or opinion on this price is greatly appreciated, thanks!

Don't let the low price (for a Mac) or the size fool you. The 11" 2015 MBA is a beast of a computer. The MacBook Pro line isn't even that much faster.

As for whether or not it's worth the money, you'd be hard pressed to find a PC with the same size, features, and build quality. That being said, it's pretty easy to find a PC that's bigger with less features (more power-hungry processor, etc.) for a lot less money, so it depends on your goals and budget.

But it sounds like you're into learning OS X, so the 11" MBA is definitely a great choice.

 

[SSD-GUY]

I love my 11' air and have many a time considered selling my 13 retina, as I travel a lot more with my 11 Air. The screen resolution is fine, don't let anyone dissuade you. When I compare it to my 13 retina it's only a bit sharper/clearer, but boy does the weight difference help, especially if you're carrying books/folders etc

 

[Appurushido]

Don't let the low price (for a Mac) or the size fool you. The 11" 2015 MBA is a beast of a computer. The MacBook Pro line isn't even that much faster.

As for whether or not it's worth the money, you'd be hard pressed to find a PC with the same size, features, and build quality. That being said, it's pretty easy to find a PC that's bigger with less features (more power-hungry processor, etc.) for a lot less money, so it depends on your goals and budget.

But it sounds like you're into learning OS X, so the 11" MBA is definitely a great choice.

I won't be editing videos like most people do with MacBook Pros. It will be mainly used as a business machine. Lots of accounting, letter creating, and presentations with PP in the boardroom. I do take lots of pics when I travel though. Yes, I will be new to OSX. The only familiar piece of software I'll know is MS Office when I install it.

I love my 11' air and have many a time considered selling my 13 retina, as I travel a lot more with my 11 Air. The screen resolution is fine, don't let anyone dissuade you. When I compare it to my 13 retina it's only a bit sharper/clearer, but boy does the weight difference help, especially if you're carrying books/folders etc

I walked into the apple store after work today and looked at the MBA 11" + 13", rMBP 13", and the new MacBook 12". For the price w/ discount, I would save close to $600 for a near spec MB 12" minus the retina display, -.38 in weight, force touch, slightly better portability and double the RAM + SSD storage. I would still have chosen the MBA 11" over the MBA 12". I was fine with the resolution on the MBA 11" due to the smaller screen size (dreading the next upgrade will include a retina display). As for the rMBP, it looks amazing. The weight still felt pretty light, but I will eventually get one when Skylake comes out. As for the 13" vs 11" MBA, is there a performance difference between the base models? The specs are the same with the exception of screen size, battery life and SD slot.

 

[motrek]

... As for the 13" vs 11" MBA, is there a performance difference between the base models? The specs are the same with the exception of screen size, battery life and SD slot.

Not to my knowledge. If the specs are the same, it should perform the same.

There's an outside chance that the 13" model has better cooling for the CPU, since it's simply bigger. But I don't know that to be the case, I suspect it actually has the same size fan, and also with the current low-power CPUs, CPU temperature doesn't really cause a problem these days.

 

[J&JPolangin]

The 11.6" machine is a great travel companion!

 

[Generik777]

You can buy a refurbished 2014 unit from apple if you want to save some money. It's just like new and has the same full warranty.

 

[sracer]

Now I'm eyeing the MBA 11" 2015 edition (11.6in/i5-Broadwell?/4GB/128GB flash mem) that just came out a couple months ago. The price at BestBuy is $899, which is the default price anywhere for the base model. It's on sale for $799, $100 off. I also received a $100 off coupon because I work at a university as an educator. The coupon works with the sale price, ultimately bringing down the cost to $699+tax (roughly $750).

I will use it mostly for MS Office, such as Word, PP, and Excel. Also email and web browsing. Is $750w/tax worth the price for the new base model 2015 MBA 11"? Does it run smoothly with Yosemite OSX considering I am only using it for what I said? Any input or opinion on this price is greatly appreciated, thanks!

$699 (with deals) is the lowest price I've seen in a long time for an MBA 11. I bought one last June/July @ Best Buy for $650 (out the door for $450 after trading in a Surface 2)

It's a great price for a great ultrabook. And as others have said, it will handle your intended tasks very well.

 

[nefan65]

I have the 2015 11" w/ 256GB drive/8GB RAM. I had the 2013 and re-issued to another person in my department. GREAT machine IMO. Light, portable, and powerful. I can run VM's if needed, and it does all the usual tasks [Web, email, Office, light graphics, photos, and DP]. with no problem.

The only other machine that I've seen that's close to it is the DELL XPS13. I used it for a bit, because an exec. wanted it. It was a nice machine, but Windows only. The screen was great, but beyond that I didn't see it replacing the 11" MBA I'm using.

 

[Appurushido]

You can buy a refurbished 2014 unit from apple if you want to save some money. It's just like new and has the same full warranty.

Yeah, I would've gone that route, but it costs $849, +$149 from the $699 sale price of a new gen machine. The only thing that is beneficial is the bump in storage space, 256 over 128. I would downgrade 1 gen on the processor and integrated graphics chip tech, as well as going from Thunderbolt 2 to 1 =/

I have the 2015 11" w/ 256GB drive/8GB RAM. I had the 2013 and re-issued to another person in my department. GREAT machine IMO. Light, portable, and powerful. I can run VM's if needed, and it does all the usual tasks [Web, email, Office, light graphics, photos, and DP]. with no problem.

The only other machine that I've seen that's close to it is the DELL XPS13. I used it for a bit, because an exec. wanted it. It was a nice machine, but Windows only. The screen was great, but beyond that I didn't see it replacing the 11" MBA I'm using.

Thanks for your input. The 256 drive and 8GB upgrade would be sweet, but Im saving those specs for the new skylake version of the rMBP 13" when it eventually comes out. Would have gone the rMBP route, but lighter is always better, especially on international flights. I would have to say the 11" MBA would still be my choice for travel. I will most likely bite the bullet at $699 for the 2015 model MBA.

 

[david91]

with positive reviews like this on MBA, its sure worth the buy