Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
As a lightroom user the 8gb ram does concern me a little. I know the way M1 handles memory is better, but my preference would be for a little more memory. Just annoying that the upper tiered MBA only has extra SDD capacity. I know I can BTO one with the spec I need, but it means I can't get a discount from anywhere and I'm forced to get it from Apple. (o.k. I can get 6% off via my employer - but still a black friday deal will most likely be better). Interesting to note most M1 products in the refurb channel are with 8gb (certainly UK anyway).
Apple education store has some nice discounts.
I’m not saying that they don’t check that you’re actually buying it for education… but they don’t check that you’re buying it for education.
For college I got an M1 MacBook Air, eight core CPU/8 core GPU, 16 GB of RAM, one TB SSD for A really really good price. And yes, I did actually buy it for educational purposes.
But again, not saying that you *should* but you *can* buy from the education store with just a regular Apple account. Nothing is really stopping you, they don’t do any sort of verification.
One of the biggest oversights from Apple in my opinion, you can literally save hundreds and hundreds of dollars from the education store, and they don’t verify that you’re an education customer.
Not complaining obviously, I’m not saying that it’s right to do so, but… nothing is stopping anyone.
You can literally get final cut, logic, main stage, compressor, and motion for $200 together in a bundle from the education store, and they don’t even check to see if you have a .edu email.
And this isn’t a secret either, this isn’t something new, this isn’t a bug, this is something that’s been possible since the days of them giving you free 2G iPod touches during the summer with an education purchase.
 
Last edited:
I think Apple’s supply chain is a bit off.

iPhone 11 (2019) is still available to buy in Apple Stores. Great job Tim Cook!

iPhone XR (2018) should still be available brand new.

Where do I go for iPhone XR (2018) brand new?

Amazon?
Target?
Walmart?
Best Buy?

iPhone 13 - 1679
iPhone 12 - 1570
iPhone 11 - 1307
iPhone XR - 1103

iPhone XR, 2018, what’s the issue? It’s 64GB right?
 
I think Apple’s supply chain is a bit off.

iPhone 11 (2019) is still available to buy in Apple Stores. Great job Tim Cook!

iPhone XR (2018) should still be available brand new.

Where do I go for iPhone XR (2018) brand new?

Amazon?
Target?
Walmart?
Best Buy?
The XR was discontinued when the iPhone 13 series was introduced, and the 11 took its $499 price point.
No idea why you would choose a XR over an 11 at the same price, but if you absolutely need one, most carriers still have them in stock from what I have found.
But again, with the 11, you get a dual camera, a better battery, a faster processor, probably longer iOS support.
 
The XR was discontinued when the iPhone 13 series was introduced, and the 11 took its $499 price point.
No idea why you would choose a XR over an 11 at the same price, but if you absolutely need one, most carriers still have them in stock from what I have found.
But again, with the 11, you get a dual camera, a better battery, a faster processor, probably longer iOS support.

This is where my passion for video games comes into play.

So is a brand new Nintendo Switch, 2017, not worth $299?

Yes, they have a new OLED model with a slightly larger screen.


 
Last edited:
On Amazon.it there is a similar deal for the MacBook Air M1 512gb, 8gb of ram. It is live since weeks. And after a lot of back and forth I’ve bought it over a 14’ MacBook Pro. The difference in price is so huge. The plus on the 14’ doesn’t have great value for me, the Mac will be 90% of the time docked to a 4K monitor. The real difference is the 16gb vs the 8gb memory, and I’m aware this could be (or not) be a problem. But Amazon kindly give me time until January to evaluate it, if I fill I need it it will be easy to send back and go with the 14’, but I hope not
 
This is where my passion for video games comes into play.
So is a brand new Nintendo Switch, 2017, not worth $299?

Yes, they have a new OLED model with a slightly larger screen.


What are you on about?
The XR and 11 have the same screen, design, etc, the only thing different is that the 11 has a better camera system, a better battery, and a better processor with some minor design tweaks.
No, Apple shouldn’t keep old products around just because.
The iPhone X brand new in 2017 was $999.
It’s not worth $999 in 2021.
 
