Is a 2020 M1 Macbook Air too old to buy now?

[MajorFubar]

The main difference recently is the exchange rate. For example, the dollar is 17% stronger against the euro over the last 12 months and 15% against sterling.

Nah the main difference is RotW paying for America's 9% inflation. MBA is US$1199+tax, which at the current so-called $/£ exchange rate should translate to a VAT-inclusive £1184.58 in the UK, which they'd usually just round to £1,199 and call it the same price. However the actual UK purchase price is £1,249. Now you could argue Apple are covering additional costs associated with selling products to a foreign market, but with previous products, including with the M1, it's never been higher than exchanging the $ for a £. Not within my time on the scene anyway.

 

[Bodhitree]

As I understand the situation in the Netherlands, most of the difference is VAT. Here there is 21% VAT added to the original price to give you the price quoted, in the US it is ”sales tax” which varies by state which gets added onto the receipt.

 

[orionquest]

What can't your current hardware do? It doesn't sound like you are a very demanding user so why upgrade. I use a 2015 MBA 11" and it still works great, I even run VM on it without problems.

 

[AJB1971]

Nah the main difference is RotW paying for America's 9% inflation. MBA is US$1199+tax, which at the current so-called $/£ exchange rate should translate to a VAT-inclusive £1184.58 in the UK, which they'd usually just round to £1,199 and call it the same price. However the actual UK purchase price is £1,249. Now you could argue Apple are covering additional costs associated with selling products to a foreign market, but with previous products, including with the M1, it's never been higher than exchanging the $ for a £. Not within my time on the scene anyway.

I think we’re talking at cross purposes. It’s better to look at it in terms of percentage increase.

In the US the percentage increase from the M1 Air to the M2 Air was 20% and in the UK it’s 25%. 0089294 points out that in his country the price increased from €1,129 to €1,500, that’s a 32% increase, 12% more than in the US. I attribute that difference to the change in the exchange rate.

 

[MajorFubar]

I think we’re talking at cross purposes. It’s better to look at it in terms of percentage increase.

In the US the percentage increase from the M1 Air to the M2 Air was 20% and in the UK it’s 25%. 0089294 points out that in his country the price increased from €1,129 to €1,500, that’s a 32% increase, 12% more than in the US. I attribute that difference to the change in the exchange rate.

I get where you're coming from, but I more attribute it to them charging what they think any particular market can stand. That said, the price of an M2 MBA in Philippine Pasos is ₱87,990.00, or round about the same price as a large house. So there are always exceptions.

 

[Nbd1790]

The M1 MacBook Air is still a GREAT computer to buy. Especially if you're using it for simple tasks. In most categories, it outperformed the last 16 inch MBP with an Intel processor. Like you, I upgraded my 2015 MBP at the end of last year when the 14 inch MBP came out.

You will without a doubt get 7 years worth of use out of it if you were to purchase it now. Toward the last year or two there's a chance you MIGHT not get software updates, but it won't make the laptop unusable. The only thing that makes it inferior is the M1 Pro and greater processors. If you were doing intensive work (Media editing and such) I'd say cough up the extra money. Although, reviewers were using the M1 Air for intense editing and it held up really well.

If you go down that route, make sure you opt for 16gb of RAM and a decent sized hard drive and you'll be more than fine!

 

[AJB1971]

I get where you're coming from, but I more attribute it to them charging what they think any particular market can stand. That said, the price of an M2 MBA in Philippine Pasos is ₱87,990.00, or round about the same price as a large house. So there are always exceptions.

It’s a valid argument and I agree that Apple tries to push the limits when it comes to pricing, but I get the feeling that they may have gone too far this time in some countries. I guess we will see by how much retailers start discounting if they’re struggling to shift stock.

The M1 Air is a good insurance policy. If people complain about the price of the M2 Air and still go out and buy an M1 version, then Apple hasn’t lost out.

I put the price increase down to the following factors -

• Apple charging a premium when they introduce a new design. We’ve seen them do this before and then drop the price when successive generations are launched.
• Inflation. This doesn’t normally reverse but we live in strange times and I think most people will expect energy prices to drop significantly in time.
• Exchange rates. This is the one most likely to reverse and, again, Apple usually waits until they launch new products before adjusting the pricing.

