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Late 2010 mba basic now $699
- Thread starter Nychot
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I bought one. The kids have been driving me crazy for one and I need something to travel with.
It needs to run Safari, Flash (unfortunately), email and Office. I have an older Mac Mini sitting here unused that should bring $275-300 on Craigslist. And I can write much of it off as a business expense.
Yeah, it is much slower than the 2011 but I really don't need the speed for what I am doing. Plus I will be able to sell it in 3 years for $350-400 or more. Seems nearly free for me.
I just don't see the reason to spend the extra $300 in my situation so I bit. Good deal.
It needs to run Safari, Flash (unfortunately), email and Office. I have an older Mac Mini sitting here unused that should bring $275-300 on Craigslist. And I can write much of it off as a business expense.
Yeah, it is much slower than the 2011 but I really don't need the speed for what I am doing. Plus I will be able to sell it in 3 years for $350-400 or more. Seems nearly free for me.
I just don't see the reason to spend the extra $300 in my situation so I bit. Good deal.
I have the base 2010 with Lion. It runs fine. Takes a second or two to fully wake from sleep. But otherwise it runs smooth.
i bought one and returned and now buying again
i bought one at bestbuy a month or so ago -- an open box but as new for $749 and also got a free apple tv. I really liked it but i found myself using my ipad more and i thought the mba was too delicate. so i returned it. but now i'm going to get another one. bestbuy is the best route because i dont have to pay for it for 18 months and it would cost me just 135 more than buying the reconditioned one for 699 but can only pay off in six months. i hate paying cash up front when i can get a same as cash deal heading over to BB tomorrow and see if they have any open box mba's if not. i'll buy a new one AGAIn. i dont want lion so i'm hoping i can get a 2010. my ms word for mac apparently wont work on lion. its word 2004.
i bought one at bestbuy a month or so ago -- an open box but as new for $749 and also got a free apple tv. I really liked it but i found myself using my ipad more and i thought the mba was too delicate. so i returned it. but now i'm going to get another one. bestbuy is the best route because i dont have to pay for it for 18 months and it would cost me just 135 more than buying the reconditioned one for 699 but can only pay off in six months. i hate paying cash up front when i can get a same as cash deal heading over to BB tomorrow and see if they have any open box mba's if not. i'll buy a new one AGAIn. i dont want lion so i'm hoping i can get a 2010. my ms word for mac apparently wont work on lion. its word 2004.
Just wondering, why do you prefer to buy on credit versus cash?
Personally, I prefer to pay everything in cash or use my credit card as a mode of payment so I don't have to carry wads of cash around, but I pay it off immediately. It just lets me sleep well at night knowing I don't owe anything to anyone.
Personally, I prefer to pay everything in cash or use my credit card as a mode of payment so I don't have to carry wads of cash around, but I pay it off immediately. It just lets me sleep well at night knowing I don't owe anything to anyone.
I've been thinking about getting one for $699 (~$750 w/ tax). However, I can get the new 2011 base for $1000 w/tax. Is the $250 savings worth it...?
Depends on your workflow, I'd say, but typically, you don't need the backlit keyboard or the extra processing power for about 90% of the tasks most people do on a Mac. Plus being able to use Coolbook to shut up that fan far outweighs the added processing power.
And it's $250 cheaper. You can almost get an iPad with that leftover.
If i csn play with this thing fir 18 months with nothing due and no interest until april 2013, hell why not. I'll probably sell it by then.
You still have to A) pay it off completely sooner or later and B) make minimum monthly payments every month.
18 months same as cash doesn't mean you get to make no payments for 18 months and then you just pay it on the 18th month. Thats not how it works. It means you make monthly payments every month for 18 months, and if you have a $0 balance at the end of month 18, then they won't charge you interest.
However, If you don't finish paying off in 18 months you owe the full interest from the date of purchase (not just for the one month you went over your 18. That means if you accidentally forgot how many you have left and made your last payment in 19 months, you now would owe several hundred dollars of interest.