  • Like
Reactions: newbmacuser2021
What are you on about?
The XR and 11 have the same screen, design, etc, the only thing different is that the 11 has a better camera system, a better battery, and a better processor with some minor design tweaks.
No, Apple shouldn’t keep old products around just because.
The iPhone X brand new in 2017 was $999.
It’s not worth $999 in 2021.

I bought a MacBook Air 2017 with a 480GB upgrade for a total of $1,450. 480GB / 8GB RAM / Non-Retina

I think that’s a fair price.

The M1 MacBook Air 512GB / 16GB RAM / Retina is probably worth $1999.

The M1 MacBook Air 256GB / 8GB RAM / Retina is probably worth $1599.

An Intel MacBook Air 256GB / 8GB RAM / Retina is probably worth $1449.

So $1249 would be a great price.
 
sounds like you were ripped off

If an iPhone 13 is $1,099 MSRP then an iPhone X can’t be $999.

However, iPhone 12 can be $999.

And iPhone 11 can be $899.

Based on that logic, an iPhone XS can be $799.

And an iPhone X would be $699.

But Apple is knocking off N dollars, so you wind up with: ???

iPhone 13 $799
iPhone 12 $699
iPhone 11 $499
iPhone XS $449?
iPhone X $399?

And the pricing changes depending on your carrier, the deal you sign, etc.
 
Last edited:
This is super tempting. How does the Air handle being connected to a 4K monitor?

Edit: Only 8GB of RAM. Never mind.
I've got the base M1 Air with 8GB and it handles every thing I throw at it. Why do you need more? If you do, the Air probably isn't the right computer for you. Get the credit card out and buy a MBP. Lots of credit cards actually.
 
This is where my passion for video games comes into play.

So is a brand new Nintendo Switch, 2017, not worth $299?

Yes, they have a new OLED model with a slightly larger screen.


I'd buy an OLED Switch in a heartbeat if I could find one. They are sold out everywhere except eBay where all the scalpers hang out.
 
  • Like
Reactions: newbmacuser2021
I've got the base M1 Air with 8GB and it handles every thing I throw at it. Why do you need more? If you do, the Air probably isn't the right computer for you. Get the credit card out and buy a MBP. Lots of credit cards actually.

Not to hijack every thread, but I think the reason the pricing is so off is because the soldered 128GB SSD on the previous generations were causing a lot of complaints on the internet. Forget the 64GB variant.

And being a MacRumors site, and this is a rumor, I think Apple just knocked off say $300 and sold them for $1249 (for 128GB). You might have gotten it for $999.

And then people stopped complaining.
 
Literally just bought my brother the exact same model through Apple Refurb last night ?. Hopefully it’s just as good.
 
Last edited:
Guesstimating the price of MacBook Air M1 components


- Aluminum Shell - $80
- Keyboard - $90
- M1 Chip - $250
- 8GB RAM - $80
- Trackpad - $40
- Retina Display - $250
- MoBo - $80
- PSU - $40
- 256GB SSD - $159
- Ribbons - $15
- Battery - $80
- WiFi / Misc - $100

Totals about $1249
 
Last edited:
Let’s say it’s $1249 to assemble a MacBook Air M1.

If they wanted to make a profit on the hardware, they sell it for $1,799.

You spend $1,000 on the AppStore, iCloud, iTunes, and Apple TV each year. So they make $300 on your purchases annually (30%).

Deal.

$999 + ($300 * 4) = $2,199 over 4 years.

And I think that’s how they’re lowering prices, but it’s probably only temporary (Intel vs M1)
 
Both of your comments suggest you don't know much about the M1. I don't know what you intend to use it for, but you probably should be "super tempted." Spend 30 minutes looking at some reviews, most of which cover what you appear to be asking, and don't think 8 Gb RAM can be compared like with like across different platforms.
Unless you are designing bridges with CAD while editing your kids birthday video, 8 GB of RAM is fine.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.