I wanna get a macbook air but...

[kkasaye]

I can only afford the base model mba 13" (part time highschool student going into university next year) but feel like I'll need the 8gb ram because of my needs. Will I be able to upgrade the RAM later on or do I only have the option to choose the 8gb from the start? By that I'm asking if it's upgradeable. Thanks

 

[travis64]

use education pricing and sell the $100 giftcard or just wait till you get the extra 90 for 8gb

 

[GGJstudios]

I can only afford the base model mba 13" (part time highschool student going into university next year) but feel like I'll need the 8gb ram because of my needs.

What are your needs?

 

[Monkeyat]

No, it's not upgradeable. The RAM is soldered into the MotherBoard. So get the maximum that you can

And start reading a little bit more about the computer you're about to buy

 

[kkasaye]

What are your needs?

Basic university use, then some minor video editing and garageband music production. So I figure I'll need the 8 gb.

 

[fuzetsu]

If you can, definitely go for the 8GB of RAM, it's worth waiting until you can save up another $100 for the upgrade if that's what it takes!

 

[ZBoater]

Basic university use, then some minor video editing and garageband music production. So I figure I'll need the 8 gb.

You are figuring incorrectly. 4GB will be fine. If you can afford 8, great. If not, you'll be fine too.

 

[mikeytrend]

Make sure you're using the edu store for your school to take advantage of the best discount. Like most have said, you should really save up the extra $90 and get the RAM (~12 hours of work at $8/hr).

The MBAs and RMBP have a lot of their hardware soldered/glued in so what you buy is what you get. Storage is where it gets a little tricky. That you could replace, but the blade isn't the same as the 2011 MBAs or the RMBP so it might be awhile before aftermarket solutions are available there.

EDIT: 4GB would be fine for your planned activities, but in the event you want to change your major, overall future-proofing, or new hobbies you pick up in college, the 8GB would be better. Adding more RAM to a Mac has always made it feel like a new machine.

 

[kkasaye]

Make sure you're using the edu store for your school to take advantage of the best discount. Like most have said, you should really save up the extra $90 and get the RAM (~12 hours of work at $8/hr).

The MBAs and RMBP have a lot of their hardware soldered/glued in so what you buy is what you get. Storage is where it gets a little tricky. That you could replace, but the blade isn't the same as the 2011 MBAs or the RMBP so it might be awhile before aftermarket solutions are available there.

EDIT: 4GB would be fine for your planned activities, but in the event you want to change your major, overall future-proofing, or new hobbies you pick up in college, the 8GB would be better. Adding more RAM to a Mac has always made it feel like a new machine.

Alright thanks for the input, I'll just end up saving the extra 90 which wouldn't take too long anyways! I'll be keeping this for the full length of university so I'll be on the safe side. Thanks for the help everyone!