Is It Worth Changing?

[oo7ml]

Hi,

I have a MB Air - Mid 2011 (256gb / 4gb)

I use the machine over 12 hours a day... so as you can imagine the battery is gone in it.

I was thinking of getting a new MB Air, and i've looked around the Apple website, and i was surprised to see that the specs are not all that better than my Mid 2011 machine... BUT maybe i am missing something, as surely it's a lot better, considering it's 4 years on.

QUESTIONS

01 - what are your thoughts on my situation and the latest MB Air?

02 - is there a new MB Air model coming out any time soon (i don't want to buy a new one and find out a newer model (for the same price) is coming out in a few months)

Thanks in advance for any help you have.

 

[vanimal]

If you were to buy now would be a great time. Best buy has the base 13" model for $799! With a 10% movers coupon that brings it to $719 normally $999. The deal is until Sunday I believe. That is the 2015 model too.

 

[motrek]

Hi,

I have a MB Air - Mid 2011 (256gb / 4gb)

I use the machine over 12 hours a day... so as you can imagine the battery is gone in it.

I was thinking of getting a new MB Air, and i've looked around the Apple website, and i was surprised to see that the specs are not all that better than my Mid 2011 machine... BUT maybe i am missing something, as surely it's a lot better, considering it's 4 years on.

QUESTIONS

01 - what are your thoughts on my situation and the latest MB Air?

02 - is there a new MB Air model coming out any time soon (i don't want to buy a new one and find out a newer model (for the same price) is coming out in a few months)

Thanks in advance for any help you have.

The computers are essentially the same except for one key difference. The processor in the current model uses MUCH less power. So it will give you much longer battery life. And if you get into situations where your 2011 runs hot and/or loud, then 2015 model will be much cooler and quieter and faster in those same situations.

The more recent models also have USB 3.0 which can really improve file transfer speeds if you use e.g. external drives.

 

[unibility]

If you were to buy now would be a great time. Best buy has the base 13" model for $799! With a 10% movers coupon that brings it to $719 normally $999. The deal is until Sunday I believe. That is the 2015 model too.

BestBuy's 10% mover's coupon does not apply to price match, clearance or sale items. I thought about this too.

 

[newellj]

The computers are essentially the same except for one key difference. The processor in the current model uses MUCH less power. So it will give you much longer battery life. And if you get into situations where your 2011 runs hot and/or loud, then 2015 model will be much cooler and quieter and faster in those same situations.

The more recent models also have USB 3.0 which can really improve file transfer speeds if you use e.g. external drives.

I was going to say this so I guess I'll just second it. Even compared to when your current MBA was new, the current (or even 2014 or 2013 refurbs, which can be attractively priced) will give you significantly better battery life.

 

[vanimal]

BestBuy's 10% mover's coupon does not apply to price match, clearance or sale items. I thought about this too.

The 2015 MBA and MBPR are marked "clearance" on the website. I used a 10% movers coupon no problem. BB has the best deals right now for base model 2015 MacBooks.

$799 for the 2015 13" MBA 128GB

It WAS $1099 for the 2015 MBPR 13" 128gb

 

[Scepticalscribe]

The 2013 models featured a huge improvement in battery life over the 2012 and earlier, models.

I had a 2010 MBA, currently have a 2013 (CTO maxed out) 13" and had a 2012 11" (as an emergency standby) for a few months.

I think you will notice that the battery life is a lot better. As I went from 2 GB RAM to 8 GB RAM, and from 128 GB SSD to 512 GB SSD, I also noticed a massive increase in speed and power.

 

[David58117]

BestBuy's 10% mover's coupon does not apply to price match, clearance or sale items. I thought about this too.

Yes they are - it's what I did.

In fact, if you search the official best buy forums, you'll find people complaining a particular store wouldn't - so the district manager responded and re-educated the store employees.

 

[Boyd01]

I went from a 2011 to a 2013 MBA and am still very happy with it. I found it a huge upgrade. 4gb RAM and 256gb SSD were the max in 2011, my 2013 machine has 8gb RAM and 512gb SSD. The USB 3.0 interface is also very significant, my cheap USB 3.0 drives transfer data at 170MB/sec and mys USB 2.0 drives max out at 35MB/sec. Makes quite a difference when transferring large files or running backups.

The 802.11ac wifi is also a huge speed increase if you have a compatible router. I get about 60MB/sec connecting to shared drive over wifi. That is almost twice as fast as a direct-connect USB drive on my 2011 MBA.

The added battery life is also really significant, almost twice what I got on the 2011 machine.

See if you can find any 2013 refurbs on Apple's site. They are the sweet spot in price vs performance IMO.

 

[MacBoook160]

I went from a 2011 to a 2013 MBA and am still very happy with it. I found it a huge upgrade. 4gb RAM and 256gb SSD were the max in 2011, my 2013 machine has 8gb RAM and 512gb SSD. The USB 3.0 interface is also very significant, my cheap USB 3.0 drives transfer data at 170MB/sec and mys USB 2.0 drives max out at 35MB/sec. Makes quite a difference when transferring large files or running backups.

The 802.11ac wifi is also a huge speed increase if you have a compatible router. I get about 60MB/sec connecting to shared drive over wifi. That is almost twice as fast as a direct-connect USB drive on my 2011 MBA.

The added battery life is also really significant, almost twice what I got on the 2011 machine.

See if you can find any 2013 refurbs on Apple's site. They are the sweet spot in price vs performance IMO.

That's my conclusion, too. After all the terrific advice on many of these threads and my own research, I'm looking at the refurbs (they have 2014 machines as well), because I also wanted more RAM/flash storage. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but keeping an eye here.

One new thing I learned from all of you: I didn't realize that one could buy the Apple Care separately; eg, I could buy the machine from Apple, let's say, and the Apple Care from B&H. I haven't figured out the timing/logistics of this, but who knew?

 

[newellj]

That's my conclusion, too. After all the terrific advice on many of these threads and my own research, I'm looking at the refurbs (they have 2014 machines as well), because I also wanted more RAM/flash storage. Haven't pulled the trigger yet, but keeping an eye here.

One new thing I learned from all of you: I didn't realize that one could buy the Apple Care separately; eg, I could buy the machine from Apple, let's say, and the Apple Care from B&H. I haven't figured out the timing/logistics of this, but who knew?

One bit of timing is certain: you can buy it any time before your 1 year warranty is up (make sure you check the date in your support profile on the Apple web site). Then set a calendar reminder so you don't miss the date.

 

[Rhcpcjg]

If you were to buy now would be a great time. Best buy has the base 13" model for $799! With a 10% movers coupon that brings it to $719 normally $999. The deal is until Sunday I believe. That is the 2015 model too.

today is the last day, I purchased one today with a movers coupon, education coupon, and some best buy rewards certificates, total was $660.

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BestBuy's 10% mover's coupon does not apply to price match, clearance or sale items. I thought about this too.

That is wrong, I was able to use a movers coupon and a education coupon to purchase the already discounted 2015 13' macbook air.