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Apple Updates MacBook Airs with Faster Haswell Processors and $100 Price Drop [Updated]
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The 13" model is tempting, but I might wait to see what the upcoming refresh will be. Then again, it's not a bad price and the speed might be usable for what I need and without frying the system in the process (VM, heavy graphics editing...)
I have the 2012 13" as per my sig and I have no problems running a win 8.1 vm in Fusion with 2 CPU cores and 4GB RAM for normal office stuff and Visual Studio .net coding.
The point was that most manufacturers have retina-or-better displays, but don't hype them the same way. mbpro retina and iPad Mini retina were new products with big splash announcements. Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and others pushed out notebooks with ppi higher than the mbp retina, but they're just spec improvements.
Chromebooks outsold the entire Apple notebook line by more than 5:1 last year. You can say that Apple doesn't race to the bottom, but these price cuts are just one indicator that Apple is paying close attention, and wants to move beyond the high-price market.
A lot of parents and schools see Chromebooks as affordable choices for kids who don't need a luxury product. That's how Apple got their first foot-hold... Apple II's in schools. Enterprise is getting interested in Chromebooks too because they are so easy to lock down.
I'm going to guess Apple will drop the 11in and 13in MBA, which is why they discounted it. They will release a 12in rMBA that is the same size as the 11" MBA with smaller bezel around the display.
No point in having a 13in as the MBP is 13".
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I like that Apple is targeting a bigger market with these price drops. $100 can make a big difference to get a sale.
I just hope the quality doesn't dwindle. With the release of OS X beta program, is Apple reducing its software staff in favor of us doing most of the testing? Or is Apple just insuring we have better quality software? Hoping hardware stays just as good.
No point in having a 13in as the MBP is 13".
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I like that Apple is targeting a bigger market with these price drops. $100 can make a big difference to get a sale.
I just hope the quality doesn't dwindle. With the release of OS X beta program, is Apple reducing its software staff in favor of us doing most of the testing? Or is Apple just insuring we have better quality software? Hoping hardware stays just as good.
I'm not at all impressed with this update or Apple lately which is why I've fallen off the bandwagon some and hardly ever come here anymore, unlike back when Steve was alive and I would check the site everyday.
I'll be sticking with my $199 Chromebook for mobile computing and my iMac for everything else, a $700 savings over getting the "new" and slightly cheaper MacBook Air
I'll be sticking with my $199 Chromebook for mobile computing and my iMac for everything else, a $700 savings over getting the "new" and slightly cheaper MacBook Air
Did you read what I said? "This does not apply to the situation" they asked when was a price drop ever innovative? That is an example of one.
I don't know about exchange, but I don't see why you couldn't return a five day old laptop. Apple Store (assuming you bought it there) has a 14 day return policy. You just wouldn't get any money back on any software you have purchased, opened and installed in addition to the laptop. All you would really have to tell them is that you are not happy with the product. Then you could turn right around and buy the new one. Places usually ask why you are returning it, but unless the thing is literally on fire, I don't see any reason for not accepting it. People will even return things to stores that they have opened and attempted to assemble, but failed due to their own fault or parts being defective or missing. The worst I have personally seen is people carefully opening up an Xbox 360 console, removing the defective innards, placing them in the case of a newly purchased Xbox 360, and the returning that machine to the store and keeping the one with the old case and new innards at their house. Stores also don't like serial returners, and most track your returns now. I try not to return things, though I do if I find it at a better price somewhere else, or find something comparable that I like better (I just did that with a digital clock/thermometer unit - I hadn't even removed the first one from the packaging). Or I buy a movie that I already had (did that a few times). Walmart will return even without a receipt - though they will give you a Walmart gift card instead of cash.
I like to err on the side of caution, so I probably would not mention the new purchase during the refund transaction. If it made you more comfortable, you could come back on a different day and see a different sales associate to make the new purchase. If you bought via credit card, and have a smaller limit, you would have to wait until the return credit was posted to your account (usually 2-3 days, maybe longer) before buying the new one, anyway.
Just make sure you have the original packaging and manuals and all that before you make the return. And wipe the hard drive of any personal data. Apple will just send it to one of their centers, check it out, and then put it up as a refurb model for sale, I'm guessing.
I'd return it for the lower price and the spec bump. It's a no brainer.
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Well now if the taxes in the uk are higher than those in the us it's not really apples fault...
And in your second para I didn't quite get your calculations... Adding 10% to 899 Gbp gives you 989 gbp which is around 1650 usd I think...
Glad I bought my rMBP back in October . But really, my 09 MBP was dying and I needed a new one. I'm also not a fan of the MBA form factor.
Those refurb prices look good for graduating high school seniors who will be shopping for college in the next few months. Apple should really consider giving $100 off for the education pricing though. I got $100 off my rMBP in October.
. But really, my 09 MBP was dying and I needed a new one. I'm also not a fan of the MBA form factor.Those refurb prices look good for graduating high school seniors who will be shopping for college in the next few months. Apple should really consider giving $100 off for the education pricing though. I got $100 off my rMBP in October.
Erm, no, well maybe.
Hong Kong is probably cheaper.
US prices don't even include taxes, prices for Macbook Pro's are all better in HK even before taxes.
Most of the time HK is cheaper, Mac Mini is just a bit more but if you add taxes which you have to pay
in most states in the US, the US is in fact almost if not always more expensive for Apple gear than Hong Kong!
13-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
US-$1,299 HK$=$1,288
13-inch: 2.4GHz
with Retina display
US-$1,499 HK$=$1,482
Macbook pro
13-inch: 2.6GHz
with Retina display
US-$1,799 HK$ 13,888=$1791
15-inch: 2.0GHz
with Retina display
US-$1,999 HK$ 15,288=$1972
15-inch: 2.3GHz
with Retina display
US-$2,599 HK$ 19,988=$2,578
iMac
27-inch: 3.4GHz
US-$1,999 HK$=$1,997
There is no need to do a song and dance to get the difference refunded/exchanged/returned. In a case by case basis, they will do the same after 14 days. Don't expect much if you bought it more than a month out though.
Also, Apple does NOT charge restocking fees. They got rid of that years ago.
Hmfh. I want a big clunky MacBook Pro. One like the good old 17" PowerBook G4's with lots of I/O ports and a solid feel to it.
Why would Apple invite members of the media and press to an event JUST to say that there's now a MacBook Air with a retina display? That would be the shortest press event in history.
So.. If i upgrade the high end 13" model to 8 gbs of RAM, it comes to 1299 USD and for 200 USD more i get:
1) retina display
2) faster processor despite the processor updated Airs
3) better graphics although still shared gfx memory
4) more expandibility
Retina 13" MBP still looks like a no brainer to me tbh..
1) retina display
2) faster processor despite the processor updated Airs
3) better graphics although still shared gfx memory
4) more expandibility
Retina 13" MBP still looks like a no brainer to me tbh..
I just received a custom Macbook Air last week, ao I called Apple and they are refunding me $100.00 on my purchase. I don't see the point in exchanging a computer over 100mhz.
I picked up a macbook air about a month ago, called apple today and they refunded the difference, no quibbles at all. Was really impressed to be honest.