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Bought an Air in October, should I sell?

B

brclark80

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 22, 2016
16
1
Hickory, NC
I bought my current Air in October from Amazon before the new Pros came out. Back then, there were rumors of a new Air coming out, but obviously that didn't happen. My Laptop at the time had been knocked off the desk by my son (3), and it broke a piece off the motherboard. Rather than getting it repaired, and since I hated Windows 10, I decided to switch back to Apple.

I saw a good deal on Amazon for the Air, and paid $884, tax free with 2-day Prime shipping. I wanted to use it mostly as a desktop, but wanted the portability when I travel. I also bought a Magic Keyboard 2, and Magic Trackpad 2. I have it hooked up to a monitor using a MiniDP to HDMI cable.

Now that the Air is most likely EOL, I am wondering if I should sell it and get a better computer that will last a bit longer. The Air is fine, and meets my needs perfectly. For what I do, I don't really need a better computer, but I would like to get a Retina display and a Force Touch trackpad as I am getting spoiled by the larger display, and when I go back to the Air screen, it seems too small and doesn't look that good. I think the Retina display would look give me a much better experience.

I am thinking of perhaps selling it and getting a 2015 Pro. Would the base 2015 Pro last me a bit longer than the Air? Is there any chance of the Air not getting updates as long since it's basically a dead product now? If I did sell it, I probably wouldn't use the monitor anymore, as the Retina display would look much better than my 1080p monitor does.

I've seen in the past Apple refurbished Pros for around $1100 or so, so it's not that much more and I could pay the difference. Thank you!
 
brclark80 said:
The Air is fine, and meets my needs perfectly. For what I do, I don't really need a better computer
Click to expand...

Seems like you summed it up right there. IMO, it is foolish to buy a computer based on what you think may happen several years from now. Learn to live with your decisions and stop chasing the "next big thing". There will be something even newer and better next year and the year afterwards. Save your money and wait until you actually need something better.
 
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I doubt the air will last longer than a pro released the same year. It will get the same amount of support... it'll be a good 5+ years until support is dropped...considering the MacBook was released with worse performance.

Get the pro if you really want the screen... that's about all it boils down to.
 
You got a bargain for it.


I'd keep it. Probably the most dependable apple laptop and it has easily the best battery life
 
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Thanks everyone. I guess I just had a bit of buyers remorse. I was in Best Buy looking at a tablet for my mother for Christmas and was looking at a Macbook with Retina. I can live without it as my Air suits my needs just fine. I did get a really good deal on it and I am happy with it. I'll stick with it for a few years then maybe the Pro issues will be sorted out and dare I say a price drop :)
 
I've been considering Air/Pro as well. I keep hearing this idea that the Pro will be supported longer, and it made me wonder if that's been true historically. So I did some research. Here are the results:
Screen%2Bshot%2B2016-12-10%2Bat%2B1.28.21%2BPM.png


My conclusion is that a high-end machine may continue to be supported for up to 3 years longer than a contemporaneous low-end one, but it may end up getting superannuated the same year, depending on how new OS development goes. And even when the high-end machine does get you a life extension, it still ends up costing more. If you buy a Pro, buy it for today, not tomorrow.
 
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spellflower said:
I've been considering Air/Pro as well. I keep hearing this idea that the Pro will be supported longer, and it made me wonder if that's been true historically. So I did some research. Here are the results:
Screen%2Bshot%2B2016-12-10%2Bat%2B1.28.21%2BPM.png


My conclusion is that a high-end machine may continue to be supported for up to 3 years longer than a contemporaneous low-end one, but it may end up getting superannuated the same year, depending on how new OS development goes. And even when the high-end machine does get you a life extension, it still ends up costing more. If you buy a Pro, buy it for today, not tomorrow.
Click to expand...
you have to also consider that the macbook air is the last of the 'good' generation of product (useful ports, non-gimmick keyboard, user serviceable parts), which will keep its value. similar to the last tower mac pro, or quad core mac mini
 
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Certainly! But I think it's interesting that people recommend buying a MBP over other models because, they say, it will remain viable longer, and is therefore more cost-effective. Well, it might, sure- who knows? But that just hasn't been the case in the past ten years, so I don't think it's a very solid argument.
 
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Oh, I totally agree with your conclusion, "If you buy a Pro, buy it for today, not tomorrow".

I'm sure it was a fun project to prepare that spreadsheet, but I don't think it provides much insight into what to expect in the future.
 
I'm the first to admit that the chart doesn't provide insight into the future. But there seems to be a widely held belief that a) Pros are historically better investments, and therefore b) Pros will be better investments in the future. The chart shows that a) is false, and therefore b) is completely unfounded.

I admit, I wanted to believe that I could buy a fancy computer and justify it as a pragmatic decision. There are, after all, some times when spending more money really does make sense. It's true for boots, and it's true when comparing Macs to cheap PC's. But it's just not true here.
 
spellflower said:
Certainly! But I think it's interesting that people recommend buying a MBP over other models because, they say, it will remain viable longer, and is therefore more cost-effective. Well, it might, sure- who knows? But that just hasn't been the case in the past ten years, so I don't think it's a very solid argument.
Click to expand...