 

[erkanasu]

not at all... I just upgraded my base m1 air to fully loaded m1 air after returning my m2 and feeling like it was a downgrade. base m1 air is still a legend, I just wanted to have it future proofed.

 

[russell_314]

This is just nuts - especially for Windows. Then again, Microsoft themselves were selling the Surface Laptop Go with 64GB eMMC and 4GB RAM - the Go 2 now starts at 4/128.

Mind you, I was using a 4/128 MBA from 2014 not too long ago and that was fiiiiine. But I find Windows doesn't do as well as macOS with small amounts of RAM.

It’s nuts for tech people to think about but like I said not for others. It would be like if you’re used to driving an 18 wheeler truck and you had to drive a small car

 

[mi7chy]

For me, M2 is a downgrade not only because of slower 256GB but also higher price and there's no option to run Big Sur which is ~17% faster on vkQuake than Monterey.

 

[srexy]

My 2015 Macbook Pro has given 7 years of good service but now needs to be retired. I never really needed a pro, so an air will be fine. I want a laptop that will give me another 7 years - without compatibility/support issues, slowing down too much etc. I wanted magsafe, so have waited for M2 - but the price is making me wince. Some websites are suggesting that the M1 is still a good buy (esp for the price) - but will a laptop that's been out for 2 years already start to feel REALLY old in 7 (or so) years time? Apparently I can get an adaptor to solve the magsafe issue...

I did the same thing with my late 2015 Retina MBP. I got 7 years out of it. Last month after the M2 announcement I ordered an M1 as I couldn't really justify buying the M2 based on the various reviews I'd read. I've been using it happily for the last month. Unfortunately (know thyself Rex) I succumbed to the temptation of the M2 and I'm using the 90 day return period that I got from buying on Amazon to send back the M1.

The M1 is a great machine and you'll probably get 7 years out of it.

Personally I've vowed to myself to not try and eek out 7 years from my M2 this time around. The last couple of years with the MBP were a bit agonizing as I battled rubbish battery life combined with the crappy display coating that I ended up taking off with about 4 hours of windex'ing/polibright/whatever potion google recommended.

 

[VaruLV]

I would get M1 Air with 16/512 config if it was on sale under 1500€ where I live, however they got more expensive and out of stock as well once M2 came out. I would have gotten it as "temporary" 2-3 year laptop and upgrade in 2024/2025 timeline with OLED Macbook and/or OLED iPad Pro.

I would not get one if I wanted to use it for 7 years, at that point the design and display would be ancient and fugly.

 

[1BadManVan]

The best upgrade you can get with the M2 is going for 512GB storage as that seems to have more of an impact on performance than the 16 GB option, with an added bonus that you'll get more storage too. Having said that, if you're located in EU that pushes the price even further so in your situation and given your use case, I'd say that the M1 base model would be a better cost/benefit choice. I agree with the other poster that the M2 is not an easy recommendation anymore given the choices Apple has made with this generation.

That’s actually the exact opposite of what’s been shown. Look up artisright on YouTube, he did a ton of different tests and the 16/256 combo came out ahead, in same cases by a lot, in almost every test compared to the 8/512 combo.

 

[1BadManVan]

For me, M2 is a downgrade not only because of slower 256GB but also higher price and there's no option to run Big Sur which is ~17% faster on vkQuake than Monterey.

It doesn’t negate all the other upgrades they made do the new m2 though. I mean sure if you want to ignore the rest of the good stuff to justify it then go ahead. But it’s definitely not the truth

 

[Shh]

My M1 Air still does everything I need it to. It's only a year and a half old using a chip that has literally reshaped the industry in terms of power to performance ratio. If you want to save a few hundred bucks over the M2, it's definitely worth it.

