$450 budget where to buy MacBook Air

[stchman]

Haha, Windows OS is garbage. Yes, it's functional but it is in fact garbage and very unstable. I don't remember the last time I had to reformat any of my Macs in 10 years, and yet Windows has so many problems I have to do it twice a year to my Windows PCs.

Also I'm a computer tech so I speak from experience.

Really, I've been using Windows for years as well and do not have to perform a 2X yearly re-install. My last Windows machine I got ~2 years out of a Vista install, yes I said Vista. I have been building and configuring PCs for well over 10 years, so I speak from experience as well.

You must surf some uber spyware/virus ridden pr0n.

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And of course, your experience is universal.

I'm happy with OSX, but I am also secure enough in that decision that I do not have to childishly denigrate other people's decision by calling it garbage.

I invented the Internet. Just because I said so makes it true!!!

 

[TC25]

You don't even need to spend $450 nowadays to get a more than capable Windows laptop. Great hardware, bad OS. That's all I'm saying.

Everyone understood your point....and we aren't even computer techs.

 

[rdunlap]

And of course, your experience is universal.

I'm happy with OSX, but I am also secure enough in that decision that I do not have to childishly denigrate other people's decision by calling it garbage.

I'm not denigrating his decision. Just speaking the truth from working on these machines daily. Go kick rocks ...

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Really, I've been using Windows for years as well and do not have to perform a 2X yearly re-install. My last Windows machine I got ~2 years out of a Vista install, yes I said Vista. I have been building and configuring PCs for well over 10 years, so I speak from experience as well.

You must surf some uber spyware/virus ridden pr0n.

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I invented the Internet. Just because I said so makes it true!!!

You just must be used to a slow computer

... and you're probably a horrible computer technician, especially if you chose to use Vista on a day to day basis. Worst operating system since ME.

 

[stchman]

I'm not denigrating his decision. Just speaking the truth from working on these machines daily. Go kick rocks ...

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You just must be used to a slow computer

... and you're probably a horrible computer technician, especially if you chose to use Vista on a day to day basis. Worst operating system since ME.

Daily working on Windows machines?? I'm sure you're "working" is a very subjective term.

WTF is kick rocks? Are you 13?

My Windows machines are really fast.

Vista was my last Windows install, I use Windows 7 on my new Windows machines.

You ARE a really lousy computer technician if your Windows installs require 6 month re-installs.

 

[kulimer]

You really meant to post this in a Dell forum, right?

 

[NT1440]

Also, these past few years Apple has gone down a certain path that not everyone likes (Want an upgradeable machine? Want a replaceable battery? Non-glossy screen? Too bad.) If I was to buy a new laptop today, I'd be very torn between a Windows 8 ultrabook or a MacBook Air.

Good luck upgrading your ultra-book. 9/10 of the ones we sell at work (best buy) are just as unserviceable as a macbook air.

 

[notjustjay]

Good luck upgrading your ultra-book. 9/10 of the ones we sell at work (best buy) are just as unserviceable as a macbook air.

True. I'm eyeing a couple of models in particular, the Lenovo Yoga 13 or Dell XPS 12, both of which offer user upgradable SSD, but not sure about RAM.

 

[NT1440]

True. I'm eyeing a couple of models in particular, the Lenovo Yoga 13 or Dell XPS 12, both of which offer user upgradable SSD, but not sure about RAM.

Most of them are soldered in. The thing I HATE about the PC makers is they get their bases all riled up about features that apple's newest device doesn't have..then 3 years later right on queue they are racing to emulate those same features, rather than innovate and overcome the limitations of said features.

I like ultrabooks, I really do. But there is no reason that they couldn't come up with a mechanism to allow RAM upgrades (Intel should have mandated this for the ultrabook moniker as they did with wireless displays and touchscreen ability). Rather than catering to their own enthusiasts they play "me too" with apple while adopting the bad for consumer decisions that Apple has made.

The difference to me is that for whatever reason (I know most components are the same) even though Apple's hardware gets older, it seems to just soldier on. Which is why if I wanted an ultra book, I'd go with a MBA over the nice Asus I've had my eyes on. Somehow Apple's stuff just lasts longer even once it's outdated, and I can recycle down through my family and know that the computer will give few (if any issues) until it finally does crap out (my dads (was my aunt's) powerbook g4 finally crapped out due to the well known Nvidia graphics issue EIGHT years after originally purchased).

Macs tend to last (though are still definitely vulnerable if a Mobo issue crops up), my PC's tend to be hit or miss. I had an Asus crap out after two years, while a pair of really cheap 2006 Toshiba's are still soldering on (after small replacements such as HDDs & RAM). The macs? I've only ever upgraded the RAM and HDD, for performance and storage, never because of an issue.

 

[rockyroad55]

I'd recommend getting a nice Ultrabook from Asus or Dell for that price. Heck, I'm in college and barely use a computer. I am delegating almost all my needs to my ipad.

 

[notjustjay]

The difference to me is that for whatever reason (I know most components are the same) even though Apple's hardware gets older, it seems to just soldier on.
[ ... ]

The macs? I've only ever upgraded the RAM and HDD, for performance and storage, never because of an issue.