Or one might drop it or accidentally vomit onto the keyboard; the stomach acid leaking down between the keys and ruining the whole thing. There's always that.
 
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spellflower said:
I'm the first to admit that the chart doesn't provide insight into the future. But there seems to be a widely held belief that a) Pros are historically better investments, and therefore b) Pros will be better investments in the future. The chart shows that a) is false, and therefore b) is completely unfounded.

I admit, I wanted to believe that I could buy a fancy computer and justify it as a pragmatic decision. There are, after all, some times when spending more money really does make sense. It's true for boots, and it's true when comparing Macs to cheap PC's. But it's just not true here.
Click to expand...
I think that there is SOME value in the chart. It obviously shouldn't be the only factor, but it can be helpful.

** WARNING: DREADED AUTOMOBILE ANALOGY AHEAD **

It is similar to deciding whether to buy an economy car vs. a higher quality car. Comparing the initial cost, life of the vehicle, resale value, etc. are all very similar. It might have been significantly less expensive per year to drive a Yugo than to buy a Honda Accord, but in the end one spent those years drive a Yugo. :p (yes, I'm old)

That was just an illustration. It is NOT to imply that the Air is so inferior to the Pro. (I'm a HUGE fan of the MBA, and t 11" MBA in particular)

Ultimately it looks like the cost of ownership of an MBP is higher than an MBA... no money savings there. It then comes down to whether or not the higher cost is worth the experience of owning the MBP.
 
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Okay, since you started it:

I think this is the car analogy:

Cheap PC = Kia
MBA = Honda
MBP = Acura

A Honda costs more up front than a Kia, but it will cost less to maintain, and will likely remain usable longer, making it a better bargain in the long run. You can justify upgrading to a Honda based on long-term savings, and enjoy the other perks of driving a nicer car.

An Accura costs more than a Honda, and it also costs more to maintain. It might last just as long, or longer, but it's not a guarantee. It's nicer than the Honda, but it's not more cost effective. You don't buy an Acura to save money- you buy it because you want an Acura.
 
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I think the analogy is even more basic. The Honda would be a nice car for you and your family, but if you're a professional contractor you need a truck that's capable of hauling around all your tools and supplies. Now if you're not a contractor, you might buy the truck anyway because it's more rugged and makes some kind of statement, but it costs more and it's more than you really need. :D
 
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Here is the contrarian...

Am considering upgrading my 2011 Air for a latest 2016 Air, in case this is the last of the series with standard USB ports, Magsafe, the classic lighted Logo. Don't like where Apple is going with the newer.
 
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JamesPDX said:
Or one might drop it or accidentally vomit onto the keyboard; the stomach acid leaking down between the keys and ruining the whole thing. There's always that.
Click to expand...

I did actually once vomit on my MacBook Pro 2008 when I had whooping cough that made me cough so hard I often would throw up just from the force from my diaphragm on my stomach. Amazingly, no stomach acid leaked down and ruined the keyswitches. Makes you wonder how many "I threw up on my computer" stories are out there!
 
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These are the kind of stories I come here for... :eek:

There should be a word for "when you accidentally drop your iPhone into a public toilet, you pause for a moment, and then simply walk away as if it never happened. New iPhone time.
[doublepost=1481747154][/doublepost]
spellflower said:
Okay, since you started it:

I think this is the car analogy:

Cheap PC = Kia
MBA = Honda
MBP = Acura

A Honda costs more up front than a Kia, but it will cost less to maintain, and will likely remain usable longer, making it a better bargain in the long run. You can justify upgrading to a Honda based on long-term savings, and enjoy the other perks of driving a nicer car.

An Accura costs more than a Honda, and it also costs more to maintain. It might last just as long, or longer, but it's not a guarantee. It's nicer than the Honda, but it's not more cost effective. You don't buy an Acura to save money- you buy it because you want an Acura.
Click to expand...

And the Boxx = Lamborghini Veneno.
[doublepost=1481747795][/doublepost]
Mrbobb said:
Here is the contrarian...

Am considering upgrading my 2011 Air for a latest 2016 Air, in case this is the last of the series with standard USB ports, Magsafe, the classic lighted Logo. Don't like where Apple is going with the newer.
Click to expand...

It's the 2015. Get this one, with the fastest i7 and the most RAM. And get it now, before it's too thin and w/o even a charging port.
 
I used to be obsessed with having the latest greatest stuff. One day I stopped and realized it was all for nothing. I have a mid 2012 MacBook Air. It does everything I need and works great. So I have finally stopped. Based on what you said, you are good with the Air.
 
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I bought a 11.6 air since I felt that this was my last chance of getting one. I bought the 8g or ram model since that cannot be upgraded. I like it...it is fast and all the rest. HOWEVER, my 2011 MBP 17 inch is still functioning, especially after an SSD upgrade. Sometimes you just have to tell yourself no.
 
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