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Buying a MacBook Air?

ryanhawiya

ryanhawiya

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 1, 2008
30
0
I am thinking about getting a MacBook Air. Should I wait for MacWorld 09 to see if they update with a buttonless trackpad and black around screen?

What should I do :confused:

??????

Thanks for your help!!!
 
eeks, I hope they don't put that black bezel on the MBA.

My advice is if you need the computer, buy it. If you don't need it, then by all means wait till Macworld. Nobody knows if they're gonna have something new or not.
 
yea its all just speculation... i wouldnt think they would but who knows.

just upgraded the "insides" at the last event though.
 
zer0tails said:
eeks, I hope they don't put that black bezel on the MBA.

My advice is if you need the computer, buy it. If you don't need it, then by all means wait till Macworld. Nobody knows if they're gonna have something new or not.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I really don't need it right this second. I am just going to wait for Macworld (or MacRumors if they are almost sure). But still, I am still getting rid of my Macbook right now. I guess I use my PC right now. :p I might die after a day of windows though...
 
redmeister said:
yea its all just speculation... i wouldnt think they would but who knows.

just upgraded the "insides" at the last event though.
Click to expand...

I guess having the "insides" updated is good too.. finally they added more space with the SSD option! But trackpad and black display outline are just things that would like to have updated but don't really care... they both won't affect the laptop much.
 
I suppose the old argument applies here. If you need it, as zer0tails puts it, buy now, if you merely want it, wait until the next updates, whenever that may be. It all depends on what your real need in a laptop/notebook computer is, which is usually some trade-off between power and portability. Those who prize portability above all else, will go for the MBA, and the recently released models have seen a considerable impreovement in spec. Why not hang on to your MB until January and wait and see what transpires then?
Cheers
 
I doubt Apple will update the Air 3 months after its last update i.e., at MW08. Look how long it took Apple to give it the first speed bump -- 9 months!

The soonest an update would come would be the spring laptop refresh which, historically has been late Feb to mid April. If you need a MBA then buy now, if you don't then by all means wait, just keep in mind that there is always an update around the corner. If it's not the glass track pad it's the Nehalem chip, etc, etc.
 
I would grab one of the first gen MBA's on ebay to hold you over until the next update, those wont lose much more value over the next 6 months.
 
Thanks for all the input... I guess I am going to go for it, but get it a couple weeks before Christmas. That way, if Apple does update it and I just 'need' it... then maybe I can just trade it in. But I guess technology does change.. and if I keep waiting, I will be waiting forever....... literally
 
I'm planning on buying a MBA too - a bottom of the line one to replace my wife's 15" 2.16ghz MacBook Pro w/ 3GB RAM that we bought back in March, 2007. Normally, I replace laptops around the 2.5 year mark (Before the warranty ends), but she really wants to get a skinny laptop so she can travel with it and her work one so this will be an exception.
 
Rizvi1 said:
I'm planning on buying a MBA too - a bottom of the line one to replace my wife's 15" 2.16ghz MacBook Pro w/ 3GB RAM that we bought back in March, 2007. Normally, I replace laptops around the 2.5 year mark (Before the warranty ends), but she really wants to get a skinny laptop so she can travel with it and her work one so this will be an exception.
Click to expand...

See, this was what I was thinking. I just want a nice laptop that I can slip in whatever bag and not feel it. With my Macbook right now, I have the case and whatnot... whereas I can just GO with the MBA. Still looking where I can get a better price. I'm seeing pretty nice deals on eBay, but I would prefer a second gen. since they have faster graphics-more HD space.
 
ryanhawiya said:
See, this was what I was thinking. I just want a nice laptop that I can slip in whatever bag and not feel it. With my Macbook right now, I have the case and whatnot... whereas I can just GO with the MBA. Still looking where I can get a better price. I'm seeing pretty nice deals on eBay, but I would prefer a second gen. since they have faster graphics-more HD space.
Click to expand...

What did yuo decide to do ryanhawiya? I'm planning on buying a MacBook Air in the next couple days, just waiting to see if there are any good promotions on top of the usual education discount (I'm a student).

Last month, my brother got a Macbook and on top of the $100 discount for being a student, he also got a $100 printer free after rebate. But what worked out nice was that Apple mailed out the $100 rebate right away and it arrived before the printer. So we cashed that and waited on the printer. Well, they had a hard time delivering so it went back to Apple and they just refunded the $100 we paid for the printer and kept the printer. This worked out nicely - rather than keep a printer we didn't want, we instead were able to use that $100 towards the MacBook, taking the price down to $1400.

I'm wondering if there's anything similar I can do for the MacBook Air I have to buy.
 