I have seen this many times at Best Buy when I worked there. People would have their bill and on the 18th or 24th month (sometimes they run a 24 month 0% APR promotion) they had like a $5 or $6 (or some other trivial amount) balance from their original $2k-$3k appliance or HT purchase and then got a bill for like $500 of interest the following month.
The other thing to keep in mind is that its 18 months from date of purchase, not 18 billing cycles. If your purchase is on the 21st of Sept, and your billing cycles end on the 30th, you actually have to send in your last payment EARLY to make sure it is processed by the 21st of the month, because if you send it in at the end of the cycle, you technically went over "18 months"
Also, if you miss or are late on a single payment, same thing happens but now your interest goes up to 29%. So if you have a tough month and can't make the minimum payment one month (or forget to) that $699 Air just became a $900 MBA.
And as I mentioned, you still have to make minimum monthly payments, so its just another bill you have to worry about every month for a year and a half.
Plus, if you sell it by then, you probably won't get the full value back. When people can get refurbs for $699 now with a full warranty direct from Apple, Craigslist or eBay fetching prices in the next few months (especially next year when the next MBA comes out) won't be above $500-$550 if you're lucky.
All I'm saying is be careful with credit, there is a lot of minefields in that area and CC companies LOVE it when people trip on them. And no, they are not lenient and understanding if you explain to them that you were confused about when the payment was due or how much you had to pay, the reason is because THAT PEOPLES MISTAKES IS HOW THEY MAKE ALL THEIR MONEY.
18 months same as cash doesn't mean you get to make no payments for 18 months and then you just pay it on the 18th month. Thats not how it works. It means you make monthly payments every month for 18 months, and if you have a $0 balance at the end of month 18, then they won't charge you interest.
However, If you don't finish paying off in 18 months you owe the full interest from the date of purchase (not just for the one month you went over your 18. That means if you accidentally forgot how many you have left and made your last payment in 19 months, you now would owe several hundred dollars of interest.
I have seen this many times at Best Buy when I worked there. People would have their bill and on the 18th or 24th month (sometimes they run a 24 month 0% APR promotion) they had like a $5 or $6 (or some other trivial amount) balance from their original $2k-$3k appliance or HT purchase and then got a bill for like $500 of interest the following month.
The other thing to keep in mind is that its 18 months from date of purchase, not 18 billing cycles. If your purchase is on the 21st of Sept, and your billing cycles end on the 30th, you actually have to send in your last payment EARLY to make sure it is processed by the 21st of the month, because if you send it in at the end of the cycle, you technically went over "18 months"
Also, if you miss or are late on a single payment, same thing happens but now your interest goes up to 29%. So if you have a tough month and can't make the minimum payment one month (or forget to) that $699 Air just became a $900 MBA.
And as I mentioned, you still have to make minimum monthly payments, so its just another bill you have to worry about every month for a year and a half.
Plus, if you sell it by then, you probably won't get the full value back. When people can get refurbs for $699 now with a full warranty direct from Apple, Craigslist or eBay fetching prices in the next few months (especially next year when the next MBA comes out) won't be above $500-$550 if you're lucky.
All I'm saying is be careful with credit, there is a lot of minefields in that area and CC companies LOVE it when people trip on them. And no, they are not lenient and understanding if you explain to them that you were confused about when the payment was due or how much you had to pay, the reason is because THAT PEOPLES MISTAKES IS HOW THEY MAKE ALL THEIR MONEY.
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bingo. If you can't pay all at once, you should either wait till you can or look into a cheaper solution.
See below:
Gregintosh is exactly right. What I'd do as soon as you get your first statement is set up automatic payments from your bank account for the required payments, and then set reminders in every calendar you can possibly think of to pay off the remaining balance before the 12 month anniversary of your purchase date. As he points out, the 12 months is based on the payment date, not the billing cycle. Barclays lets you schedule a discrete payment 4 months in advance. You can set up an automatic payment for the minimum amount for as long as you want.
