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How long do you think your MBA will last?

B

Bakari45

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 17, 2010
227
2
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?

I hope to keep mine at five years, but I‘d probably consider upgrading in a year or two and passing the current one down to one of my kids if they promised to take care of it.
 
Bakari45 said:
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?

I hope to keep mine at five years, but I‘d probably consider upgrading in a year or two and passing the current one down to one of my kids if they promised to take care of it.
Click to expand...

Probably less than a year before I sell it.

I'm quite a gadget freak, so like to have the top models.
 
I haven't bought it yet, but when I get it I hope it will last more than 3 years.

I have never owned a mac, but based what I have heard of apple build quality I think it physically should last at least 5 years (if taken care of).

Power wise (processor, RAM, SSD, screen resolution etc) it should last me at least 3 years, but hopefully 5 years.
I say this, because I will use it for simple tasks like writing, web, photo & music management. Occationally I will use handbrake and probably edit a video or two.
User with more needs (gaming, more serious photo & video editing) will have a shorter life span in my opinion.

So what I think it boils down to is whether I will want (not need) a new laptop after 3 years... :p
 
I'm expecting/hoping 3-5 years. I find it relatively hard to predict because even 3 years is a very long time and one's usage may dramatically change during that period.
 
2 years before resale.

I will skip the next generation, but will get the one after that. I would prefer a higher res by then, 1600*900, 1920*1200 preferably. Hopefully also 512GB SSD and 8gb ram option.
 
It depends if I still want a marriage or not.. MBA 13" was a XMAS present, it's going to last a few years so I've been told:D...possibly 5. When I wanted a new phone, I "accidentally" stepped on it when I got out of bed. This is a little drastic if I want a new computer.. :eek:


In reality:
Its for travelling with on the road with work...At the moment they provide me a lump of a machine or a crap netbook that doesn't fit all my needs...Once this current MBA doesn't fullfil those requirements anymore then I will get a new one....or I keep working on them to buy me an appropriate machine to travel with like.....MBA Version ??? when the time is suitable (fat chance)
 
as for this time, i went the complete other route and opted for a "base" model mba 11",... i will definately upgrade to the upcoming or next generation "ultimate".

not that the "base" isn't capable for my needs, but this is my only workstation for the time being and i do want something with a little more spark to it :D

well, and i think upcoming osx releases and other software will dictate the pace of adjusting the hardware
 
I bought the 13.3 2.13/4GB and I'm hoping this machine lasts me about 3 years as my main computer. I used an original 1.83GHz MBP for 4.5 years.
 
shootingstar64 said:
as for this time, i went the complete other route and opted for a "base" model mba 11",... i will definately upgrade to the upcoming or next generation "ultimate".
Click to expand...

I bought the base model as well, for the same reason. The MBA is not my main computer, and unless I make heavy use of it, I probably won’t upgrade for a while unless Apple adds some productivity updates that inspire me to upgrade. Taking care of and maintaining my Air for five years though will be a challenge simply because my kids will eventually be getting their hands on it.
 
I would upgrade to a new computer after 3-4 years anyways. Out with the old, in with the new.

If you saved one dollar a day once you make your purchase, after 3 years you can buy a new 11" MBA:D.
 
Bakari45 said:
I was just wondering how long do you think the current models of MBAs will last before they start having problems?

1-3 yrs?
4-6 yrs?
10 yrs?
Click to expand...

There was a time when I kept all my macs 3 years replacing laptop and desktop on alternating 18month cycles.

When I bought an original MacBook (black) after applecare ran out I was still using it and it was still doing everything I needed it to. On a whim I hacked a Dell Mini 9 and was sold on the small form factor, so I used that for the last year.

In short my MBA is the first Mac notebook I'm bought in almost 5 years. Unless something happens to change the OS and the processor won't handle it, or the way we work radically changes I could see keeping this for 4-5 years easy. My wife is still using the Black MacBook and loves it.

10 or more years ago Mac advancements happened so fast that 3 year-old hardware was almost worthless. Since OSX, not so much.

So I think the MBA is a Keeper, as long as I can hide it from my 16 year-old daughter.

Tom
 
Bought mine in July 2009, going for 2 years, my peeve is if I get a new one the processor is the same C2D 2.3 GHz
 
Ill keep it for years probably. I buy a new computer every 3 years or so, but i usually keep the older ones or give them to family. Nothing worth buying a whole new macbook air is coming out anytime soon.
 
Mine will last for thirty-seven years, two months, three weeks, five days, eleven hours, twenty-two minutes, and nine seconds.
 
bobobenobi said:
Mine will last for thirty-seven years, two months, three weeks, five days, eleven hours, twenty-two minutes, and nine seconds.
Click to expand...

1,172,488,929 seconds, to be precise.

Is that something related to 32 or 64 bits, or just a completely made-up number (or something else, like your age when you posted)?
 
The cat destroyed my first iBook when it was only a few months old, due to it not having a magsafe power connector. But the replacement iBook G3, now over 7 years old, is still running strong, with less battery life, but useful for getting data off of a few of my ancient Mac Classic apps. The Mac 512Ke still booted when it was over 20 years old, but I haven't tried lately.

Last week, the cat tried to destroy my new MBA 11, but all he got was the end of a magsafe cable. Thank you Apple.
 
My Air has been going strong for a bit over a year now, and I expect to get at least another one, hopefully two out of it. The new OWC SSD that's coming for it later this week should help a bit :D
 
I plan on running my MBA 13 to the ground before I upgrade. I use this machine a lot, but my usage isn't very demanding. I leave all the heavy lifting to my desktop PC so I really shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon. Realistically, i'll probably keep this thing around until the battery no longer holds a long enough charge.
 
Kachadurian said:
There was a time when I kept all my macs 3 years replacing laptop and desktop on alternating 18month cycles.

When I bought an original MacBook (black) after applecare ran out I was still using it and it was still doing everything I needed it to. On a whim I hacked a Dell Mini 9 and was sold on the small form factor, so I used that for the last year.

In short my MBA is the first Mac notebook I'm bought in almost 5 years. Unless something happens to change the OS and the processor won't handle it, or the way we work radically changes I could see keeping this for 4-5 years easy. My wife is still using the Black MacBook and loves it.

10 or more years ago Mac advancements happened so fast that 3 year-old hardware was almost worthless. Since OSX, not so much.

So I think the MBA is a Keeper, as long as I can hide it from my 16 year-old daughter.

Tom
Click to expand...
Very true. There's been slight increases in performance/clock speed since Pentium 4. RAM has gone up about 4X. HDD is a lot bigger, and is going to SSD. But really, it's nothing dramatic. More and more cores, but not everyone cares.

There was a time when 5 year old hardware was only good as a paperweight. Now the MBA is slower than 5 year old hardware (in all respects except HDD) and it's still seen as snappy.
 
darknite38 said:
Then simply buy a new battery?
Click to expand...

That's certainly an option. However I typically take good care of my laptop batteries so they tend to last a while, by the time it goes bad i'll probably be ready for a new laptop anyway. If however it's still meeting my needs and I can get a new pack for around $100 or less, I may do just that.
 
Here is the thing for me. I have a 2009 13" macbook pro. I'm a high school student who only needs the internet, youtube, facebook, runescape, word processing, and minimal video editing. This laptop is perfect for me, and I plan to use it until it doesn't work anymore. How ever long that is it should be fine. 2.53 ghz core 2 duo is perfect for my needs. What else could I possibly need? I dont need a i7 8gb of ram or the newest video card.
 
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