 

[Isamilis]

Thanks all - very helpful! Sorry for repeating a topic - I'm very new to this forum - I did try to look for it but obviously not enough! It does need to be a mac because alllll my docs are in pages and I can't face converting them (plus, I do really love my mac!) I hear what you're saying about price - I guess I'm just wanting to get the best deal, considering I really just use pages/numbers/keynote and watch a lot of videos on the internet - so I'm not exactly a heavy spec user! Just want to see whether the extra £250 would mean that I get a few extra years of use, or whether it will not really make that much difference! I don't mind much about the design looking old - I'm only getting rid of my 2015 pro because the bottom line on the keyboard has broken and I have to keep it plugged in all the time because the battery needs replacing. But from what you're saying, it probably is worth getting the M2. I have normally just gone for the basic storage and ram, again because of the cost and because I'm not sure I need the upgrade (I have read other posts on this topic but end up feeling a bit bamboozled - and embarrassed by how little I'm using my mac for!) Anyway, thank you all

For your usage, M1 MBA 2020 should be (more than) enough. Similar with you, I still have 2014 MBP, 2017 MBA - I didn't look for upgrade anytime soon unless it broke and the repair cost is higher/similar with buying the new one. Remember, most of people in this forum are enthusiast and hobbyist (including myself, lol), hence their suggestions may not fit with your use case.

 

[jav6454]

My 2015 Macbook Pro has given 7 years of good service but now needs to be retired. I never really needed a pro, so an air will be fine. I want a laptop that will give me another 7 years - without compatibility/support issues, slowing down too much etc. I wanted magsafe, so have waited for M2 - but the price is making me wince. Some websites are suggesting that the M1 is still a good buy (esp for the price) - but will a laptop that's been out for 2 years already start to feel REALLY old in 7 (or so) years time? Apparently I can get an adaptor to solve the magsafe issue...

The M1 is a strong machine. The M1 will not be outclassed anytime soon and will be supported for quite a while. The design is what makes the M1 MBA look dated, but don't get fooled, it packs quite the punch.

 

[chococornetto]

OK! Man - thank you all so much for all this! You've really helped me to see that £1200 isn't unreasonable, and that an upgraded M1 would be great too. So... it still leaves me with the dilemma of which option to go for! My main, number one concern is longevity (what is still going to be running nicely at a decent speed in ~7 years time) - I really don't mind at all about things looking out of date. I'm based in the UK so the prices are:
M2 (8GB, 256GB) = £1249 ($1523/€1491)
M1 (16GB, 256GB) = £1199 ($1461/€1431)
M1 (8GB, 512GB) = £1199 ($1461/€1431)
All similar price, but which of these would be the best overall laptop, with most long term potential?
p.s. Very sorry to be so annoying about all this, and basically ask you the same question (though slightly refined), as in my original post - this is genuinely my first time posting on any forum and I'm kind of amazed by so much helpful input

 

[VaruLV]

I think that in longer term out off all you listed 16/256 M1 would be my choice.

 

[wilberforce]

I think that in longer term out off all you listed 16/256 M1 would be my choice.

I agree. I think 8GB ram is very tight today, let alone in 5 to 7 years, unless usage is very light.
I suggest the ssd be about double the amount of storage you use right now. If that is more than 256GB, you might want to consider 16/512. You can always supplement the internal ssd with an external ssd if you have to, but the external ssd does not cost zero and is a nuisance. But there is nothing you can do about too little ram.

 

[AJB1971]

If you're new to the forum you may not be aware of the official Apple Refurbished Store -

Certified Refurbished Products

Every Apple Certified Refurbished product includes savings up to 15%, and comes with a one-year warranty and full functional testing.

www.apple.com

If you went for a refurbished model you could have both 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for £1,189, although you might have to wait a while before they're back in stock. You can use the following site to notify you when they're available again -

Refurbished MacBook Air sold by Apple Store

Compare and buy certified refurbished MacBook Air among 39 offers from Apple Store and much more.

www.refurb.me

You can also get 1.7% cash back on refurbished products through TopCashback. That's about £17 as it's based on the net amount.

 

[Pugly]

I've been a user of low end Macs for a long time now, and it's sometimes really hard to get a capable Mac for $999. For a while it was just the aging pre retina Air... which were pretty good machine but started to get outshined. And before that the polycarbonate MacBook were good, but still low end consumer with performance that would be eclipsed in a few years. Then Apple introduced the 2 port MacBook Pro... which was still kind of slow and expensive. Then the retina Air came out and was kind of slow and expensive.

