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Is a i5 MacBook Air (2012) sufficient still?

M

mayweather15

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 16, 2015
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Hello,

I just wondered if a i5 base, 4gb ram, SSD MacBook Air from 2012 is still sufficient to run all office tasks, Internet browsing, 1080p videos?

Is there a great difference in this system and the new Macbook's 12"?

Geek bench score is apparently 2600 circa according to the net.

Thanks
 
This model is my main computer and is sufficient. For me the 8 hour battery life is all I need. At home it is attached to a 20 inch screen for 1080P viewing without problems. I see no reason to upgrade as I would not expect any real world changes if I did.

My battery has been replaced once.
 
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Does resetting / reinstalling a MacBook make much difference to performance - it has not had a fresh re install since purchase, just simply upgrading on OS X updates such as Yosemite?
 
In terms of computing power, yes, that machine is still viable for many of today's tasks. I used to do those exact things on an Air from the generation before that with Yosemite (which is a lot less efficient than El Capitan on the whole and it was fine. The thing I'd be worried about on that machine is the SSD failure issues that plagued the Mid 2012 MacBook Airs. That would be the one thing that would make me want to sell it or otherwise get rid of it and replace it with something newer. That being said, if I was to replace that machine with something, it would be with a current generation MacBook Air and not a 12" Retina MacBook. The former is incredibly handy, has ports, and isn't hindered by incompatibility with the Retina display, which, depending on the app you are using, can be seriously inconvenient.
 
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Yebubbleman said:
In terms of computing power, yes, that machine is still viable for many of today's tasks. I used to do those exact things on an Air from the generation before that with Yosemite (which is a lot less efficient than El Capitan on the whole and it was fine. The thing I'd be worried about on that machine is the SSD failure issues that plagued the Mid 2012 MacBook Airs. That would be the one thing that would make me want to sell it or otherwise get rid of it and replace it with something newer. That being said, if I was to replace that machine with something, it would be with a current generation MacBook Air and not a 12" Retina MacBook. The former is incredibly handy, has ports, and isn't hindered by incompatibility with the Retina display, which, depending on the app you are using, can be seriously inconvenient.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be too worry.

Replacement SSDs are pretty inexpensive.
 
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Yes.

But No. Do not buy old electronics. Ever. Waste of money.

Buy the best you can. In fact, don't go with a Macbook if you can't afford it. You are literally throwing your money away. You will end up buying a replacement sooner than if you get a brand new computer. There is no reason to buy a computer that is 4 years old; by 4-6 years, you would want to start looking at your next.

Besides, the Macbook Air doesn't even have a 1080p screen.

What office tasks are you talking about? Any reason you can't buy a Chromebook? That would still have Office capabilities if you use Google Docs, etc. but not so much if you specifically need Microsoft Word or Photoshop.

In fact, specifically, does it need to run MacOS?
 
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Yebubbleman said:
Eh...for those machines, they can be a little pricey. But yeah, definitely cheaper than the PCIe based ones that the 2013 and newer models use.
Click to expand...
Nope.

f0s2g9.png
 
My 2010 11" base model (1.4GHz,2 gig ram,64 gig hd) running latest El Capitan (clean install) has no issues with doing any of this!

You should be golden...
 
mayweather15 said:
Does resetting / reinstalling a MacBook make much difference to performance - it has not had a fresh re install since purchase, just simply upgrading on OS X updates such as Yosemite?
Click to expand...

Not really. Hobby-ists like to do a fresh install but it's not necessary.

Secondly your machine is just fine, no need to upgrade to something newer. Wait and see what Apple do this autumn but even then you are just fine for your usage
 
Yep, all specs are fine! The only thing I want, is Retina, but until they release retina, 2012s are solid for friends and family at $500 on eBay 1.7 GHz / 4 GB / 128 GB.

Is there a waiting for 2016 SkyLake Retina MacBook Air thread? ahah
 
Yebubbleman said:
In terms of computing power, yes, that machine is still viable for many of today's tasks. I used to do those exact things on an Air from the generation before that with Yosemite (which is a lot less efficient than El Capitan on the whole and it was fine. The thing I'd be worried about on that machine is the SSD failure issues that plagued the Mid 2012 MacBook Airs. That would be the one thing that would make me want to sell it or otherwise get rid of it and replace it with something newer. That being said, if I was to replace that machine with something, it would be with a current generation MacBook Air and not a 12" Retina MacBook. The former is incredibly handy, has ports, and isn't hindered by incompatibility with the Retina display, which, depending on the app you are using, can be seriously inconvenient.
Click to expand...
My 2012 MBA is sill going strong, never had any data loss or problems. And I came back to the MBA from a 12rMB primarily because I couldn't stand the new butterfly keyboard anymore. The lack of travel was not good. Long sessions my fingers would hurt. Not having regular USB ports was also irritating.
 
