Is Intel Macbook Air for $749 ($250 Off) Worth It if I am only writing?

[jmgregory1]

A question for the OP, and that is do you live in a region where you have cold winter temps? If so, you might be better off buying the Intel MBA, instead of the M1 MBA, just for the heat that it generates to warm your fingers as you type.

Forgetting about all the reviews showing how well the new M1 performs, there are a few things a number of people are commenting on that should be top of the list with regard to the M1 version being the better choice.

One is that simple things like web browsing is noticeably faster on M1 Macs.

Another is the battery life.

And finally, if you plan on keeping your MBA for years, you're not going to want to be saddled with an Intel version once Apple fully shifts away from x86. I made the mistake years ago when I bought a G5 tower shortly before Apple shifted to Intel. I got 5 years of use out of it, then it became the best looking paper weight I've ever had.

 

[magbarn]

Hmm. Have you used them before? I've got a couple Macs to clear out and wondering if that's a good way to go vs. dealing with eBay...

sellmymac is decent if you have a base config to sell. They're horrible with assigning value for upgrades. For example they offered me a paltry $1300 for a mint condition 2020 MBP 13 i7/32/2TB while cashforyourmac offered me $1800. Guess where I sent it too? Apple offered me the same $1300 which is pathetic. I'm not comfortable selling Apple products on ebay anymore after getting ripped off...

Craigslist/OfferUp buyers all think a 2020 MacBook Pro should sell for $500 like the 2012 MacBook Pro further down the page! 🤣

 

[lambertjohn]

sellmymac is decent if you have a base config to sell. They're horrible with assigning value for upgrades. For example they offered me a paltry $1300 for a mint condition 2020 MBP 13 i7/32/2TB while cashforyourmac offered me $1800. Guess where I sent it too? Apple offered me the same $1300 which is pathetic. I'm not comfortable selling Apple products on ebay anymore after getting ripped off...

Craigslist/OfferUp buyers all think a 2020 MacBook Pro should sell for $500 like the 2012 MacBook Pro further down the page! 🤣

did cashforyourmac come through with your $1800? Did you get the cash?

 

[magbarn]

did cashforyourmac come through with your $1800? Did you get the cash?

They sure did or I'd be yelling here how they ripped me off

 

[Chevyguy2021]

I personally would get the M1.
Yes its $250 more but its so much better. Battery life and fan-less makes it worth it. Its also going to hold its value better

 

[Student of Life]

749 is not a bad price depending on the storage. Also unless you need a laptop now remember next year they are doing a redesigned MacBook Air so expect this version to drop in price substantially. Again if you need it now its a good deal. If you can wait dont be surprised to this see this version of the M1 chip for a good price drop

 

[j_in_tx]

They sure did or I'd be yelling here how they ripped me off

can you tell me how you got ripped off on ebay? i’ve had trouble with suspicious buyers and have been worried about getting ripped off when I sell expensive stuff.

 

[tis]

749 is not a bad price depending on the storage. Also unless you need a laptop now remember next year they are doing a redesigned MacBook Air.......

That’s highly doubtful. There’s very little differentiation between the Air and the 13” Pro. My guess is the Pro models get a redesign and the Air doesn’t, making the price jump to the 13”/14” MBP more acceptable.

 

[saberfi]

I wouldn't skimp on the choice - get the M1 MBA for sure.

My girlfriend has the 2020 Intel Macbook Air, and she only needs to punch on a zoom call or alike, and the fans start blasting like a jet engine. Silence is golden, and it is worth it - this is M1's massive plus.

The battery life and the general snappiness on M1 beat the old Air handily too, so I don't think a discount of 200 dollars or so is worth it at all to get the older model. The M1's benefits are just so quality of life enhancing, that I wouldn't go for any Air other than that. It doesn't cost an arm and leg brand new.

 

[sracer]

Owner of a 2020 Intel MacBook Air here!

...

Don't get caught up in the hype - just buy what A) works for you and B) works for your budget. If money's no object, get the M1 no question. But if you think you could do with some extra cash for other expenses, you won't go far wrong with an intel MacBook Air in the short term (in the long term the Intel MBA most likely won't be supported software-wise for as long as the M1 MacBook Air, and it's resale value isn't likely to be as high).

Hope that helps!

Thank you for posting this... it saved me from having to. 😆

OP, this is the best advice you're going to get.

 

[magbarn]

749 is not a bad price depending on the storage. Also unless you need a laptop now remember next year they are doing a redesigned MacBook Air so expect this version to drop in price substantially. Again if you need it now its a good deal. If you can wait dont be surprised to this see this version of the M1 chip for a good price drop

I would be very surprised if they redesign the MBA next year as it usually takes a back seat to innovation the last 10 years. MBP with minileds are most likely coming first.

can you tell me how you got ripped off on ebay? i’ve had trouble with suspicious buyers and have been worried about getting ripped off when I sell expensive stuff.

