I have a September 2011 Macbook Air. Is it worth getting the new one?

[guustavooo]

Just wondering. I'm going to NY in November and have a chance to buy a new one. Question is: worth it?

EDIT: Worth noting: my battery is going dead. I can barely get 2~3 hours. Coconut says it holds 74% of the initial charge.

 

[iAppl3Fan]

Just wondering. I'm going to NY in November and have a chance to buy a new one. Question is: worth it?

EDIT: Worth noting: my battery is going dead. I can barely get 2~3 hours. Coconut says it holds 74% of the initial charge.

Yes, get a new one.

 

[Boyd01]

Depends on what you need. I replaced my 2011 MBA with a 2013 11" i7/8gb/512gb MBA and am very happy. USB3, 8gb and 512gb are all new features that weren't available in 2011. I see noticeable improvements in latency using Logic Pro and rendering in Final Cut Pro.

But when I had them side by side while setting up, I was surprised how little difference there was in "ordinary" tasks (iTunes, Safari, MS Office, even Photoshop). So unless you are using pro applications (or maybe games?... I don't do those), you may not notice much of a performance increase. I never noticed much of a problem with 4gb on my 2011 machine, and I hadn't filled my 256gb SSD however it's nice to have 8gb/512gb now. If you want either of these, then it makes sense.

I don't know about the battery. I was able to get through a 12 hour day with my 2011 machine using common sense power management. And I was getting 4 or 5 hours even with the screen on full and a movie playing. How much does a battery replacement cost?

 

[MeUnix]

. How much does a battery replacement cost?

From an Apple store, a little more than $100.

 

[Mrbobb]

U seem to be implying replacing the current's battery is not in the cards, in that case go4rit.

How should we know if it is worth it TO YOU?

I have a 2011 too and my battery still gets me through the day and everything works. Am in the lazy school of Dont fix it if ain't broken.

 

[Miltz]

Personally I would get a new battery and Mavericks. Those two combined will make your laptop feel better than new.

 

[DisplacedMic]

Just wondering. I'm going to NY in November and have a chance to buy a new one. Question is: worth it?

EDIT: Worth noting: my battery is going dead. I can barely get 2~3 hours. Coconut says it holds 74% of the initial charge.

would you rather have your $1500 or so or a new Macbook? if you can answer that question you'll know if it's "worth it" or not

i know that's not the most helpful post in the sense that it doesn't answer your question, but how can we answer that question for you?

i would definitely go play with one in the store first and see if there's a big difference (which there is) but only you can decide if that's worth it or not... i tend to keep computers longer than 2 years but others upgrade more regularly.

 

[guustavooo]

Thanks for the help, guys!

I should just get a battery replacement. Quick question: If I do so, I get a better battery than my 2011 one or is it just the same?

 

[Mrbobb]

Thanks for the help, guys!

I should just get a battery replacement. Quick question: If I do so, I get a better battery than my 2011 one or is it just the same?

I would do it through Apple, that way you know you are good for the next 2 years. Then ask them wether the new 2013 battery, which has a slightly higher capacity (not huge) will fit in the 2011.

A few years ago I would suggest a third party battery, a lot cheaper, but they ended up not lasting as long, so long term $ per capacity, they are not cheaper.