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Macbook Air 2017 - what kind of buyers?
- Thread starter lillefot
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I've had my mid-2011 13" MBA (entry model) for a number of years- it was an Apple refurb. My inner geek would love a new one, but my inner responsible husband points out "It still suits the role quite well." I love it, personally. In some ways, more than my 15.4" MBP...
The MacBook Air is for people who need to get basic work done and who have a more powerful at home. I bought one for having a full OS along side my iPad Pro on the go. There is still plenty of uses for it.
I think an argument could be made that the MacBook Air is more than powerful enough for most people. I have used mine (2011 and 2013) quite a lot with Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, VectorWorks, FileMaker Pro, Photoshop, etc. Just plug in a big screen, external keyboard and mouse and you've got a nice desktop computer. Even if you have the small 128gb SSD, you can easily connect a fast USB SSD or HD to increase storage.
That is true. I typed that before my morning coffee. I will be doing a lot of work on mine and it is my main laptop now. It will handle everything I need and more and in a great form factor.
Well, just purchased a new 2015 Macbook Air for $750. This is just crazy cheap for a new Apple machine that will last for many years and do everything I need doing on the go. This obsession with getting the latest and greatest thing is just silly, especially since recently latest is not greatest, just more buggy, expensive and limiting.
The Air is the best computer for the most people that Apple has ever made.
And, maers001, the first computer I programed on had vacuum tubes. Learn to make good choices when purchasing or someone else will have all your money.
The Air is still a capable and powerful machine for the money and form factor. The PC world still has not caught up to this machine and the how perfect it is. The trackpad and keyboard alone make every Lenovo X1 look bad.
You have no idea about what people can do on a MacBook Air, or why some people stick to OS X.
And in the end of the day, a machine is only a way to do tasks the machine does not work without a brain.
It's ok. Some people "get it" others don't. For those of us who do, we're enjoying a terrific device. I've been using my 2014 11" Air for 3 years and it runs every bit as well as it did on the first day.
The Air remains very useful. The only real strike against it is the screen, which is definitely dated in 2017. But then again, that's why it's Apple's entry level notebook.
I personally probably wouldn't want to go back to that screen resolution after using my 13" rMBP for almost 4 years, but my wife has a 2013 Air, and the screen doesn't bother her a bit (and she does have other devices with retina displays).
I continue to chuckle at people who make blanket statements like this... clearly you don't live in the real world... the MBA is a good, affordable Mac that is plenty powerful for most needs... I love mine, it does everything I need with power to spare... but thanks for offering your opinion... that's how life works - you pay your money and take your choice.
That's also been said of the MacBook Pro ("useless touch bar"), Mac Pro ("lack of expandability"), Mac Mini ("not updated since the Jurassic period"), and MacBook ("one gimped port, almost all the pricing of the MBP, with almost none of the capability".) So there is certainly a little subjectivity to who sees what as a good value versus a ripoff. I like Apple and I would argue their best value is actually the MBA.
Let me know when you find a (new) MacBook Pro for under $750, or a used MacBook for under $600 that comes with a 1 year warranty and is eligible for AppleCare!!!
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I for myself was using an 2012 Air for 5 years. And back in the time it was a perfect laptop. But introduced in 2010 it's just an outdated form factor, screen with now two generations old CPU and GPU. To buy this new at full price is a ripoff from Apple and this was the topic "2017 Air". There are still no refurbished 2017 models.
I also bought a 2013 for my girlfriend on ebay who just wanted to spend about 500€. For that price its ok. But this was not the question of this thread.
But I still use OS X and prefer it over windows. This was just an advice for people who can't spend $1500 or more on a new machine.
So after my Air died in January this year, I bought a used 2016 M5 MB for 30% less cos I also think the prices on the new machines are a ripoff
I also bought a 2013 for my girlfriend on ebay who just wanted to spend about 500€. For that price its ok. But this was not the question of this thread.
But I still use OS X and prefer it over windows. This was just an advice for people who can't spend $1500 or more on a new machine.
So after my Air died in January this year, I bought a used 2016 M5 MB for 30% less cos I also think the prices on the new machines are a ripoff
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I just got a used late 2015 MBA for myself at a very good price. Coming from a Chromebook the only thing that is worse is the screen, and I could never get used to the Lenovo Yoga 510 Windows machine I had.
