Apple's M2 MacBook Air Hits All-Time Low Prices at Best Buy, Get Up to $300 Off

[6749974]

It's the principle. I know that people nowadays don't let principle bother them, but the fact that Apple still, in good conscious, puts 8GB RAM or 256GB SSD in a relatively expensive computer is them making a fool of anyone who buys it. Especially considering that it would cost Apple only a few dollars to put an extra 8GB RAM or an extra NAND SSD chip but then they don't get that $400 pure upgrade profit.

Guiding principles are for quick guidance or judgements. You can’t solely rely on them or else you end up making inferior decisions or judgements. Maps are useful but they become outdated and inaccurate. The map is not the terrain.

On principle alone, neither do I like it, but I’m able to then take in other related information and update my judgement; primarily target customer and their use case and how storage speed factors into performance bottlenecks.

That is why my judgement on M2 Air 256 GB drive is it’s a non issue, but my judgement on M2 Pro MacBook Pro is less understanding because it’s more likely the target user of a 512 GB drive on a 14/16-inch MacBook Pro is looking for storage performance (Eg. Video editor). It’s more than just principles that we have to consider or rely on when assessing situations or complexities.

 

[6749974]

The display on the MBA is just not good enough. In normal lighting it’s too dim. I had one and I kept trying to increase the brightness only to realize I was already maxed out. I wish Apple would realize that many people don’t need a super fast amazing chip, but they would love to have a nice display in the form factor of a MBA.

Which MBA?

M1 MBA is 400 nits.

M2/M3 is 500 nits.

I find M2 more than sufficient. I’d have to go outside for it to be dim. Most external displays are like 350 nits. Office and interior lighting is surprisingly low.

 

[jkev57]

The 256GB 13" MBAir is very dicey - single chip = terrible benchmark performance (not sure if this is 100% true in real world use).
The gem in the Best Buy inventory is the 15" 16GB/1TB. I picked two up.

I've been trying out my new MacBook Air (M2) 16GB/1TB, which I picked up at Best Buy yesterday, and I'm extremely impressed. I never liked the 14-inch MacBook because the screen is just too small. I much preferred my 16-inch M2 MacBook for my job as a newspaper editor. I got the MacBook Air for my retirement computer (Two months from today!). I can already tell it's going to be a joy to use. It has a nice screen and is fast enough to meet my needs. I was thinking about keeping my MBP 16, but I may end up selling it.

 

[Darren.h]

256gb ssd and only 8gb of ram. way too small

come on Apple. the rock bottom config should be 512gb ssd and 16 gb of ram. no less.

 

[Royksöpp]

The M2 was rushed. It had far too many compromises. It’s no surprise the Pro and Max variant were replaced after less than a year.

 

[svish]

Should be seeing discounts on 13" M2 as the price has now officially dropped to $999. Also good price for the 15" M2

 

[parajba]

Why in the UK these deals don’t exist? It’s always RRPs or UK Apple Refurbished store. Bit jealous.

 

[JoeG4]

I bought the 8gb/512gb version in gold a couple months ago for myself. It's more than fine, since I have a couple of pretty powerful desktops I use for 99% of my stuff. I just wanted something thin, quiet, and with long battery life. Right now I'm using it for garageband when I'm playing guitar on the sofa lol. Fun times.

I guess with Apple Silicon and the 15" model, things have really changed but I'm not sure the original 11" and 13" designs were intended to be used as one's primary computer. These make FANTASTIC second computers when your main computer is a gaming desktop or a Mac studio!

LOL admittedly my first Macbook Air (a 2011) was the most powerful computer I had in college - up until 2013 when I finally got myself a more powerful desktop to replace my PowerMac G5. Good times.

I also feel really silly making this justification - but the M1/M2/M3 SoCs these computers use only have space for 2 ram chips. An 8gb model is using 2 4GB chips. That's a bit more expensive than an 8gb dimm that would be using 4 2gb chips or maybe even 8 1gb chips. When you look at the 16gb/32gb models I can see how this starts getting quite expensive. I also wonder what clock speed and latency numbers they run their RAM at...

One annoying drawback to me with the M2 Air is that it can't drive my 57" 7680x2160 monitor at full resolution. That sucks. 5120x1440 is as high as it goes. But again, I don't need to use it for that.

 

[aknabi]

How else will you know by how much Apple is ripping you off in your own country?

Indeed... in the Netherlands you'll never find any sort of deal... even the refurbished store is bare... in general discounts here are weak (people need a diaper change when they see 20% off)... odd given the Dutch pride taken on euro pinching and the "Goedkoop" culture.

The only explanation I can come up with is they keep supplies here tighter, the EU isn't really a single market, lowering competitive pressures and knowing the retail environment in the EU is willing to pay full price (vs the US consumer culture).

Almost worth it to fly home and pick one up (usually get my Apple gear on trips back home).

Y'all are retail blessed back in the US (where even Apple products are available at significant discounts)

 

[snipr125]

Why in the UK these deals don’t exist? It’s always RRPs or UK Apple Refurbished store. Bit jealous.

Well Amazon UK have some good deals on the M2 e.g. 13” 8/256 space grey is £903. John Lewis and Costco not bad either. We don't get the same deals as they regularly get in the US, but there are deals to be had if you look around.

