MBA 13" worth buying NOW?

[Yebubbleman]

I was responding to this.

And again, I tell you that particular existing speculation is not trustworthy. You also keep forgetting that they just announced a brand new product that won't even ship until early next year THAT STILL HAS AN M2! Do you realize how bad it would be for optics if Apple released Vision Pro with M2 months after Macs with M3 release? Incidentally, go count how many devices were released with M1 following the launch of the M2 MacBook Air and M2 13-inch MacBook Pro. Actually, you can't because there weren't any.

As I pointed out, there is, in fact, something rumored to replace it — a 13” M3 MBA in October. ✅ The person who asked about buying should keep that in mind and read the stories I cited before deciding to buy right away.

...Alternatively, anyone buying ANY Apple product should do a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the rumors to see which ones are actually likely and credible compared to the ones that aren't!

I thought that particularly important to mention given your advice:



Unless someone desperately needs a 13” MBA right now, they'd be better off waiting just a couple of months to see what happens and whether the rumor pans out!

Depends on how long they intend to keep the computer and how important it is to them that they have the maximum amount of time with the product while it is still current.

Toward that end, I'd never recommend that anyone buy the current iPhone generation any later than March because new ones reliably come out in the fall and the price on existing ones generally fall at that point.

Contrastingly, while we may be past the standard M2's half-life in the MacBook Air, unless maximizing this time is of utmost importance (and for most shopping for a MacBook Air caliber machine, it usually isn't), there's no practical reason to wait relative to how long the machine will last.

Indeed, Mac Rumors itself, in its buying guide, has a red flag saying DON'T BUY the 13” MBA right now. See

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#mac

(scroll down the page to 13” MacBook Air)

Many people would agree with that advice!

Many people also don't understand how that buyer's guide actually works. It's also the case that there are many situations in which a person or guide or post is wrong, but many people still agree with it anyway. The buyer's guide is mostly based on the statistical average time that passes in between updates. Apple's average time in between updates is INCREASING in the Apple Silicon era; not decreasing.

 

[Warped9]

There is a mindset with some people that if something isn’t immediately new then it must be outdated. Total nonsense.

The M1 MacBook Air, for example, is two years old yet it remains one of the best bang-for-the-buck computers you can buy today. A professional video editor would find it limiting, but pretty much anyone else would have all their needs easily handled by this machine. Plus there is the battery life easily double of what you can get from a PC laptop. There is nothing really dated about it.

I have an M1 iPad Air, even with M2 already in iPad Pros and soon to be in the next Air, and yet I don’t feel shortchanged. The 10th and even 9th generation iPads are popular with large swaths of buyers who think those devices are perfect for their needs.

This September I will upgrade to a new (for me) iPhone 14 because the 15 isn’t worth the extra cost for my needs. And that 14 should last me easily five years just as my iPhone 8+ has.

 

[Fozziebear40]

My wife has just bought a wedge M1 MacBook Air for £765. It's replacing her MacBook from 2017. Her only complaint "it's heavier" 😂 Those MacBooks were a lovely laptop. She's happy with the price, not worth spending over £1,000 for her.

 

[jim0266]

A laptop for me is used to couch surf and to take along on trips. Pretty modest needs. A 2012 MBA was replaced by a 2015 13" MBP (16/512). It's been a great laptop. Picked up the literal last one new before they disappeared and Apple screwed up their laptops until the M1's.

Had been looking at an M2 Air until I came across the base M1 MBA for $750 new at Jeff's place (BB had them too at that price). That's even lower than the refurbs on the Apple store. I'm amazed what this paltry 8/256 MBA can do. I was back and forth between a 16/256 or an 8/512. Turns at an 8/256 should be fine. The final straw that made me upgrade was the 2015's inability to play my 4K GoPro files.

 

[Saturn007]

And again, I tell you that particular existing speculation is not trustworthy.

What a non sequitur!

You bluntly, categorically claimed that

There's nothing rumored to replace the current 13-inch MacBook Air this calendar year.

Which is 💯 flat out wrong. There is something rumored, a 13” M3 MBA, as I pointed out with relevant links.

Whether the rumor and speculation are trustworthy is irrelevant. The point is that you made a sweeping declaration that nothing is rumored and that is demonstrably wrong. That's not fair to less-informed, prospective buyers.

Why not gracefully acknowledge your mistake and move on?!

We'll find out in 6-8 weeks whether Gurman is right or not — as I mentioned earlier in this thread. You don't know right now and neither do I. But, for now, anyone thinking of a buying an M2 MBA would be better off waiting a bit to find out!

 

[Jamacfer]

What a non sequitur!

You bluntly, categorically claimed that



Which is 💯 flat out wrong. There is something rumored, a 13” M3 MBA, as I pointed out with relevant links.

Whether the rumor and speculation are trustworthy is irrelevant. The point is that you made a sweeping declaration that nothing is rumored and that is demonstrably wrong. That's not fair to less-informed, prospective buyers.

Why not gracefully acknowledge your mistake and move on?!

We'll find out in 6-8 weeks whether Gurman is right or not — as I mentioned earlier in this thread. You don't know right now and neither do I. But, for now, anyone thinking of a buying an M2 MBA would be better off waiting a bit to find out!

I agree. If not in a hurry, I think it is advisable to wait a few months before buying the MBA 13".