The card company estimates the percentage of people who won't pay off on time, and based on that, they determine how much they charge Apple for operating their store card. They are as tricky and opaque as they are legally allowed to be, so definitely be careful with these same-as-cash deals.
Back when interest rates were higher (e.g. the late 1990s or early 2000s), these same-as-cash deals were worth more to me. Now I can barely get .75% from an online bank account (and am lucky to get more than 0% from a brick-and-mortar bank), so these deals are less worthwhile.
Yeah, same as cash is only good, or smart rather, for super large purchases like expensive furniture and appliances. Not many people will have $10k for furniture and appliances if they need them, but they do have positive cash flow which means paying them off over a few months is reasonable and responsible. Or sometimes its better to hold onto some cash for emergencies (so if I only have 10k in my bank account, Id rather pay off $10k over a few months with incoming money than deplete my savings to 0). Same as cash works well then, as it can save you a few hundred bucks or maybe even a grand or so on interest and it gives you flexibility.
But for something as trivial as $700, even a grand or two, I say pay right away.
I use my credit card for almost everything because its a convenient mode of payment, but then I pay the bill in full that same month. I have a large credit line, but its there only for emergencies.
Playing with credit I think is one of those things that gets people and families in a lot of trouble. It gives people the illusion that everything is affordable when it really isn't. It's what people always refer to when they say you are "renting" your lifestyle and not owning it. But you should strongly resist the urge to use credit to live beyond your means, so assess if you can truly afford something before you buy it.
But for something as trivial as $700, even a grand or two, I say pay right away.
I use my credit card for almost everything because its a convenient mode of payment, but then I pay the bill in full that same month. I have a large credit line, but its there only for emergencies.
Playing with credit I think is one of those things that gets people and families in a lot of trouble. It gives people the illusion that everything is affordable when it really isn't. It's what people always refer to when they say you are "renting" your lifestyle and not owning it. But you should strongly resist the urge to use credit to live beyond your means, so assess if you can truly afford something before you buy it.
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Wrong. It's the lack of common sense what gets people and families in trouble.
In fact, assuming a 0% Interest, the smart thing would be to buy absolutely EVERYTHING on credit, so you A) control your cash flow and B) get paid interests on you interest-bearing bank account for a money you actually no longer own (since it's now "locked up" to pay the product you've purchased).
If I could, I would even pay my groceries on credit (assuming a 0% interest)... all you need is a bit of financial common sense, and those dollars will add up on your interest-yielding bank account. Who knows, maybe you could get a new MBA for free every year from those interests
Purely theoretically, you're absolutely correct. In practice, most people aren't well versed on the finer points of finance, and even those that are (I would consider myself one of people) sometimes its just easier not to have to worry about it.
I got a business to run and a lot of responsibilities involved in that on my mind already, so the last thing I want to worry about on my weekends is if I remembered to pay some store card for something I bought a while ago and might be charged crazy interest, penalties, etc. on if I didn't (when I could have just paid cash for it).
I agree, its people not being responsible and not having "common sense" (which despite its name is actually not always common). Whats obvious and "common sense" to us who are educated in the area of finance and money management is voodoo magic to people who never looked into how money works.
I guess the best way to put is like this. A credit card is like a gun. If you know how to use it, you can do good with it. If you don't, you'll shoot yourself in the foot.
So if you do know how to use it, by all means go for it. If you don't, play it safe and put it away!
Many families and individuals get in trouble because they are handed these weapons and not taught how to use them properly. (I am not saying they are blameless though, since its not like someone is making them buy crap they don't need or can't afford, so don't get me wrong.)
And, back on topic
Do most people feel this is a good deal? Reviewers have said the new Sandy Bridge model has twice the performance and this is a 30% discount. Or you could say you get 100% more performance for 43% more $$$.
