Buying decision current MBA with student discount or wait for the new Pros

[bunce66]

My Macbook Pro 2014 is really starting to show it's age. I'm in a dilemma now to purhcase one of the following to replace it:

Option 1: Current Generation Macbook Air, with 16GB RAM and 512 GB hard drive upgrades. With a student discount can get this with Free AirPods for around $1300. I see this as an incredible deal actually and it's hard to pass up.

Option 2: Wait 2-3 months and get the new 14-inch Macbook Pro due to come out. Of course, this machine will have a faster chip, bigger screen, and the latest features, but it is likely to cost at least $500 more and won't have the free Airpods (which I don't really need btw).

I use the laptop for web browsing (usually have 50-100 tabs open), watching movies, and doing MS Office stuff. No serious video editing or anything like that. The MBA will likely serve my needs, but the bigger scree will be nice and I usually keep computers for 5-7 years before replacing.

Also, with my new machine, I plan to plug it into an external LG 5K "retina" monitor when at home. I assume the MBA can handle this, correct?

Which do most of you recommend?? Thank you!

 

[PaladinGuy]

Functionally, the MBA meets your needs I think. You’d just be paying more for “nice to haves” on the MBP and be spending a lot more money. I’d probably go with the current MBA M1, but it’s your money.

 

[dizmonk]

Functionally, the MBA meets your needs I think. You’d just be paying more for “nice to haves” on the MBP and be spending a lot more money. I’d probably go with the current MBA M1, but it’s your money.

Completely agree.

 

[jdb8167]

Also, with my new machine, I plan to plug it into an external LG 5K "retina" monitor when at home. I assume the MBA can handle this, correct?

No problem. But only one external monitor.

 

[PlayUltimate]

MBA is more than enough. Save the money and get the AirPods. If you need a bigger screen, get an external

 

[jerryk]

I went from a 16" MBP to the base M1 Air and have no regrets. IMHO would not plan on keeping the system be that current M1 Air or a 14" M1x for 4-7 years simply because we are just at the beginning of Apple Silicon Mac designs. I think they will continue to get more powerful every year and the amount of performance per dollar will increase at a fast pace.

 

[JPack]

The Back to School deal is nearly impossible to beat. If you don't pick up the AirPods, you get $159 refunded back. This loophole means $1,100 for a 7C/16/512 MBA.

The 14-inch will start at $1,700 if not higher. That's a $600 difference.

Since you have a monitor, I don't think 13 or 14-inch will make a big difference.

 

[erasr]

Ok this back to school thing; is it in the U.K. too, with the same offer/loophole? And how do I take advantage if I’m not a student? 😉

 

[jerryk]

Ok this back to school thing; is it in the U.K. too, with the same offer/loophole? And how do I take advantage if I’m not a student? 😉

Take a course at a local college. You just need a student ID in case they ask.

 

[JPack]

Ok this back to school thing; is it in the U.K. too, with the same offer/loophole? And how do I take advantage if I’m not a student? 😉

Not sure about the U.K. But in U.S. and Canada, if you place your order such that the MBA is shipped (by entering a free gift message) and the AirPods are set for pickup, you get a full cancellation and refund for the AirPods if they're not picked up after two weeks.