Basically the scam is they buy your item with PayPal/Ebay "Buyer Protection", claim the "item wasn't advertised", demand a refund, shipped back an older broken iPhone, then show "proof" to ebay by giving them their tracking number that it was delivered to you. At that point PayPal takes the money out of your bank account. So you're left with a broken iPhone and no money. Even the money you spent shipping is gone if you do free shipping like I usually to. You can argue all day with paypal/ebay, and unless the buyer did it multiple times at once, you're out of luck as they will almost always side with the buyer instead of the seller even if you have hundreds of prior sales with positive feedback.

Happened with a video card sale of mine too and I lost a $500 video card as the buyer sent me back a broken one with no warranty as the board was obviously damaged.

I'll still sell toys, hobbies, and used older motherboard/cpus on there still as usually those buyers usually aren't as likely to scam as much as Apple buyers are...

Google ebay buyer fraud. I'm sure you'll find plenty of other examples...

 

[gpat]

You're still going to benefit from improved battery runtime, better browsing performance and extended software support in the M1 Mac.
M1 Apple edu pricing is $899 and you'll still find the occasional rebate in 3rd party stores.
So you're looking at a significant upgrade for $100-150. No brainer if you ask me.

 

[ignatius345]

You're still going to benefit from improved battery runtime, better browsing performance and extended software support in the M1 Mac.
M1 Apple edu pricing is $899 and you'll still find the occasional rebate in 3rd party stores.
So you're looking at a significant upgrade for $100-150. No brainer if you ask me.

The more I think about it, the more I think this is a good answer.

No matter how much you think you're going to use a Mac "just for writing" I think it's inevitable that you might want it for Zoom, and I can definitely confirm that the Intel MacBook Air 2020 will heat up and chug through battery quite fast once you start doing that.

 

[tenordrum]

OP:Instead of buying the base model new, check out the base model open box pricing at BB near you. I saw $606 for that model online yesterday. That said, the entry level M1 was available for $849 in satisfactory level , $819 open box in fair condition.
I just bought an open box with 512gb drive, and the only thing "wrong" with it was a bit of residue from a sticker on the front surface. 30 seconds of wiping fixed that up and it is working like a charm. Only thing I miss is the heat from the older MBA now that it is winter.

 

[Suzatlarge]

sellmymac.com is going to give me $550 for this machine

If you haven't sent it off to them yet, go to mac of all trades and get a quote for it. sellmymac's quote for my 2015 MacBook Pro Retina was IIRC $350 - and macofalltrades will give me $610. Also a dramatic difference in the quotes for my old 11.6 Air, which I may sell on eBay keep or give to someone in the family who can use it. YMMV as to your Mac, of course. I've sold a Mac to macofalltrades in the past, no problems, payment as promised, etc. EDITED to add that this is a better quote than I got from cashforyourmac (although cashforyourmac was better than sellmymac).

Also, thanks to @magbarn for the info on eBay buyer fraud. That's convinced me to take macofalltrades offer on the rMBP, and also to not list the old MBA on eBay. I sold a lot of books on eBay back in the 90's, but haven't been very active on it in recent years. Had a near-nasty experience ten years ago selling a little netbook, so I'm wary of selling any kind of serious tech on there now. I did sell a Nexus phone with a broken screen on eBay; I'd used Lookout to wipe it so I knew it was okay. If the buyer hoped to reap my info they were bitterly disappointed but they didn't complain, and I got some cash.

 

[MBAir2010]

I use my late 2010 macbook air for typing
and
web browsing/streaming
photo enhancing
graphic design
cartooning
ipad syncing
and everything else

 

[rui no onna]

First of all, I would never spend 8+ hours a day in front of a notebook computer's screen and keyboard, regardless of who makes it or the screen size.

Notebook computers have abysmal ergonomics. Small screen at the wrong height, poor keyboard at the wrong height, poor trackpad at the wrong height. Bad for your eyes, neck, back, arms, wrists, elbows, shoulders, etc.

You are better off getting a notebook computer that you find acceptable for periodic mobile use plus a decent monitor, keyboard and standard-size input device (mouse, trackball, trackpad) and maybe an adjustable height keyboard tray.

For your specific usage case, this means you should also consider Windows ultrabooks and Chromebooks and spend a little more on a better external monitor.

I looked at my own notebook computer usage and ended up replacing my well-appointed MacBook Air 2019 ($1600 at time of purchase) with a $750 Acer Swift 3 ultrabook running Windows 10 ($750).

With shelter-in-place/work-at-home mandates where I live, the notebook computer is parked away since I'm sitting in front of my 32" QHD Dell monitor and Keychron K8 keyboard.

Normally, I'd agree.

