Needing advice for a MBA.

[vols]

I'm running a Dell D640 (2GB ram, 80GB hdd) that has to be connected to the wall outlet for use due to a overheated motherboard, but hey, it's still ticking...

I'm currently in the hunt for a good priced MBA. Preferably 8gb memory. Anyone know when or if there will be any specials for the holidays? Maybe a free gift card, upgrades, rebates, etc?

Also, with me wanting a 8gb, will I miss anything special if I stick with the i5 compared to the 7? I don't plan on doing any hardcore video/photo editing. This machine will be mostly used for homework, bills, music/movies. I just want a laptop that I won't have to worry about upgrading in the near future...as you can see, I don't have any troubles running a laptop into the ground before purchasing a new one .

In addition, I would like to install Windows 7/8.1 as well...
Thanks for all the help!

 

[Alphabetize]

The MacBook Air is an incredibly capable machine, and it can definitely do exactly what you want it to do. I've tested the latest MacBook Air's in person and they handled everything I threw at it extremely well and were very fast. They even exceeded the performance of the MacBook Pro's in some areas. I don't think you will notice much of a difference going to the i7 unless you end up doing very CPU intensive tasks, such as encoding a video. I do however recommend upgrading to 8 GB of memory as you cannot upgrade this in the future.

As far as good deals go, I think you have a few options. If you are a student or work in education, you may visit the Apple Educational Store for a modest discount on the machine. You may also be interested in the Apple Refurb Store. You might also want to check out some Apple Authorized Resellers, such as PowerMax or MacMall. I don't think that PowerMax has any tax, so you might be able to save a little bit.

You'll probably get the best deals in the Apple Refurb Store, just be sure to read the specifications first to know what you're getting. There are still some older models in there.

If you want to install Windows via Boot Camp, you might consider purchasing a machine with a higher storage capacity. I had a MacBook Pro with a 256 GB SSD and I had Windows installed too and I still had about 100 GB of space, even after installing all my apps and music and pictures.

I'm running a MacBook from 2006 with 2 GB of RAM, and it's still going strong. I have no doubts that the MacBook Air will last you just as long (and even longer) as well.

 

[curmudgeon32]

Definitely second the idea of going with the refurbs. The last four Macs I've bought have all come from there, and honestly there's no difference except the packaging is not quite as fancy — and of course the big discount

 

[vols]

I take it that I should stick with a 2013 model for the battery life?

I can never find a MBA on the refurb site. I guess it takes patients to wait it out until they post something I want. But finding an 8gb might be a while...