MBA mid-2013 Core i7 still going strong

[HappyMBAowner]

I can't believe my MBA mid-2013 Core i7 is still going strong. I just had to change the battery though (over 1000 cycles). But can I expect 6 more years to go? Hopefully. The only thing that I could not make work properly is Final Cut Pro. But Logic Pro X and everything else still works beautifully. Congratulations Apple!

 

[Trusteft]

I can't believe my MBA mid-2013 Core i7 is still going strong. I just had to change the battery though (over 1000 cycles). But can I expect 6 more years to go? Hopefully. The only thing that I could not make work properly is Final Cut Pro. But Logic Pro X and everything else still works beautifully. Congratulations Apple!

Why doesn't FCP work?
You can always try Lightworks.

 

[0388631]

Because around the Haswell era of processors they began to slow down in overall improvement.

 

[MultiFinder17]

Grats mate! It's always good to see "older" Airs still in service. My 2011 11" i5/2GB/128GB is still going strong as my main laptop in my classroom; so long as it performs the jobs that you need of it, then it's still a perfectly useful little laptop, despite what some on the constant upgrade treadmill will tell you

 

[Macdctr]

... so long as it performs the jobs that you need of it, then it's still a perfectly useful little laptop, despite what some on the constant upgrade treadmill will tell you

I totally agree. I use my 2012 11inch and my 2015 13inch MBA pretty much 80% of the time these days...

 

[HappyMBAowner]

Why doesn't FCP work?
You can always try Lightworks.

I had been using iMovie for making vids and it was working fine. I bought FCP to use pro features. But they require so much from the CPU that it slows down a lot, the fan goes crazy and sometimes, I have to completely shutdown the computer and restart.
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Why doesn't FCP work?
You can always try Lightworks.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look into this.

 

[Boyd01]

My 2013 11" i7/8gb/512gb MBA still works well in general, but the trackpad has issues. I prefer a mouse anyway, so I haven't tried to fix it. Still on the original battery. Less runtime than I originally had, but still quite usable.

I don't run FCP on that machine anymore, but I use it on a 2012 quad core Mac Mini Server (which only has an HD4000 graphics chip) and it's just fine for my usage with 1080p30 video. I guess the quad core CPU makes a difference (at least twice the geekbench rating of the MBA), and the cooling is also better than a laptop.

This is by far the longest use I've gotten from any laptop. I don't travel much anymore, so it mostly sits on my desk. I suspect its days are numbered, but I'm not in any rush to replace as long as it works.

 

[Macdctr]

For the longest time I have discounted the 11 inch MBA until I finally got one. I am now waiting to find an Early 2015 i7/8GB 11inch MBA and will purchase one to keep and use... I find that I am using the 2012 11inch MBA I currently have much more than any of my other laptops (see sig below) solely because of how light and portable it is.

It is an amazing laptop to have and use, even by today's standards as far as I'm concerned...

 

[MultiFinder17]

For the longest time I have discounted the 11 inch MBA until I finally got one. I am now waiting to find an Early 2015 i7/8GB 11inch MBA and will purchase one to keep and use... I find that I am using the 2012 11inch MBA I currently have much more than any of my other laptops (see sig below) solely because of how light and portable it is.

It is an amazing laptop to have and use, even by today's standards as far as I'm concerned...

The 11" Airs are such a wonderful little form factor. I have a 2011 11" that I use at school, and for home I have both a 2015 11" i5/8GB/256GB and a 2016 12" MacBook, and I end up using the Air much more.

 

[Isamilis]

I have trackpad issue on my 2012 Air, and found the issue is NOT the trackpad itself, but side effect of the protuberant of old/original battery. Problem gone after I replaced the battery.

My 2013 11" i7/8gb/512gb MBA still works well in general, but the trackpad has issues. I prefer a mouse anyway, so I haven't tried to fix it. Still on the original battery. Less runtime than I originally had, but still quite usable.

I don't run FCP on that machine anymore, but I use it on a 2012 quad core Mac Mini Server (which only has an HD4000 graphics chip) and it's just fine for my usage with 1080p30 video. I guess the quad core CPU makes a difference (at least twice the geekbench rating of the MBA), and the cooling is also better than a laptop.

This is by far the longest use I've gotten from any laptop. I don't travel much anymore, so it mostly sits on my desk. I suspect its days are numbered, but I'm not in any rush to replace as long as it works.

 

[Boyd01]

Yes, I am aware of the swelling battery issue. That is possible, but certainly isn't obvious. The battery still performs acceptably and I prefer a mouse anyway, so I haven't looked into this further.

 

[Macdctr]

The 11" Airs are such a wonderful little form factor. I have a 2011 11" that I use at school, and for home I have both a 2015 11" i5/8GB/256GB and a 2016 12" MacBook, and I end up using the Air much more.

I have a 2012 15inch retina MBP to use at home when not on my desktop Mac 5,1 however I tend to prefer using my 11inch MBA even though it is under powered (i5 4GB) because of it's form factor. I really appreciate how small and light this little laptop is and eventually plan to do a logic board swap with a 2.2GHz i7/8GB version....then I will source a 2TB 970EVO NVMe M.2 drive for it.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I have a 2012 15inch retina MBP to use at home when not on my desktop Mac 5,1 however I tend to prefer using my 11inch MBA even though it is under powered (i5 4GB) because of it's form factor. I really appreciate how small and light this little laptop is and eventually plan to do a logic board swap with a 2.2GHz i7/8GB version....then I will source a 2TB 970EVO NVMe M.2 drive for it.

The 11" Airs with 8GB are fantastic little computers; my one for home, as mentioned, is an i5/8GB/256GB, and it handles everything from productivity to programming to a VM or two without a hitch. Even my school laptop, a 2011 i5/2GB/128GB, continues to amaze me with how much it can do with its limited hardware, and the form factor keeps it in my school bag. It's small and light enough to toss in there with no qualms.
The other thing I love about these little Airs is that they're getting incredibly cheap today. Last year I got my 2015 i5/8GB/256GB on eBay for $400 shipped. $400! At those prices, I've been debating getting a second to finally replace my school machine, although I've developed an unnatural love for my little 2011 over the past many years and plan to use it until it absolutely cannot do what I need it to do.