This Air, even close to being two years old, is still really fast and a good value. It's leagues better value than any of those old Macs, the old Airs, the white polycarbonate and all the 13" MacBook Pros. You always have to look at what you are getting, and not be too concerned about what the newest stuff is. The M1 Pro and M2 Macs are fancier and faster... but does the cheaper one still do what you need it to do and have high quality features? I still think that's true for the M1 Air.

You get all the benefits of a modern Mac... with the only downside being lack of ports. The screen is excellent with good colors and a nice Retina setup, the speakers are very good, the performance is still amazing, it's small and portable, the graphics are still best in thin and light laptops, and it's still great as a fan-less computer. It can do so many things that a $999 Mac from 2+ years ago could only dream of.

We really need new software, or things we want to do with these computers, before the M1 Air stops being a fast computer.

 

[Misheemee]

I've been a user of low end Macs for a long time now, and it's sometimes really hard to get a capable Mac for $999. For a while it was just the aging pre retina Air... which were pretty good machine but started to get outshined. And before that the polycarbonate MacBook were good, but still low end consumer with performance that would be eclipsed in a few years. Then Apple introduced the 2 port MacBook Pro... which was still kind of slow and expensive. Then the retina Air came out and was kind of slow and expensive.

This Air, even close to being two years old, is still really fast and a good value. It's leagues better value than any of those old Macs, the old Airs, the white polycarbonate and all the 13" MacBook Pros. You always have to look at what you are getting, and not be too concerned about what the newest stuff is. The M1 Pro and M2 Macs are fancier and faster... but does the cheaper one still do what you need it to do and have high quality features? I still think that's true for the M1 Air.

You get all the benefits of a modern Mac... with the only downside being lack of ports. The screen is excellent with good colors and a nice Retina setup, the speakers are very good, the performance is still amazing, it's small and portable, the graphics are still best in thin and light laptops, and it's still great as a fan-less computer. It can do so many things that a $999 Mac from 2+ years ago could only dream of.

We really need new software, or things we what to do with these computers, before the M1 Air stops being a fast computer.

100% agree with this.

Coming from the 2015 MBP, the M1 MBA is going to be a massive upgrade for you, and is still an awesome laptop - and will be for a long time to come.

I'd get a config with 16GB of Ram for longevity

 

[noteple]

Apple credited us $490 for my M1 8core/ 16mb/ 1tb. No charger or USB C cable
If you can get one for within a $100 of that price with a 1yr warranty, ya it’s worth it.
Hundreds More than that, I’d be looking at an M2 or pro.

If you buy a machine see what Apple thinks it worth as a trade and you have your answer.

 

[shinkansenwarrior]

Thanks all - very helpful! Sorry for repeating a topic - I'm very new to this forum - I did try to look for it but obviously not enough! It does need to be a mac because alllll my docs are in pages and I can't face converting them (plus, I do really love my mac!) I hear what you're saying about price - I guess I'm just wanting to get the best deal, considering I really just use pages/numbers/keynote and watch a lot of videos on the internet - so I'm not exactly a heavy spec user! Just want to see whether the extra £250 would mean that I get a few extra years of use, or whether it will not really make that much difference! I don't mind much about the design looking old - I'm only getting rid of my 2015 pro because the bottom line on the keyboard has broken and I have to keep it plugged in all the time because the battery needs replacing. But from what you're saying, it probably is worth getting the M2. I have normally just gone for the basic storage and ram, again because of the cost and because I'm not sure I need the upgrade (I have read other posts on this topic but end up feeling a bit bamboozled - and embarrassed by how little I'm using my mac for!) Anyway, thank you all

At the end of the day it's your choice. Is there a specific reason your upgrade needs to last 7 years? Just curious why 7? I posted on another thread that I picked up a refurb M1 air on July 28th as Apple unleashed a whole batch of MB M1 Airs for sale at 15% off regular refurb price. I decided to be patient and waited it out and got a bit lucky. Unfortuntely upon checking the UK site has no macs listed at the moment (I'm sure you checked anyway!) ...but things could suddenly change if you are patient. You could switch the battery in your MB pro to absorb costs for a while and wait for a good deal in the Mac refurb section.

It's your call though. I feel for you.... I thought Japan was pricey .... UK prices are shocking!! Oh.... that crazy VAT.
Whatever you decide on your next Mac, I hope you enjoy the next 7 years!!