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whimsicalseal

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 29, 2019
10
1
I'm trying to decide between the refurbed 2018 MBA and 2017 MBP w/o touchbar. The prices are almost identical for the two available in hk - 512gb ssds on both, MBA has 16gb ram, MBP has 8.

Any suggestions?

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Depends on your uses, if it's everyday casual usage I would say go for the Air. If you're requiring a bit more CPU or graphics grunt the pro will be a moderate improvement.

The Air has great battery life, the 3rd gen keyboard is a big improvement over the one in the 2017 Pro in my opinion, and is also for the 4th gen keyboard should you get a keyboard problem.

The extra ram won't hurt either.
 
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I've used both and I can tell you, the 2017 Pro definitely has more snap to it than the Air. The screen also seems a little brighter. But the Air has other features that kind of balance everything out. Like the 3rd gen keyboard. It's crisp and not clackety like the Pro's keyboard, and if it fails, you're eligible for a free 4th gen replacement. The Air also has more memory which could be a big plus in the long run. There's also a fingerprint reader on the Air that lets you use your fingerprint in place of passwords. Kinda cool IMO. Battery life is a bit better, and the whole computer is a tad bit lighter. If it was me, I would probably go with the Air. Even though it has a "lesser" CPU so to speak, with 16GB of RAM, there's really nothing it can't run. I think you'll safely get two or three years of good use out of it. Maybe more.
 
The Air has the newer keyboard (Gen 3) while the none-touch bar doesn't. Also the Air has an 8 gen processor while the none touch bar is from 2017 with 7th gen processor. Personally i would get the Macbook Air 2018.
[doublepost=1559219941][/doublepost]
@ncrypt nailed it. The MacBook Air has a good enough processor for most applications and it runs cool and silent for almost every casual task. Also, much better battery.

I wonder if Apple will add the new keyboard update from the 2019 Macbook Pro to the Air?, If it fixes the keyboard issues they really should do that and soon.
 
The Air has the newer keyboard (Gen 3) while the none-touch bar doesn't. Also the Air has an 8 gen processor while the none touch bar is from 2017 with 7th gen processor. Personally i would get the Macbook Air 2018.
[doublepost=1559219941][/doublepost]

I wonder if Apple will add the new keyboard update from the 2019 Macbook Pro to the Air?, If it fixes the keyboard issues they really should do that and soon.
I doubt it. They'll just replace keys when necessary with the new material from the MBP.
 
I doubt it. They'll just replace keys when necessary with the new material from the MBP.

That's disappointing, the last time i visited the Apple store, i was so tempted to buy the Macbook Air (2018), i played around with it in store and i really liked. However all i could think at the time was how long it would be before the keyboard failed on me. I ended up walking out the store empty handed.

I love the design of the new Air, the touch id feature and the retina display. I just didn't want a keyboard that was going to fail on me in 6 -12 months time (or less).
 
That's disappointing, the last time i visited the Apple store, i was so tempted to buy the Macbook Air (2018), i played around with it in store and i really liked. However all i could think at the time was how long it would be before the keyboard failed on me. I ended up walking out the store empty handed.

I love the design of the new Air, the touch id feature and the retina display. I just didn't want a keyboard that was going to fail on me in 6 -12 months time (or less).

me too, (hashtag) i was prepared to purchase a brand spanking new MBair 2017 (simply because i can STILL replace the ssdhd) and continue my computing life in mojave, but the though of the laptop being obsolete sooner that i think and not being able to delete unwanted programs put me on the fence. then i realized i have too many products such as an ipad, 3 ipods and tv i'll get the mbair 2017. i got my credit card looking for someone at that store ready to buy buy buy! Until 2 sales people really offended me and were very rude were i left in anger.

i should thank them because im typing this on a dell xps which i love with a nice top located camera which i never used yet!
 
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me too, (hashtag) i was prepared to purchase a brand spanking new MBair 2017 (simply because i can STILL replace the ssdhd) and continue my computing life in mojave, but the though of the laptop being obsolete sooner that i think and not being able to delete unwanted programs put me on the fence. then i realized i have too many products such as an ipad, 3 ipods and tv i'll get the mbair 2017. i got my credit card looking for someone at that store ready to buy buy buy! Until 2 sales people really offended me and were very rude were i left in anger.

i should thank them because im typing this on a dell xps which i love with a nice top located camera which i never used yet!

Did you email Apple? the last time i had an issue (with my 2017 iPad Pro, apple customer service wanted to charge me a lot to fix it) i sent an email to Phil Schiller and Tim Cook. A few how's later i received an email, followed by a phone call from Executive Relations. To cut a long story short, the issue was resolved and Apple sent me a new 2017 iPad Pro. Sometimes it's best to go to the top.
 
3 times this year, tim cook and 4 other managers. 5 times last year.
not
one
response
the messages were direct and polite. I just wanted some answers and guidance.
i posted a tweet about my experience in the store, which they assured me my next visit would be pleasant! i posted that scenario here in a thread, maybe this one.

today i'm happy i switched, and something tells me so are they!
one less computer user!
 
3 times this year, tim cook and 4 other managers. 5 times last year.
not
one
response
the messages were direct and polite. I just wanted some answers and guidance.
i posted a tweet about my experience in the store, which they assured me my next visit would be pleasant! i posted that scenario here in a thread, maybe this one.

today i'm happy i switched, and something tells me so are they!
one less computer user!