Rizvi1 said:
What did yuo decide to do ryanhawiya? I'm planning on buying a MacBook Air in the next couple days, just waiting to see if there are any good promotions on top of the usual education discount (I'm a student).

Last month, my brother got a Macbook and on top of the $100 discount for being a student, he also got a $100 printer free after rebate. But what worked out nice was that Apple mailed out the $100 rebate right away and it arrived before the printer. So we cashed that and waited on the printer. Well, they had a hard time delivering so it went back to Apple and they just refunded the $100 we paid for the printer and kept the printer. This worked out nicely - rather than keep a printer we didn't want, we instead were able to use that $100 towards the MacBook, taking the price down to $1400.

I'm wondering if there's anything similar I can do for the MacBook Air I have to buy.
Click to expand...

I actually went and got the MacBook Air. It is amazing! I got the 1.8/SSD and it is very fast. :)
 
ryanhawiya said:
I actually went and got the MacBook Air. It is amazing! I got the 1.8/SSD and it is very fast. :)
Click to expand...

I still need to get the Macbook Air for my wife. I want to get the cheapest one, but I'm wondering if I should change something before ordering.
 
Rizvi1 said:
I still need to get the Macbook Air for my wife. I want to get the cheapest one, but I'm wondering if I should change something before ordering.
Click to expand...

I would look at the refurb MBA rev a on Apple's online store.... $1149 for 80GB with 1.6GHz. If that's good enough for her, you should be all set. Otherwise, you'll be paying more for a lesser computer (MBA vs. MB)
 
I have the MBA rev B and new MBP.

I prefer using the MBA, the glassbooks are too glossy. I even prefer the button on the trackpad.
 
MH01 said:
I have the MBA rev B and new MBP.

I prefer using the MBA, the glassbooks are too glossy. I even prefer the button on the trackpad.
Click to expand...

I have the late 2008 macbook and I can't imagine going back to a regular trackpad and button. I have used other comps and I can't stand it... plus I try to two finger scroll and three finger swipe and its sooooo irritating.
 
descartes said:
a bit harsh of an article
Click to expand...
I agree, but it does make me wonder how many actually think that. They are right on the mark though on some things, like BT headsets out in public where the user appears to be having a conversation with himself (loudly) without any regard to anybody else around him. It never fails to make the user look like a complete and total jerk.
 
Luke1robb said:
I would look at the refurb MBA rev a on Apple's online store.... $1149 for 80GB with 1.6GHz. If that's good enough for her, you should be all set. Otherwise, you'll be paying more for a lesser computer (MBA vs. MB)
Click to expand...

I had heard a lot of bad things about the first generation macbook air. I wanted to get the latest one.
 
Rizvi1 said:
Luke1robb said:
Rizvi1 said:
I still need to get the Macbook Air for my wife. I want to get the cheapest one, but I'm wondering if I should change something before ordering.
Click to expand...
I would look at the refurb MBA rev a on Apple's online store.... $1149 for 80GB with 1.6GHz. If that's good enough for her, you should be all set. Otherwise, you'll be paying more for a lesser computer (MBA vs. MB)
Click to expand...
I had heard a lot of bad things about the first generation macbook air. I wanted to get the latest one.
Click to expand...

still haven't purchased the MacBook Air for my wife and now there's new pricing on the refurbished MBA. I had posted before that I was scared to buy the rev. A because of the problems I've heard. Perhaps the refurbished MBAs wouldn't have those problems now (overheating, downclocking?, etc.) - maybe they were in the initial versions?

I believe these are all my options:

* $999 Refurbished 1.6ghz C2D from this thread
* the $1299 w/ SSD instead from this thread
* the new $1799 1.6ghz w/120GB SATA hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics
* $2299 for the 1.6ghz one w/ an SSD drive instead (also not adjusted for my education discount)
* $2499 for the 1.8ghz ghz w/ MacBook air

Pretty decent discussion going on over on the slickdeals thread where I read about this:
http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?p=15946993#post15946993

Love to hear some thoughts.
 
I am thinking about mostly the same options:
Rev A 1.6 or 1.8 or
Rev B with SSD/HDD

Or MBP 2.4 Unibody.

Problem is I would really like the size and weight of MBA
but I want the video card from Rev B and screen from Rev A!

Hm, MBP is nice but a little heavy and dont really like the trackpad and the glossyness.

/Peter
 
Rizvi1 said:
I still need to get the Macbook Air for my wife. I want to get the cheapest one, but I'm wondering if I should change something before ordering.
Click to expand...

Sorry to bring an old thread back from the dead, but there was a lot of discussion in this thread for me.

I finally ordered the MBA for my wife:
MACBOOK AIR 13/1.6/2GB/120GB

Should be here in a few days
 
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