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Is the Macbook Air 13" overpriced?

S

Sangdushi

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 9, 2011
128
0
about to buy it and with education pricing my final total should be $1400~. having a really hard time coming to a final decision on whether I should buy it or not. I would've gotten the cheaper MBP 13 but it doesn't have ssd and the screen is too glossy and low resolution. This is my first mac purchase so paying this much upfront is a little new to me.

I keep telling myself how tired of windows I am and how long the macbook would last me problem free but still, it's a lot of money :p

how did anyone who bought this as their first mac come to the decision to finally pull the trigger?
 
The education pricing is what $50 off MSRP? I'm not a student and I just bought my base 13" MBA for $1249, less 3% coupon code, no tax and free shipping from MacConnection.

I've been contemplating it for a long time and none of the <3.5lbs. Windows laptops are cheap enough to justify it to me by the time you add an SSD. Plus you don't get the gestures or stellar Apple resale value. If you're a college student on a limited income it's probably not the best idea to stretch your budget to get a MBA.
 
I'm totally impressed with my 13" Air.

I thought about going to the MBP for the extra power and then I realized that most of what I do doesn't require heavy number crunching and I never burn DVD or CD discs anymore plus I have another Mac at home I can share the DVD drive with.

The pluses of my MBA

Fast fast fast SSD. Reboots in under 25 seconds. Wakes from sleep in a second and apps and searches are lightning fast. My iPhone carries most of the music I listen to and I've got a lot of video on an external drive so the 128GB of SSD storage is enough to grow with.

I've got Aperture and Final Cut Pro X and they launch and perform well. To me the only thing that's going to take the Macbook lineup and make it Pro again is to base each and every one on a SSD because i'm never giving up this performance again.
 
The edu discount is only $50, however the $100 gift card they are handing out makes it sweet. I just came from a 15" MBP. I looked at the 13" MBP but after having bought the 13" MBA, I will not go back to one of those bricks. I bought one and never had second thoughts. $100 gift card expires Sept 20th.
 
Yes!

YES! My top-of-the-line 13" 2011 Air is a GEM!

I am a first time Mac user after decades of Windows PCs. My last PC was a Lenovo 700 Win 7 Ultimate powerhouse.
 
This is my first Mac. Up until I got the 13" Air, I built my own Windows Desktops every couple years, because it was always so much cheaper to do so (and I got way more power for my buck).

Here is how I bought the Macbook Air. Set my budget. Clicked on the apple store, and spent my budget. =)

Best purchase I've made in a very long time. I didn't have a drop of buyers remorse.
 
Sangdushi said:
I keep telling myself how tired of windows I am and how long the macbook would last me problem free but still, it's a lot of money :p
Click to expand...

You will be very happy in Macland. My only regret is that I waited too long to make the switch. FWIW - my wife just received one of the Dell ultra books from her employer. Nice, but the MBA is something special.
 
I think Mac is overpriced, my roommate bought a Leveno for $600+ shipped. 500GB, Intel i7, definitely top of the line. You can't do that with Mac. Windows is money for the bang.
 
henrikrox said:
Of all the mac products

The mba and imac is by far the best value for money
Click to expand...

I absolutely agree 100%.

After paying Apple Tax for years on the overpriced CTO MBP's I've bought, to find Apple pricing the new MBA's so fairly makes me very happy.

There is a lot of value in the current MBA's in every size and configuration. The significance of this is not to be overlooked. It's one fine machine for a very reasonable price.

This is a statement I was beginning to believe, I would never be able to say about a Mac Laptop.

As a very outspoken person, I will always express my true opinion (pro or con) about my beloved Apple computers.

When I get the opportunity to commend Apple for anything, it's a great feeling.
 
Saying you love your Apple does not answer the question.

Yes, absolutely 100% overpriced as all Apple products are.
How else can they have more money than the US Gvpt.

I can see the iphone/ipad desire...but am still baffled why people will overpay for apple computers. I guess folks really need that occasional customer service and hand holding.
 
ZipZap said:
Saying you love your Apple does not answer the question.

Yes, absolutely 100% overpriced as all Apple products are.
How else can they have more money than the US Gvpt.
Click to expand...

That was just for a short period of time before the debt ceiling was raised, but perhaps Apple has so much money because they make products that people want to buy. That's called running a good business.

ZipZap said:
I can see the iphone/ipad desire...but am still baffled why people will overpay for apple computers. I guess folks really need that occasional customer service and hand holding.
Click to expand...