However, I suddenly found myself needing to self-isolate in my bedroom where there's no space for a desktop setup. For something that you'll actually use on a lap (or in my case, on a pillow to add some height so I'm not looking down on the display giving me neck pain), the excellent battery life, lack of fans and very cool running chipset makes the M1 MBA worth the price premium over Intel-based laptops.

Alas, the MBA's keyboard still doesn't compare to my ThinkPad's.

 

[muziq]

For the love of god, don't fall for the sale prices on Intels.. spend the extra dough and get the M1. You will not regret it. This comes from an owner of about 6 Intels, and am blown away by the power of the M1. Plus resell value will be horrible in the future, another thing to consider.

 

[muziq]

Also to add.. if you own an Intel, no need to rush out and rebuy. This IMO is more for the people who are thinking about getting an Intel now. If I had a choice between the 2, I'd pass on the tempting sales. I still have Intel Macs, and they serve me very well for my needs. But wish I held off on buying a 16" MBP i9.. I should have waited and listened the the whispers!

 

[sracer]

For the love of god, don't fall for the sale prices on Intels.. spend the extra dough and get the M1. You will not regret it. This comes from an owner of about 6 Intels, and am blown away by the power of the M1. Plus resell value will be horrible in the future, another thing to consider.

One-size-fits-all advice doesn't take an individual's circumstances and priorities into consideration.

There are some excellent deals to be had on Intel-based Macbook Airs. I'm seeing them in some places (new) at almost half the price of the M1 MSRP. Unless a person needs the things that an M1 offers, paying extra for the M1 is not a wise financial decision.

Regarding resale value, for those who will keep their devices for a long time (and not flip it in 1-3 years), resale value isn't much of a consideration. Resale value is even less of a concern if the initial price paid is significantly lower than MSRP.

For example, 6 years ago, Best Buy had a killer Summer sale on the Macbook Airs. I picked up a base 11" MBA for $475. 2 years ago I was able to trade it in (at the same Best Buy of all places) for $425.

 

[MBAir2010]

And
who to say apple will stop supporting anything intel in the near future?
my mountain lion macbook air wont accept my user name for icloud and the internet is very iffy on many web sites and pages using safari. I can see apple stopping icloud support on all intel based macs by the end of this decade as they did in the past. Not that i dislike apple, i have an ipad, 1.5 macbook airs, an iphone and several ipods, and gave away a 2019 dell xps last month, but i know how they work and are successful in strategic marketing.

 

[rui no onna]

One-size-fits-all advice doesn't take an individual's circumstances and priorities into consideration.

There are some excellent deals to be had on Intel-based Macbook Airs. I'm seeing them in some places (new) at almost half the price of the M1 MSRP. Unless a person needs the things that an M1 offers, paying extra for the M1 is not a wise financial decision.

In this case though, it's not half off. More like 25%. Less if one buys from EDU store or something.

Personally, I'd rather spend the extra $150-250 on the M1 MBA for cool and silent operation, and battery life that actually has a chance of meeting the published specs. Forget performance, I think the quality of life improvements are well worth the premium.

 

[sracer]

In this case though, it's not half off. More like 25%. Less if one buys from EDU store or something.

Personally, I'd rather spend the extra $150-250 on the M1 MBA for cool and silent operation, and battery life that actually has a chance of meeting the published specs. Forget performance, I think the quality of life improvements are well worth the premium.

Right. The OP's situation is that it was near 25% off. I was responding to the blanket suggestion to avoid ALL sales on the Intel-based MBAs. As for "quality of life improvements" that is something that is subjective to the individual. It's worth it to you, but not necessarily for everyone.

 

[rui no onna]

Right. The OP's situation is that it was near 25% off. I was responding to the blanket suggestion to avoid ALL sales on the Intel-based MBAs. As for "quality of life improvements" that is something that is subjective to the individual. It's worth it to you, but not necessarily for everyone.

True. However, I expect pretty much all normies would appreciate the quality of life improvements. Whether it's worth the higher price depends on the individual.

Granted, OS X/macOS has never been a draw for me. Hence, I don't quite find a MacBook for $700 to be particularly more enticing than, say, a ThinkPad X1 for $700, and there's pretty much a sale every day for Windows laptops. Meanwhile, the M1 MBA/MBP brings advantages on the hardware level that you simply couldn't get from Windows laptops.

 

[MBAir2010]

Granted, OS X/macOS has never been a draw for me. Hence, I don't quite find a MacBook for $700 to be particularly more enticing than, say, a ThinkPad X1 for $700, and there's pretty much a sale every day for Windows laptops. Meanwhile, the M1 MBA/MBP brings advantages on the hardware level that you simply couldn't get from Windows laptops.

i was just wondering how do you back up all those ipads, iPhones then, through the icloud?