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ARK

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 20, 2008
539
105
Indianapolis, IN
I bought a mid-2012 MacBook Air in good cosmetic condition at my work for $419. Its a 13" 2.0Ghz 8GB 256GB SSD. I was going to give it to my mom but I get the feeling she doesn't want to learn a new computer after recently retiring. I really like it but don't need a second laptop since I already have a late 2013 15" Retina Pro. My pro has Creative Cloud apps on it as Im a graphic designer. Those of you with 2 laptops, what do you use the lower end Air model for? Im trying to justify it in my mind. lol Is there any problems I should be on the look out for as well with this particular model - 5,2? (Apparently it says Service Battery so there is that.)
 
Over the summer I bought a second laptop (13" 2010 MBA) as my work laptop is the old and heavy non-retina 2012 15" MBP and didn't want to haul it around so much. I carry the MBA all the time with me in my messenger bag and use it for email, browsing, excel, word and other work related things. At home I keep my 15" laptop if I need a bigger screen or more power.

Spending $420 is of course a lot of money on something you maybe don't need, but in my case my shoulder and back definitely appreciate not carrying a couple pounds extra when I bike or travel. For me worth buying the MBA and having a second laptop.
 
You now can leave the rMBP in the office and use the Air at home for browsing, reading, watching the occasional movie, etc. That's what I do.
 
I was going to give it to my mom but I get the feeling she doesn't want to learn a new computer after recently retiring.
I've gotta ask, did your mom say she didn't want to learn a new computer, or are you just assuming that? If she was somewhat computer literate before retirement, she won't get a case of the stupids when someone isn't paying her to tap on a keyboard.

Within four days of my retirement I had my first Mac, an 11" MBA. There was a small learning curve because some things are different from Windows, but it's not a deal breaker.

Whether she just needs a computer for mail and browsing, or she's interested in app development (ummm… like me), a good basic Mac will serve her well. I say, hook her up and give her an chance to soar.
 
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