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3 years or 5 years?

Which option?

  • 3 years: Base: $970

    Votes: 12 33.3%

  • 5 years: 512GB, 16GB: $1435

    Votes: 24 66.7%
  • Total voters
    36
F

Frixos

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 17, 2020
253
281
So I am looking at buying a MBA.
I believe I could make it 3 years with a base MBA (256GB, 8GB). But if I would keep it, say 5 years, I would probably need 512GB and 16GB.
The base would be $970 (education pricing) with tax and the upgrade would be $1435 with tax, so 48% more expensive.

Which one would you recommend? I'm currently on a 2013 MBP with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
 
I'd buy the bigger machine, and did, but not because it would last longer, because it would be less irritating.. PC's last longer than 3 years for me anyway.
 
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I personally might find 5 years to be a stretch no matter how much one spends. There's likely to be something on the new machines that you can't live without (yes, first world problems).

However, I'd have trouble fitting my world in to an 8GB/256GB space.

I say go 16/512. If you only keep it 3-4 years, it'll at least have better resale value.
 
Apple_Robert said:
I believe @chscag is referring to the rumored 14 & 16" Macs, and possibly the iMac as well. These are rumored to release later this year.
Click to expand...
Ah, ok. Didn't know. They just released the M1 Macbooks, therefor I was sceptical. Maybe Apple releases MacBooks every year, didn't know, and didn't mean to go off topic.
 
chscag said:
Neither one. Wait for Apple to announce new silicon machines.
Click to expand...
I’m excited to see what they release (maybe this summer?). However, I’m only interested in the MBA because of the lighter weight and the slant to the keyboard as I would carry it around a lot and type on the go.
 
Frixos said:
I’m excited to see what they release (maybe this summer?). However, I’m only interested in the MBA because of the lighter weight and the slant to the keyboard as I would carry it around a lot and type on the go.
Click to expand...
The MBA is a great laptop. I think you would be very happy with the current model.

Depending on your use, the base model may be just fine for you.
 
Get whatever meets your requirements now. Whatever the base model is three years from now. Will likely be much better than the current model upgraded. Once you factor in resale value. The net cost is the same.

Costco sells it for $950. That also includes two years of warranty from Costco. Four years if you use a Costco credit card. Which I think is still offered.
 
Get the model with more RAM and storage. Less SSD wear with a larger SSD and more RAM. Better resale and I don't see why you would need to upgrade in 3 years.
 
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Dockland said:
Couldn't that take another year or two?
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Maybe, maybe not.

Apple introduces a new A-series SoC for the iPhone annually. However, sometimes Apple releases mid-year bumped SoC designs for iPads. When Apple released the M1 Macs, for sure they had prototypes of the successor chip running in their labs whether it be called M1X, M2, whatever.

Remember that in moving to Apple Silicon, Apple is no longer dependent on waiting for Intel to release suitable CPUs. They can introduce new designs at their own pace.

This also gives them more flexibility to design SoCs with different TDP limits than what they agreed to with Intel.

It is expected by many that Apple will introduce new industrial designs for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini again since they are no longer tied to the thermal limits of Intel's CPUs.

Thus a 2021 M_ MBA, MBP or mini might have significant changes versus the 2020 models (all of which were based on the existing industrial designs).
 
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xraydoc said:
I personally might find 5 years to be a stretch no matter how much one spends. There's likely to be something on the new machines that you can't live without (yes, first world problems).
Click to expand...
I always get more than 5 years use out of a Mac. I retired a 2009 iMac last year and gave a 2014 15" MBP to my daughter.

I found nothing on the later 16" MBPs I couldn't live without and plenty I didn't like (e.g. butterfly keyboard). The 2019 16" MBP was tempting but because of Covid and the Apple Silicon announcements I went with another iMac instead.
 
Erehy Dobon said:
It is expected by many that Apple will introduce new industrial designs for the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini again since they are no longer tied to the thermal limits of Intel's CPUs.

Thus a 2021 M_ MBA, MBP or mini might have significant changes versus the 2020 models (all of which were based on the existing industrial designs).
Click to expand...

People's past experiences with certain Apple design changes have encouraged me to be cautious. I generally prefer to buy the successor to a model which introduced design changes (e.g. 5s, 6s etc).
 
Frixos said:
So I am looking at buying a MBA.
I believe I could make it 3 years with a base MBA (256GB, 8GB). But if I would keep it, say 5 years, I would probably need 512GB and 16GB.
The base would be $970 (education pricing) with tax and the upgrade would be $1435 with tax, so 48% more expensive.

Which one would you recommend? I'm currently on a 2013 MBP with 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD.
Click to expand...

If you need a new Mac get it. Go with the specs you can afford.

I needed a new computer with the quickness so I got a M1 Mini 16/TB. Yeah there will be a updated model whenever but I’m not waiting. There will always be a updated model coming. I have a 2014 MBA that’s still a good computer.

Here’s the thing. I won’t be sitting next to someone with a newer Apple Sillicon Mac racing it. If it does what I need that’s all that matters.
 
