New battery or new laptop?

[mellofello]

My trusty 2010 core 2 duo MBA is still chugging along fine. The only small niggle is the battery life. It has gone from about 3-4 hours when new to about 1-2 hours. If I am watching video it can not make it through a whole movie on netflix.

Here is my conundrum. Looking around a battery replacements they run around $100

A refurb base model MBA is only $850

http://store.apple.com/us/product/GD760LL/B/refurbished-macbook-air-14ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5

Unbelievably looking around I think I could still get around $450-500 if I sold my current laptop. So for around $300 I could have brand new.

Only thing is I am pretty satisfied with my 2010 still. I have a specced out imac for heavy lifting, and this thing does the job fine.

What are the benefits of going new?

I know the obvious ones

1.Battery
2.Speed
3.Light up keyboard

Anything else?

 

[motrek]

My trusty 2010 core 2 duo MBA is still chugging along fine. The only small niggle is the battery life. It has gone from about 3-4 hours when new to about 1-2 hours. If I am watching video it can not make it through a whole movie on netflix.

Here is my conundrum. Looking around a battery replacements they run around $100

A refurb base model MBA is only $850

http://store.apple.com/us/product/GD760LL/B/refurbished-macbook-air-14ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5

Unbelievably looking around I think I could still get around $450-500 if I sold my current laptop. So for around $300 I could have brand new.

Only thing is I am pretty satisfied with my 2010 still. I have a specced out imac for heavy lifting, and this thing does the job fine.

What are the benefits of going new?

I know the obvious ones

1.Battery
2.Speed
3.Light up keyboard

Anything else?

I was in the same situation a few months ago. I finally got a base model 2014 11" MBA and kicked myself for not doing so earlier. For me, the improvement in speed alone was worth it. Everything is so much snappier, and as a bonus, it's almost always super quiet and cool. My 2010 MBA would get hot and loud playing Netflix or similar. Actually it couldn't even manage streaming HD video from Amazon, the stuttering was terrible.

 

[Boyd01]

A refurb base model MBA is only $850

http://store.apple.com/us/product/GD760LL/B/refurbished-macbook-air-14ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5

That is the 2014 refurb. They also have 2013 refurbs for $800, I just purchased one for a family member a couple weeks ago. There is really no difference between the two aside from a negligible speed increase that nobody would notice.

I don't see them in the refurb store today, but when I was getting ready to purchase they would come and go, with availability changing throughout the day even.

You could also get an 11" base 2014 MBA for $769. Personally I went from a 2011 13" MBA to a 2013 11" MBA and it was the best move I ever made.

 

[Neodym]

What are the benefits of going new?

I know the obvious ones

1.Battery
2.Speed
3.Light up keyboard

Anything else?

• (Perhaps) more Ram.
• Faster SSD.
• Better GPU.
• Warranty.
• Higher resale value.
• USB 3.
• Thunderbolt.
• Faster WiFi (802.11ac).
• Bluetooth 4 (lower power consumption, support for Yosemite's "Continuity").
• Dual microphones.
• Faster SD-slot.
• Hyperthreading.
• Battery time 12hrs vs max. 7 with a new battery on your 2010.

 

[brilliantthings]

• Battery time 12hrs vs max. 7 with a new battery on your 2010.

This. A 2013 MBA 13" will give up to double the battery life of a new battery in your 2010 MBA 13". I made that change too. Incredible.

 

[GDF]

I have the same year MBA and went through the same decision. Ended up buying the battery at the Apple Store and will wait it out until the MBA Retina (hopefully it comes in the next year). My 2010 seems plenty fast enough and the only thing I really wanted with the newer models were bigger SSD drive and backlit keyboard.

 

[mellofello]

Welp my MagSafe port went out as well, and my roomba ate my charging cord so I guess new MacBook it is.

 

[skaertus]

Wait a few months until the new model is out and then buy it.

 

[markbruno]

I have a mid-2009 13" MBA that needs a new battery soon, so I opted to replace it at the Apple Store rather than buy a new machine. It still runs great so I had no problems springing for a new battery.

 

[26139]

New laptop

Unless you're really, really in love with your laptop (I was in love with the last model 12" Powerbook G4), don't bother with the battery upgrade.

The new model will have better battery life anyway.

 

[booyahbooyah]

Unbelievably looking around I think I could still get around $450-500 if I sold my current laptop. So for around $300 I could have brand new.

I have an old Mac I may be looking to sell eventually. What were some of these places where you found good resale values for Mac? Thanks.

 

[thewap]

Welp my MagSafe port went out as well, and my roomba ate my charging cord so I guess new MacBook it is.

Maybe your Magsafe was not charging the battery and the battery is ok?

 

[mtneer]

My trusty 2010 core 2 duo MBA is still chugging along fine. The only small niggle is the battery life. It has gone from about 3-4 hours when new to about 1-2 hours. If I am watching video it can not make it through a whole movie on netflix.

Here is my conundrum. Looking around a battery replacements they run around $100

A refurb base model MBA is only $850

http://store.apple.com/us/product/GD760LL/B/refurbished-macbook-air-14ghz-dual-core-intel-core-i5

Unbelievably looking around I think I could still get around $450-500 if I sold my current laptop. So for around $300 I could have brand new.

Only thing is I am pretty satisfied with my 2010 still. I have a specced out imac for heavy lifting, and this thing does the job fine.

What are the benefits of going new?

I know the obvious ones

1.Battery
2.Speed
3.Light up keyboard

Anything else?

If your current computer performs every function that you want out of it (keeping aside the fact that anything new will perform those functions fractions faster); then your primary reason to spend money is battery life. Given that - spending $100 on a battery replacement is wiser than $450-850 on buying a new machine.

Now, if there was some functionality that you were feeling short, then all bets are off - go buy a newer machine.

 

[motrek]

If your current computer performs every function that you want out of it (keeping aside the fact that anything new will perform those functions fractions faster); then your primary reason to spend money is battery life. Given that - spending $100 on a battery replacement is wiser than $450-850 on buying a new machine.

Now, if there was some functionality that you were feeling short, then all bets are off - go buy a newer machine.

Agree... although... it's so nice to have a faster laptop. I went from a 2010 and 2014. Nothing was wrong with the 2010 but it's so much more pleasant to use the 2014...

 

[mellofello]

Ended up buying a new $79 MagSafe cord. It came back to life. I will just hold onto this for now. I really could use all the extra battery on the new laptops, but this is one of many devices I have and is mostly a reddit machine so upgrading can wait. I will probably want to play with the 2015 redisign first, before making any decisions.