You raise a good point! My current MacBook Pro at home is from 2007. That's 6 years old! And it still runs perfectly fine -- although I did upgrade the RAM and hard drive. It is starting to show signs of failing -- some of the little rubber feet have fallen off and the optical drive occasionally doesn't read discs (flaky connector?) but other than this, it shows no signs of physical failure, and it's still fast enough for my day to day use that I haven't felt the need to buy a faster machine.

The Mac I had before that was the 12" PowerBook G4 (which was kind of the MacBook Air of the early 2000's -- very portable, great little machine), and I used that as my daily driver for 5 years too. The only reason I gave up and sold that machine was Apple's switch to intel processors. I was starting to feel left out, software wise, and decided to ditch the G4.

 

[NT1440]

You raise a good point! My current MacBook Pro at home is from 2007. That's 6 years old! And it still runs perfectly fine -- although I did upgrade the RAM and hard drive. It is starting to show signs of failing -- some of the little rubber feet have fallen off and the optical drive occasionally doesn't read discs (flaky connector?) but other than this, it shows no signs of physical failure, and it's still fast enough for my day to day use that I haven't felt the need to buy a faster machine.

The Mac I had before that was the 12" PowerBook G4 (which was kind of the MacBook Air of the early 2000's -- very portable, great little machine), and I used that as my daily driver for 5 years too. The only reason I gave up and sold that machine was Apple's switch to intel processors. I was starting to feel left out, software wise, and decided to ditch the G4.

It seems that those who don't "need" the latest and greatest are only forced to turn over their macs once a major change in the field occurs. Others seem to buy a new laptop every few years and are furious that their $400 computer crapped out after "only 3 years". I deal with these customers every single day at the Geek Squad. It really amazes me that people think that because we've gotten to the point where a cheapo computer can be sold for $289, that it's going to last as long as an $800+ machine with a real engineered body (not injected molded crap whose keyboard literally flexes an entire half inch from normal typing).

American's have no problem buying expensive cars because they think it will last, why in the hell has that not translated to computers? Is it the technology development cycle? Is it really important to upgrade your word processing/email reading machine simply because the new processors are 15% faster and the GPU is twice as powerful....when you don't use any of those features?

Well, now that I'm all riled up on the pitiful state of American technology consumers....it's time to go to work and deal with them.

 

[ermoore]

For $450 I would buy a 2Ghz Core2Duo White macbook and a new battery from ebay. The Core2Duo's are upgradeable to 4GB of ram, and some of them online aleady have that installed.

You can buy the Macbook for $350 and the New Battery for $50. That even leaves room for a HDD or RAM upgrade if need-be. There is no reason to get an Air if your budget is $450.

Bump that budget up to $650 and then you might have a chance.

And to whomever said putting 90K in your savings account would have been smarter move than putting 90K down on your home... That is a very ridiculous statement. For one, most savings interest rates don't even keep up with inflation, so you're losing money every day it sits in there. Investing in the stock market would be ideal, but that is also a GAMBLE. There's no Gamble in paying off your DEBT.

 

[stchman]

For $450 I would buy a 2Ghz Core2Duo White macbook and a new battery from ebay. The Core2Duo's are upgradeable to 4GB of ram, and some of them online aleady have that installed.

You can buy the Macbook for $350 and the New Battery for $50. That even leaves room for a HDD or RAM upgrade if need-be. There is no reason to get an Air if your budget is $450.

Bump that budget up to $650 and then you might have a chance.

And to whomever said putting 90K in your savings account would have been smarter move than putting 90K down on your home... That is a very ridiculous statement. For one, most savings interest rates don't even keep up with inflation, so you're losing money every day it sits in there. Investing in the stock market would be ideal, but that is also a GAMBLE. There's no Gamble in paying off your DEBT.

If I'm going to spend $650 on an old C2D Macbook, I'll get the $900 refurbished base 13" MBA for $900.

 

[DisplacedMic]

And to whomever said putting 90K in your savings account would have been smarter move than putting 90K down on your home... That is a very ridiculous statement. For one, most savings interest rates don't even keep up with inflation, so you're losing money every day it sits in there. Investing in the stock market would be ideal, but that is also a GAMBLE. There's no Gamble in paying off your DEBT.

i agree - except i don't like it when people refer to investments as gambling.
obviously some people can treat investments as gambles, but it's not the same thing.

Gambling is a zero-sum game, an investment isn't. In order for someone to win at poker, for example, somebody else has to lose. That is not the case with investing.

If i sell you my house for $200,000 then i have gained $200,000 but you have gained a house. We can both gain from that investment. Obviously either one or both of us can lose as well - but just because something has a risk doesn't necessarily mean it's a gamble in that sense.

I know that this is splitting hairs - but i think the distinction is important. especially in a discussion like this

 

[xj8954]

Save a little bit more

I agree that you should just save a little bit more.
Just get a refurbish from Apple, the cheapest MBA 11 inch is like 850, and you get the one-year warranty.
Refurbish is as good as new, don't let the word trick your mind.

And I really don't recommend buying a cheap MBA on eBay, you will most likely regret it.