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ADGrant said:
People's past experiences with certain Apple design changes have encouraged me to be cautious. I generally prefer to buy the successor to a model which introduced design changes (e.g. 5s, 6s etc).
Click to expand...
You are preaching to the choir.

Never buy the 1.0 version of any hardware. Like you I've been on the 'S' series as well. Don't buy the new design year; buy the subsequent year.

The starkest difference was the iPhone 4 versus the iPhone 4S. Externally the latter looked the same as its predecessor. However the 4S had a dual-core SoC whereas the 4 had a single-core SoC. The camera on the 4S blew doors on the 4's camera.

Similarly the 5s blew the 5 out of the water with its 64-bit SoC, the Apple A7, the first widely-deployed ARM processor. This is the mobile SoC that left the rest of the semiconductor industry speechless. That paved the way to Apple Silicon.

My guess is that A7 was running macOS on prototype Macs in a lab in Cupertino back in 2013. This would have been Mavericks, the first macOS/OS X release not named after a big cat.
 
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Erehy Dobon said:
You are preaching to the choir.

Never buy the 1.0 version of any hardware. Like you I've been on the 'S' series as well. Don't buy the new design year; buy the subsequent year.

The starkest difference was the iPhone 4 versus the iPhone 4S. Externally the latter looked the same as its predecessor. However the 4S had a dual-core SoC whereas the 4 had a single-core SoC. The camera on the 4S blew doors on the 4's camera.

Similarly the 5s blew the 5 out of the water with its 64-bit SoC, the Apple A7, the first widely-deployed ARM processor. This is the mobile SoC that left the rest of the semiconductor industry speechless.
Click to expand...
Saying one should never buy version 1 of any new release is nothing more than logical fallacy, even though it may sound logical.

Any release can, and often does have hardware problems of some kind. Just because some people may experience a problem for whatever reason, that doesn't necessarily mean all will experience the same, nor is that limited problem (as far as seen from our limited perspective) a decisive indication of what all will experience.
 
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I suppose I should say I never willingly buy 1.0 of any hardware.

If you prefer, I can load down my comments with weasel words. Let me know if that's your preference.

Or take anonymous Q&A forum replies with a grain of salt understanding that there's a certain amount of hyperbole (you'll have to look that word up in a dictionary) in these types of online discussions. I'm not defending a Ph.D. thesis.

I realize that's a difficult concept for many people here to grasp...
 
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Erehy Dobon said:
I suppose I should say I never willingly buy 1.0 of any hardware.

If you prefer, I can load down my comments with weasel words. Let me know if that's your preference.

Or take anonymous Q&A forum replies with a grain of salt understanding that there's a certain amount of hyperbole (you'll have to look that word up in a dictionary) in these types of online discussions. I'm not defending a Ph.D. thesis.

I realize that's a difficult concept for many people here to grasp...
Click to expand...
Your post wasn't hard to grasp and I wasn't rude to you in any way. I simply pointed out the foundational error in your post. You emphasized your 'never' mindset at least twice in your post. That, along with you reaffirming that mindset with the agreement with another member you quoted showed to me you meant what you said.

If you can't respond to someone who responds to your post in good faith without insulting them, consider not responding at all. You didn't rightfully counter my retort with anything other than insult where none was given.
 
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I will point out that I was replying to someone else.

You are the one who dragged this discussion in this direction.

You ARE one of those people who find a variety of opinions difficult to grasp. Thank you for proving that.

Have a wonderful evening, Apple_Robert!
 
Erehy Dobon said:
I will point out that I was replying to someone else.

You are the one who dragged this discussion in this direction.

You ARE one of those people who find a variety of opinions difficult to grasp. Thank you for proving that.

Have a wonderful evening, Apple_Robert!
Click to expand...
All did was respond to your post. I didn't bring up the subject you responded to.

If you were being hyperbolic, there was no way for me to know that in text alone.

I have never been rude to you on this forum and yet, you continue being rude to me. I won't bother with rude any more.
 
xraydoc said:
I personally might find 5 years to be a stretch no matter how much one spends. There's likely to be something on the new machines that you can't live without (yes, first world problems).
Click to expand...
You know, outside of the battery and the unavoidable fact that the computer is "at an age" I'm seeing fewer and fewer compelling reasons to actually do the upgrade. Especially when you add in on top the required software upgrades and the unfortunate need to go "subscription" in many cases.

These days I take a much more conservative approach and I'm dropping off the consumerism merry-go-round and will buy on the merits. For instance, my late-2015 iMac 27" is into its 6th year and still goes as well as the day I got it and I'm certainly not eager to buy a gen 1 ARM iMac that both takes away 32-bit and Windows BC/VM support. So I'll operate on my timetable and not someone else's. FWIW I typically upgrade on a 4 year cycle for tax purposes but COVID and ARM has gotten in the way of that now.
 
Covid didn't change anything for me, I continued to live my life as normal, but I wanted to wait and see some "real world " reviews on the new m1 MacBook Air first, since my 2015 MacBook Air still works perfect so I waited until this last stimulus payment, was going to take that payment to the casino and try to double it, but decided to get myself a new m1 MacBook Air as a free gift from this government. So far starting the second day with it and love it. it is an awesome laptop.
 
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