The MBA is a beautiful device, still, (I love the backlit keys) and I'm not using a case on mine. It's only gone through 43 cycles since its manufacture in November 15 and has 96% battery health.
The MBA is a beautiful device, still, (I love the backlit keys) and I'm not using a case on mine. It's only gone through 43 cycles since its manufacture in November 15 and has 96% battery health.
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Agreed.
Me too.
The keyword is travel.
My primary - indeed, my only - computer at the moment is my 2014 11" MBA which I had build to order (Core i7, 8 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD).
This computer has - quite literally - travelled the world with me, to some of the most remote and inhospitable places imaginable.
It is fast, light, portable, powerful, reliable, and has a great battery.
Actually, it is by fat the best computer I have ever had, and I would buy it - with those specs - again in a heart-beat.
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As does mine - it is terrific computer and close to design perfection.
We've pretty much stated the reasons. Very capable systems at a reasonable price. If one doesn't need the additional computing power of an rMBP, then that is NOT money well spent.
The rMB only has 1 USB-C port. If one needs display ports or full-sized USB ports then add $80 for the dongle. The Air already has those ports. I can go into any conference room where I work and be able to attach my MBA for presentation without the need for dongles. My presentation remote uses a USB receiver... pop it in ready to go.
Having said that, the MBA is NOT for everyone.
As @sracer points out, below, some of us have stated the reasons we like the MBA a lot.
Budgetary issues were not what determined my purchase of a CTO MBA in 2013, and 2014. Rather, its rugged reliability, speed, exceptional portability, excellent battery life, and sheer power were what attracted me.
If your preferences lie elsewhere, that is your choice; but please don't denigrate ours.
Well said.
What you say is true. For you. Frankly, it's your opinion about what is "best" in your eyes. As with most things in life, there is no "one size fits all" solution. What factor that I see as a priority is not the same as what you see as a priority, and it is probably different from what the next guy sees.
It's not more or less rugged than the rest of the range, so that's just waffle.
It's not faster than the other models, but can be fast enough for many things same as all the other offerings.
And battery life is in the same range of the others offerings too.
So while you call it denigrating your preference, it's just a myopic preference without real substance.
"i just want it because i do"... stated another way, which is more than fine lets not dress it up.
It has no upsides vs the other models other than price. Lets just call it how it is.. and if you want one on that basis - cool, but the title is 2017 buyer. That buyer's in the "main" a price based buyer.
It's not faster than the other models, but can be fast enough for many things same as all the other offerings.
And battery life is in the same range of the others offerings too.
So while you call it denigrating your preference, it's just a myopic preference without real substance.
"i just want it because i do"... stated another way, which is more than fine lets not dress it up.
It has no upsides vs the other models other than price. Lets just call it how it is.. and if you want one on that basis - cool, but the title is 2017 buyer. That buyer's in the "main" a price based buyer.
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That is simply not true... battery life if better on MBA, connectivity options are better on MBA...
MBA i got about 10.5hrs worth of battery on my 2013 model (sons) thats in the back of the cupboard somewhere
rMBP gives me around 10hrs. I don't have a rMB but Apple say 10hrs so i'd call that a draw pretty much all round.
Connections on MBA are "worse" than rMBP,
Im not saying best or worst, I'm simply saying it how it is. its the entry level device that is aimed at those with a budget.
but i will repeat, that doesn't mean you cant buy it for other reasons. You can buy a family car if you are single, but thats what its designed for regardless of what you use it for..
rMBP gives me around 10hrs. I don't have a rMB but Apple say 10hrs so i'd call that a draw pretty much all round.
Connections on MBA are "worse" than rMBP,
Im not saying best or worst, I'm simply saying it how it is. its the entry level device that is aimed at those with a budget.
but i will repeat, that doesn't mean you cant buy it for other reasons. You can buy a family car if you are single, but thats what its designed for regardless of what you use it for..
USB A to C dongle u can get for $6 or just buy a cable replacement for the same price.
Of course it would have been better if Apple had put in at least two ports or even kept an additional USBa port for a while. But buying a computer just because of this minor connection problem?
USBa won't come back to the other MacBook lineup. So u can buy now an adapter or in a few years.
And happy for you that all conference rooms in your life have mini display ports. I never saw one in many companies I was working with. Just hdmi or even vga. So dongle life also here...