Hello! Following on mayweather15's topic, I'd like an advice.

I'm using an Air-11inch, i5 base, 4GB memory and 128G. It dates back from 2011.

The great benefit is no longer an advantage. Battery life got lost somehow (my brother was the owner for a year before me) and now it lasts 2h only.

It does seem sufficient to run my daily tasks, even though memory keeps bugging me here and there.

I'm on the verge of buying a new Apple - and was waiting to see if a new Air line would come until the end of 2016. Despite rumors, things still seem unclear.

I know there are many things to be considered, but: If I was to buy a new one now, not necessarily Air, what would be the hint?

Thanks for the help
 
The only thing I'd say is 4GB RAM isn't much these days. Mine has 8GB and performs like a champ!

Just upgraded it to macOS Sierra the other day. I still get around 5 hours on battery.
 
Last edited:
mayweather15 said:
Hello,

I just wondered if a i5 base, 4gb ram, SSD MacBook Air from 2012 is still sufficient to run all office tasks, Internet browsing, 1080p videos?

Is there a great difference in this system and the new Macbook's 12"?

Geek bench score is apparently 2600 circa according to the net.

Thanks
Click to expand...

We have a 2011 Air which is still very useable, so a 2012 is absolutely fine for that kind of work. Myself, I have a MacbookPro, a classic MacPro and a MacBook, and the Macbook is the one which I use most often. You just cannot beat portability, even at home. The screen of Macbook is better than the Air, but the Air has all those nice ports!
 
tom vilsack said:
My 2010 11" base model (1.4GHz,2 gig ram,64 gig hd) running latest El Capitan (clean install) has no issues with doing any of this!

You should be golden...
Click to expand...

I thought I was the only one! Exact same model and OS for me.
Yeah, still gets the job done, no speed demon, but fast enough for basic office and Internet work.
Got my eye on a new MacBook, but no real reason to upgrade at the moment.

To the OP; the main difference (when you are running those tasks) will be the screen (much better on the new MacBook) and the keyboard (subjective, but I love the one on the air.)
It shouldn't feel too different if you are just typing up a word document.

If I were you I would get the newer model,but if you can get a good deal on an older air then go for it.
Will still be very functional and there is still a lot of life left in them.
 
For most people this fixation on 8 gigs of memory is just not necessary. My 4 gig mid 2012 machine does everything most people do with their machines. If you really do need 8 gigs you problably shoud be on a Macbook Pro. In the real world what difference would a few seconds mean for the small minority of work where 8 gigs can have any affect on speed. If you are running a VM, not just bootcamp, then maybe 8 can help. Paging is really fast the few times it happens when you have an SSD. I would not pay extra for it.
 
PedroHC said:
Hello! Following on mayweather15's topic, I'd like an advice.

I'm using an Air-11inch, i5 base, 4GB memory and 128G. It dates back from 2011.

The great benefit is no longer an advantage. Battery life got lost somehow (my brother was the owner for a year before me) and now it lasts 2h only.

It does seem sufficient to run my daily tasks, even though memory keeps bugging me here and there.

I'm on the verge of buying a new Apple - and was waiting to see if a new Air line would come until the end of 2016. Despite rumors, things still seem unclear.

I know there are many things to be considered, but: If I was to buy a new one now, not necessarily Air, what would be the hint?

Thanks for the help
Click to expand...

I would buy a new MBA before the end of the year, as apple may be eliminating that line. So unless the Retina MacBook works for you, it might be safer not to wait.
 
I have a mid 2011 1.7GHz i5 with 4GB RAM. I have never seen the need for more RAM. I updated the SSD to a 480GB unit from Transcend and the 256GB original SSD is now an external USB drive.

A couple of the keys (A and E) have worn badly through use, which could be solved through replacing the keyboard. The battery run-time is much shorter than when new which could be solved through replacing the battery.

Otherwise it's fine and I doubt I will bother replacing bits.
 
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