Still I think many people get all the performance they need today for $699.
For my needs it seemed the $699 model was good enough and a very good deal since it has already taken much of it's depreciation (resale will be higher compared to initial price).
If I were ripping video, editing photos, creating music or graphics, or something like that I would definitely pay the extra (and really get a 13 in. 256GB anyway).
Do most people feel this is a good deal? Reviewers have said the new Sandy Bridge model has twice the performance and this is a 30% discount. Or you could say you get 100% more performance for 43% more $$$.
Still I think many people get all the performance they need today for $699.
For my needs it seemed the $699 model was good enough and a very good deal since it has already taken much of it's depreciation (resale will be higher compared to initial price).
If I were ripping video, editing photos, creating music or graphics, or something like that I would definitely pay the extra (and really get a 13 in. 256GB anyway).
And, back on topic
Do most people feel this is a good deal? Reviewers have said the new Sandy Bridge model has twice the performance and this is a 30% discount. Or you could say you get 100% more performance for 43% more $$$.
Still I think many people get all the performance they need today for $699.
For my needs it seemed the $699 model was good enough and a very good deal since it has already taken much of it's depreciation (resale will be higher compared to initial price).
If it has the performance you need, it's a good deal. It is more than capable of handling Safari, iTunes, Mail, iPhoto, and Office.
I am using the iPad most of the time. The MBA could be a good fit to replace my MacBook Aluminum, too heavy and too big now. I can't get rid of it yet, due to some iOS limitations.
Apple should hurry up, I will try Windows 8.
True bb does require minimum payments etc and i suppose it might get certain people in a bind. But i dont fit in that category at all financially. I pay online and if the min payment is $25 i pay $100'or $150. Lets see i bought an ipad2 on 18 months, a dig camera on 18 months, plus some reg items -- an emergecy router for $129 when mine died, a mini hard drive for $49. Rather than put out the cash they went on the bb card. Easy peasy but i can see others get their balls caught in a wringer. I only look for bargain deals at bb when i need something. Today i found a late 2010 mba 13" open box. Got it for $850. They had it listed as a base 128gb. When i tested ut there i saw -- bingo -- it was the 4gb 256! They screwed up and didnt notice. It probably should have sold f0r around $1100 or more even as an open box. Its now registered with apple
When you start thinking of this as the most powerful, versatile iPad in existence, then it starts to look like a really sweet deal.
True bb does require minimum payments etc and i suppose it might get certain people in a bind. But i dont fit in that category at all financially. I pay online and if the min payment is $25 i pay $100'or $150. Lets see i bought an ipad2 on 18 months, a dig camera on 18 months, plus some reg items -- an emergecy router for $129 when mine died, a mini hard drive for $49. Rather than put out the cash they went on the bb card. Easy peasy but i can see others get their balls caught in a wringer. I only look for bargain deals at bb when i need something. Today i found a late 2010 mba 13" open box. Got it for $850. They had it listed as a base 128gb. When i tested ut there i saw -- bingo -- it was the 4gb 256! They screwed up and didnt notice. It probably should have sold f0r around $1100 or more even as an open box. Its now registered with apple
Oh, i forgot i also got one if the firesale hp 32 gb touchpads at bb.com on the card. They are going for $300 on ebay but i like it and will keep it as a bavkup and alternate to my ipad. It does flash.
A Sandy Bridge MBA is NOT twice as powerful as a C2D MBA, because there's more to the equation than just CPU muscle. All in all, and in real-world tests with real-world software, the speed bump is around 17% according to the tests I've read myself.
So a 30% price cut for a 17% performance hit seems like a good deal to me.
Also, keep in consideration that the resell value of that MBA will be VERY good. Since you're buying it cheap ($699), chance are that you can use it until next MBA update in 2012 and re-sell your MBA for $499, so you will have lost only $200. Not bad at all!