I'm looking to buy a Macbook Air refurb. Besides slightly better specs, are there any major differences between the Oct 2010 and July 2011 Macbook Air models? I'm assuming the Oct. 2010 models come with Snow Leopard but can be upgraded to Lion? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Macbook Refurb - Oct 2010 vs. July 2011
- Thread starter kman11
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Your definition of "slightly better" may be different from mine, but I've owned both a C2D 2010 11" MBA (the "ultimate" model then) and a current-generation i5 11" as well. There's no comparison between the two from a performance standpoint ... I'd suggest that the i5 is by far the better value.
i5 processor vs C2D, illuminated keyboard, etc... If it is within budget, I would opt for the 2011.
There's no comparison. The 2011 is better than the 2010 in just about every way. The i5/i7 processor blows away the aging Core 2 Duo in the 2010. While the HD3000 graphics aren't anything to write home about, for most games that have been updated to be optimized for the HD3000, the performance is comparable to the 2010's NVIDIA 320m GPU. The backlit keyboard is a bonus.
Get the 2011 if at all possible.
Get the 2011 if at all possible.
I agree with everyone else. If you can't afford a 2011 model, then wait and save up until you can.
I was in the same situation as you a few months ago and opted for the 2010 model and I am quite pleased. In today's economy, I believe it is important to be as frugal as possible and quite frankly, how much difference is there in speed when you compare the two models? Seriously?
When the 2011 Airs came out, the benchmarking tests established that for the first time the ultra light Airs could match the performance of the MacBook Pros. Search for those original articles.
Then again, if you're just surfing the web, emails and surfing the net, the 2010 should be fine.
If you use it primarily for writing, then take note that the 2011 keyboard is nicer than the 2010 keyboard, from what I've read, and noted (where I felt the 2011 keyboard was nicer than the 2009 keyboard).
Also, the 2010 did not have lighted keyboards.
Then again, if you're just surfing the web, emails and surfing the net, the 2010 should be fine.
If you use it primarily for writing, then take note that the 2011 keyboard is nicer than the 2010 keyboard, from what I've read, and noted (where I felt the 2011 keyboard was nicer than the 2009 keyboard).
Also, the 2010 did not have lighted keyboards.