That’s odd because I received a response. Shane Barton from Apple Executive Relations was really nice on the phone, I got an apology and a replacement iPad Pro.
 
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That's disappointing, the last time i visited the Apple store, i was so tempted to buy the Macbook Air (2018), i played around with it in store and i really liked. However all i could think at the time was how long it would be before the keyboard failed on me. I ended up walking out the store empty handed.

I love the design of the new Air, the touch id feature and the retina display. I just didn't want a keyboard that was going to fail on me in 6 -12 months time (or less).
It's really hard to tell whether or not your keyboard is going to fail with the new material. My wife's Macbook has started acting up recently (gen 1, 3.5 years of ownership). That being said, the double key press seems like a new issue not associated with the gen 2 butterfly keyboard. I haven't had an issue at all with mine in the last few months but that doesn't mean I won't look for a potentially updated model in a few years.
 
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It's really hard to tell whether or not your keyboard is going to fail with the new material. My wife's Macbook has started acting up recently (gen 1, 3.5 years of ownership). That being said, the double key press seems like a new issue not associated with the gen 2 butterfly keyboard. I haven't had an issue at all with mine in the last few months but that doesn't mean I won't look for a potentially updated model in a few years.

It’s like a mine field at the moment, with the big question of buy now or wait until it’s fixed. The issue is, it could be months and months before we know if the keyboard is fully fixed with the 2019 version of the keyboard. On the other hand do we buy into a keyboard that could break at any time.

It’s a shame because I think both the Air and the Pro are great machines, they look great, MacOS is the best OS (in my opinion) the Air now has retina and in person it looks great. If the keyboard was fully fixed it would be a no brainier for me.
That being said I can’t keep waiting and waiting, I’m waiting until WWDC on Monday and then making a decision.
 
Keyboard worries me, also having now looked at it at length the air display is quite glossy compared with the mbp. I am now considering making a 400 dollar display replacement on my current 2012 MBPr to prolong its life just to keep the old keyboard and useful ports. That I am considering putting money into such an old machine is a bit of a failure on apple's part.
 
Keyboard worries me, also having now looked at it at length the air display is quite glossy compared with the mbp. I am now considering making a 400 dollar display replacement on my current 2012 MBPr to prolong its life just to keep the old keyboard and useful ports. That I am considering putting money into such an old machine is a bit of a failure on apple's part.
wow,and i'm contemplating a 4.09$ replacement pentalobe screws for my seldom used mbair 2010 order, i just might flip a coin.
 
It’s like a mine field at the moment, with the big question of buy now or wait until it’s fixed. The issue is, it could be months and months before we know if the keyboard is fully fixed with the 2019 version of the keyboard. On the other hand do we buy into a keyboard that could break at any time.

It’s a shame because I think both the Air and the Pro are great machines, they look great, MacOS is the best OS (in my opinion) the Air now has retina and in person it looks great. If the keyboard was fully fixed it would be a no brainier for me.
That being said I can’t keep waiting and waiting, I’m waiting until WWDC on Monday and then making a decision.
I'll be honest, if you absolutely need a new device, I would strongly consider a MBA with a thing keyboard cover. It's not ideal but it will keep the dust out and it's not harmful.
 
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I'll be honest, if you absolutely need a new device, I would strongly consider a MBA with a thing keyboard cover. It's not ideal but it will keep the dust out and it's not harmful.

It’s a matter of keep waiting or buy. I’ve read that if there is a problem with the keyboard on the Air or 2018 MacBook Pro models, they will replace them with the new 2019 version. That’s interesting. I really would hope that I wouldn’t get the issue tho!
 
It’s a matter of keep waiting or buy. I’ve read that if there is a problem with the keyboard on the Air or 2018 MacBook Pro models, they will replace them with the new 2019 version. That’s interesting. I really would hope that I wouldn’t get the issue tho!
Right. That's true, too. And you have four years from the purchase date of keyboard support.

My take? Look at the refurb store for the 2018 MacBook Air. Keyboard is covered for four years and by the end of the four years there will definitely be a new keyboard model anyway.
 
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I owned a 2017 MBP but sold it and went back to a MB 2017 because I really liked the form factor of the 12", and the MBP felt "big" in comparison although the screen was fantastic. Fast forward to now, and I've been using a 2018 MBA for a few weeks (borrowed) and I love it. I must be in the minority but I really like the 2018 iteration of the keyboard, and whilst the weight/size difference between the NTB MBP is slight, I really notice the difference and the taper feels much better when carrying it/using it on my lap. The Touch ID is brilliant. I purchased a replacement MB 2017 (two actually, one for my wife) in the recent BB sale for when I arrive in the US next week; I also bought a MBA in the sale last week and have decided to make the shift to the MBA and sell one of the MBs when I get back to Scotland.
 
I'd like to see a review on MBA 2018 external 4k screen performance. The gpu is weak, unlike Iris it has no its own memory.
 
Decided to go with the MBA after trying both keyboards at the store - it's quieter, more sturdy feeling than the 2017 one for sure. Little worried about how its gonna handle my workload, but we'll see!
 
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If you have any issues with the keyboard. Apple will replace it with the 2019 version.
To me, that's a pretty good solution. I have AppleCare and the protection plan from the keyboard. If it makes it 3-4 years I'll replace it.

I would DEFINITELY go MBA knowing what we know now even though the MacBook Escape is a screamer
 
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