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As part of its Black Friday deals, Walmart is currently selling the five-year-old MacBook Air with the M1 chip for just $549 in the United States.

MacBook-Air-Walmart.jpg

Walmart began selling the MacBook Air with the M1 chip for $699 in March 2024. The price later dropped to $649, then to $599, and now to $549.

Apple first released the MacBook Air with the M1 chip in November 2020, as one of the first Macs with an Apple silicon chip, instead of an Intel processor. The configuration being sold for $549 includes 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, with Silver and Space Gray color options available. Gold is currently sold out.

These are new MacBook Air units — not refurbished or open box.

Apple discontinued the MacBook Air with the M1 chip last year, after it launched models with the M3 chip, and it has since updated the MacBook Air with the M4 chip. Prior to being discontinued, the model with the M1 chip was being sold for a starting price of $999 brand new, but Amazon sometimes offered it on sale for $899 or less.

While the MacBook Air with the M1 chip is five years old, it is still a capable machine for many average day-to-day tasks. However, it has an older design, and it is the oldest MacBook Air model compatible with the current macOS 26 (aka macOS Tahoe) operating system, so there is a chance that it will not support macOS 27 next year.

Article Link: MacBook Air With M1 Chip is Now Just $549 at Walmart
 
With how bloated macOS is becoming and this only having 8gb of ram, real world experience is probably akin to having a Chromebook with a nice screen.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: minik
As someone new to the Mac world, how much longer would this laptop be supported? Not just OS releases, but I assume after it no longer gets OS releases it would still get security updates for awhile?
 
I probably wouldn't buy it today, but I'm still amazed how good my identical spec mini still is. Hopefully it's the wedge with a reliable keyboard.
 
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Reactions: jarman92
Still an awful value for a 5 year old design with a soon to be 5 generation old processor.

People love the design (for some reason) and that 5 generation old processor still beats the pants off probably 90% of the PC laptop market.
 
If they sold these in the UK for the equivalent amount ($549=£416), would seriously consider grabbing one to replace my 2015 MBP. I only need a basic Mac to do tasks I cant do on my M4 iPP + MKB which ironically is my actual main 'laptop'.
 
Options, people. Options. While many reading this site see this as a poor value given the options "just" one or two hundred dollars more, there are many people for who that amount of money is significant; and for who this model matches the planned use well enough.

What I think some posters here want may (or may not) be served by Apple's rumor new MacBook model. But even that new entry hasn't been rumored to be $549.
 
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