 

[Yebubbleman]

What a non sequitur!

You bluntly, categorically claimed that

...And, incidentally, I'm not wrong.

Which is 💯 flat out wrong. There is something rumored, a 13” M3 MBA, as I pointed out with relevant links.

Whether the rumor and speculation are trustworthy is irrelevant. The point is that you made a sweeping declaration that nothing is rumored and that is demonstrably wrong. That's not fair to less-informed, prospective buyers.

Prospective buyers care about good AND EDUCATED buying advice. Not about completely pointless and utterly irrelevant semantics.

Why not gracefully acknowledge your mistake and move on?!

Because it's not one.

We'll find out in 6-8 weeks whether Gurman is right or not — as I mentioned earlier in this thread. You don't know right now and neither do I.

I know enough to safely go to Vegas on the odds that I'm right. Incidentally, you're arguing semantics more than anything actually useful to anyone considering buying the right computer at the right time.

But, for now, anyone thinking of a buying an M2 MBA would be better off waiting a bit to find out!

That's just your opinion. That's not backed up by anything educated other than the existence of untrustworthy speculation that might as well be discounted.

 

[Saturn007]

Oh, my word! You're still at it! 🙈 😁

In my experience, those who dismiss something as “just semantics” or claim someone else is “arguing semantics” are those who have made egregious misstatements, won't admit it, and are disputing the obvious! They typically don't even know what the word “semantics” mean. (Hint: in part, it refers to the meaning of words — and it's important to get that right and to use words properly. This is not Alice in Wonderland!)

Let's strip away all your deflections. You asserted there's “nothing rumored” as to an M3 MBA — ‼️ ❌ 👎🏽 — flat out wrong — and, so, advised someone to buy now! 🙈 Bad advice.

Buying an M2 13” MBA now is a fool's errand. Prospective buyers should at least wait until October to see what happens and whether a new M3 13” MBA is introduced.

That’s the sound, sensible buying advice. It's based on people's histories with Apple, their years of experience buying all sorts of products, MacRumors itself, and basic logic — not simply a Gurman post. I advised people to read the articles I linked to and explore MR's Buying Guide for themselves (those timelines are never definitive, but are informative).

Even if the M3 MBA isn't introduced this Fall that doesn’t mean that waiting was a wrong move. But that, too, is probably something you won't understand and will claim a “victory” over! 🔥 LOL! 😁 N.B. The issue isn’t whether the prediction will turn out right or not, but whether waiting now makes sense. It does.

(Just thought of something else. If an M3 13” MBA is released this Fall, wonder whether you'll come back here and admit that you got that wrong, too! 🎱 😭)

Waiting is generally a smart move whenever we're only a couple of months from an Apple event — or from a time frame where a recent version of a desired product has been introduced (e.g., November M1 13” MBA introduction).

Indeed, even if an M3 13” MBA isn’t coming until Spring 2024, it could still make good sense for a prospective buyer to hold off buying the M2 13” MBA now. If one needs an M-series 13” sooner, the M1 could be a more sensible short-term, stop gap purchase. But, no matter what, such buyers would still be smart to wait until October.

No doubt, you'll want to nitpick these comments and that recommendation, too, in yet another effort to deflect from admitting you erred — in both your word choice and your advice! Oh, well. 🤷🏼

At this point, though, it's not worth belaboring this any further. We've both made our cases, points and counter-points, statements and rebuttals. We've had an equal number of posts on this.

So, let's just drop it and move on to other threads and topics! ✅ 💯 MR forums and articles are a lot more interesting and fun than wasting time on such exchanges…

🛑 🛑 🛑

 

[Mainsail]

Buying an M2 13” MBA now is a fool's errand. Prospective buyers should at least wait until October to see what happens and whether a new M3 13” MBA is introduced.

That’s the sound, sensible buying advice. It's based on people's histories with Apple, their years of experience buying all sorts of products, MacRumors itself, and basic logic — not simply a Gurman post. I advised people to read the articles I linked to and explore MR's Buying Guide for themselves (those timelines are never definitive, but are informative).

Even if the M3 MBA isn't introduced this Fall that doesn’t mean that waiting was a wrong move. But that, too, is probably something you won't understand and will claim a “victory” over! 🔥 LOL! 😁 N.B. The issue isn’t whether the prediction will turn out right or not, but whether waiting now makes sense. It does.

(Just thought of something else. If an M3 13” MBA is released this Fall, wonder whether you'll come back here and admit that you got that wrong, too! 🎱 😭)

Waiting is generally a smart move whenever we're only a couple of months from an Apple event — or from a time frame where a recent version of a desired product has been introduced (e.g., November M1 13” MBA introduction).

If there are strong indications of a pending upgrade in a couple of months and you do not have an immediate need for a laptop, then I would agree that waiting can often be the right decision. But there are exceptions. For example, if my kid needed a good reliable laptop for 4 years of college, I would not hesitate to buy the M2 MBA now and take advantage of Apple's $999 education discount plus $150 gift card. A student needs a good laptop on day one of college (most schools start in mid to late August). Generally, it is advantageous to get the laptop set up and ready with course materials and required apps before classes begin. Also, the back to school discount typically ends before Apple releases new computers, so the good deals might be gone. Anyway, I would not agree "Buying an M2 13” MBA now is a fool's errand". It's a bit of an exaggeration and generalization.