 

[lindros2]

An "ALL TIME LOW SALE PRICE!" ....seemingly every couple days, if not every single day
Odd times

Is this just the Apple strategy now, or are there some demand issues?
I guess a mix of both?

MacRumors -> Forbes.
"iPhone Buyers in for a Nasty Surprise!"
-Gordon Kelly

 

[lindros2]

Why in the UK these deals don’t exist? It’s always RRPs or UK Apple Refurbished store. Bit jealous.

buy one in the US when you're over here on holiday.
That's what my mates do - UK > Orlando or California.

 

[joshwithachance]

Ok $999 for a 15” m2 is well worth it.

Not with that gimped, much slower single-NAND SSD... Glad the M3 model fixed this and went back to using dual storage chips in ALL variants, including the base model.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Not with that gimped, much slower single-NAND SSD... Glad the M3 model fixed this and went back to using dual storage chips in ALL variants, including the base model.

And for all the folks saying "stop complaining about X, it doesn't matter to Apple"

Actually, yes I do think it matters and I'll bet they changed course here specifically because people kept talking about it on forums and in reviews and YT videos, etc

 

[joshwithachance]

And for all the folks saying "stop complaining about X, it doesn't matter to Apple"

Actually, yes I do think it matters and I'll bet they changed course here specifically because people kept talking about it on forums and in reviews and YT videos, etc

Bingo. Had this issue not been BLOWN UP, consistently, it never would have been addressed. Apple will always protect their bottom line first and foremost, but they DO seem to take into account what their customers want from time to time.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Bingo. Had this issue not been BLOWN UP, consistently, it never would have been addressed. Apple will always protect their bottom line first and foremost, but they DO seem to take into account what their customers want from time to time.

Same with the butterfly keyboard stuff

The one thing that does tend to work with a company like Apple is... "keep talking about and complaining about problems"

The one thing they can't control is the public narratives (even though they try hard!)
It's the one stick we have to use

 

[6749974]

The M2 was rushed. It had far too many compromises. It’s no surprise the Pro and Max variant were replaced after less than a year.

The opposite, in fact.

Due to manufacturing delays, the announcement of M2 Pro and M2 Max MacBook Pros were subsequently delayed from November 2022 to January 2023. When 10 months later, Apple announced M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pros, that was Apple getting back on schedule.

 

[6749974]

Not with that gimped, much slower single-NAND SSD... Glad the M3 model fixed this and went back to using dual storage chips in ALL variants, including the base model.

Anyone not buying an M2 Air at a deep discount because someone else tells them the drive is slow is making an expensive mistake. 1500 MB/s speeds is more than fast enough for someone buying a base model MacBook Air. It opens a 1 GB file in less than a second.

If a person wants to move the needle on performance, they need to buy more RAM, not more storage.

 

[lindros2]

Not with that gimped, much slower single-NAND SSD... Glad the M3 model fixed this and went back to using dual storage chips in ALL variants, including the base model.

are we going to continue harping on this - read up in the thread.
Benchmark tests ≠ real life.

 

[lindros2]

Anyone not buying an M2 Air at a deep discount because someone else tells them the drive is slow is making an expensive mistake. 1500 MB/s speeds is more than fast enough for someone buying a base model MacBook Air. It opens a 1 GB file in less than a second.

If a person wants to move the needle on performance, they need to buy more RAM, not more storage.

or buy a Mac Pro with 1.5TB of RAM and a 60TB SSD array.

 

[lindros2]

The M2 never had a reason to exist. Get a super great deal on an M1 for basic computing (faster NAND) or get a an M3. No reason for anyone to pick up an M2 even when they were brand new. Or especially when they were brand new.

One big reason:
$619 for 16/1TB 15" M2 with trade-in.

Longer I (or anyone) waits, lower trade-in value. So the $400 off + double_what_Apple_offering was a great deal.

 

[Wanted797]

The M2 never had a reason to exist. Get a super great deal on an M1 for basic computing (faster NAND) or get a an M3. No reason for anyone to pick up an M2 even when they were brand new. Or especially when they were brand new.

NAND doesn’t matter and you’ll have 2 years extra if not more if support.

 

[6749974]

The M2 never had a reason to exist. Get a super great deal on an M1 for basic computing (faster NAND) or get a an M3. No reason for anyone to pick up an M2 even when they were brand new. Or especially when they were brand new.

Shoot.

I should have spent the last 1.5 years using an M1 that isn't as bright, colorful, capped with less RAM, and has no MagSafe, forcing me to be without Thunderbolt ports while charging, using a 720p web cam.

What a waste the M2 was!

 

[unWoke_inLA]

that sucks, I just bout my 15" M2 8 months ago total was $1,800

 

[AriaAmaris]

Which MBA?

M1 MBA is 400 nits.

M2/M3 is 500 nits.

I find M2 more than sufficient. I’d have to go outside for it to be dim. Most external displays are like 350 nits. Office and interior lighting is surprisingly low.

M2, but understand I also have a 14 MBP. For me the difference is sustantial. I just want a display as good as the 14 in the body of a MBA.