The fact that PC manufacturers are having a hard time undercutting Apple's prices with their new Ultrabooks shows that Apple products can be very competitively priced. I will grant that the MacBook Pro line (particularly the 15" and 17" versions) are priced considerably higher than Windows notebooks with comparable specifications, but the Mini and Air lines are actually very competitively priced for what you get.
 
relative to the offerings within its class, no it's not overpriced. This is one of the few exceptions I'd make
 
Compared to other ultraportables they are not over priced. But ultraportables are expensive in general, that doesn't mean that they are not good value for money.
 
kulimer said:
I think Mac is overpriced, my roommate bought a Leveno for $600+ shipped. 500GB, Intel i7, definitely top of the line. You can't do that with Mac. Windows is money for the bang.
Click to expand...

Is the lenovo as thin and light? Does it have 7 hours of battery? Is it made of a solid material like aluminum?

The 500GB is definitely not an SSD, which makes a HUGE speed difference too.

The fact is that Apple's quality (and that goes beyond specs, but also the build quality) is unmatched for the price. That is evidenced by all the companies out there who try to put out MacBook Air competitors but can't match the price.
 
Gregintosh said:
Is the lenovo as thin and light? Does it have 7 hours of battery? Is it made of a solid material like aluminum?

The 500GB is definitely not an SSD, which makes a HUGE speed difference too.

The fact is that Apple's quality (and that goes beyond specs, but also the build quality) is unmatched for the price. That is evidenced by all the companies out there who try to put out MacBook Air competitors but can't match the price.
Click to expand...

Lenovo makes a great product at their respective price points.

As a recent owner of an air that 7 hour battery comment is a joke...4 maybe? Lenovo has fine build quality. If that's what you can afford don't let anyone guilt trip you.
 
The only thing I feel slighted by Apple is the fact that we have to pay to extend AppleCare. I wish it was standard three years. I understand you're paying for the excellent service, but I'm so reluctant to acquiesce to the fee. With the prevalent stories of failed HDs in iMacs, and screen problems in Airs, I feel as if I have no choice but to extend AppleCare for both my iMac and Air. That's money that's not easy to part with. =T

Which leads me to another thing: I'm also disappointed that these stories of failed HDs and screens are so common. Takes a bit of the "premium" out of these premium products.
 
I paid nearly $1700 for a top of the line windows PC with an i7 processor about a year ago. Considering that I would be lucky to sell it for $300 today, I sure as hell feel like I paid way too much. I'm still kicking myself for not having gone with a Macbook Pro. It all comes down to value depreciation.

Mpalmieri1203 said:
Lenovo makes a great product at their respective price points.

As a recent owner of an air that 7 hour battery comment is a joke...4 maybe? Lenovo has fine build quality. If that's what you can afford don't let anyone guilt trip you.
Click to expand...

So what? The question was--is the MBA overpriced? Let's wait to see the price points of the new ultraportables with SSD drives before making a determination.
 
Last edited:
onthecouchagain said:
The only thing I feel slighted by Apple is the fact that we have to pay to extend AppleCare. I wish it was standard three years. I understand you're paying for the excellent service, but I'm so reluctant to acquiesce to the fee. With the prevalent stories of failed HDs in iMacs, and screen problems in Airs, I feel as if I have no choice but to extend AppleCare for both my iMac and Air. That's money that's not easy to part with. =T

Which leads me to another thing: I'm also disappointed that these stories of failed HDs and screens are so common. Takes a bit of the "premium" out of these premium products.
Click to expand...

+1.
To be honest, from now on, I won't buy a computer without the maximum warranty I can get. For macs, that's 3 years with applecare, and also puts the price to 300euros more... Kinda sucks, but considering the macbook will last 3 years without problems, it's worth it.
But comparing to my toshiba, which had 1-year full warranty (spilling coffee or anything else included), and another 2 years (totalling 3) of standard coverage of faulty parts.
That's a pretty good deal considering it's cheaper and more powerful (technically) than apple's macbooks!
Then again, it's a plastic windows laptop, not a ... MacBook Air ;)
 
Mpalmieri1203 said:
Lenovo makes a great product at their respective price points.

As a recent owner of an air that 7 hour battery comment is a joke...4 maybe? Lenovo has fine build quality. If that's what you can afford don't let anyone guilt trip you.
Click to expand...

Lenovo makes ok products, but let's not compare apples to oranges.

The spec posted included a non-SSD HD and we haven't a clue on the form factor or other key specs.

Basically the poster is saying BMWs are a rip off, cause my buddy just got a Ford for half price.

If you want to show that MBAs are overpriced, post a direct competitor that matches specs, form factor, and build quality that costs significantly less.

I also agree with JSalig, depreciation value matters. Apple products hold their value well. Even generation or two old computer products sell for very respectable prices.

I bought a first gen Aluminum iMac for $1499 and sold it 3 years later for $750. 50% depreciation over 3 years. Try selling a 3 year old Windows box for 50% of what you paid 3 years later...
 
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