Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Return my new 13" i5, buy a used 13" i7?

T

thegreatdivorce

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 23, 2010
205
7
Upper Left USA
Just sold my MBP yesterday, and promptly picked up my MBA right afterwards. Super happy with it. I then noticed someone selling their MBA on craigslist ... 13" 1.86 i7, 256, for $1300. "Barely used" (the infamous line).

Should I go for it and save $400 for a used machine with the faster chip? I don't "need" the i7, and opted for the i5 mostly to avoid heat/noise.

I'm torn!
 
thegreatdivorce said:
Just sold my MBP yesterday, and promptly picked up my MBA right afterwards. Super happy with it. I then noticed someone selling their MBA on craigslist ... 13" 1.86 i7, 256, for $1300. "Barely used" (the infamous line).

Should I go for it and save $400 for a used machine with the faster chip? I don't "need" the i7, and opted for the i5 mostly to avoid heat/noise.

I'm torn!
Click to expand...

I'd be suspicious. Any MacBook Air i7 would still be in its return period, at least until Thursday. Why would someone sell it at a $400 loss unless it is damaged, stolen, or gray market?
 
thegreatdivorce said:
Just sold my MBP yesterday, and promptly picked up my MBA right afterwards. Super happy with it. I then noticed someone selling their MBA on craigslist ... 13" 1.86 i7, 256, for $1300. "Barely used" (the infamous line).

Should I go for it and save $400 for a used machine with the faster chip? I don't "need" the i7, and opted for the i5 mostly to avoid heat/noise.

I'm torn!
Click to expand...

My advice: Keep the i5. You have a proper warranty on it, you know it's not stolen, you know it's not damaged, and it's the product you got to open up (it should be magical to you dammit! :p). The person selling theirs on Craigslist is obviously shady: They could've returned their product to the Apple store, they could've returned it to Best Buy, or they could've returned it to wherever they bought it from. If it was a "present", it's also highly unlikely they would be selling it on craigslist like that.

Your current MBA is definitely the best way to go. The last thing you'd want is to get scammed in one way or another.

Here's a bit of moral advice that no one likes to hear:

Don't be an ass. No offence, but picking up an i5 Air only to return it after opening it all up just because you're getting a bit of buyer's remorse is rather... ass-like behaviour.
 
thegreatdivorce said:
Just sold my MBP yesterday, and promptly picked up my MBA right afterwards. Super happy with it. I then noticed someone selling their MBA on craigslist ... 13" 1.86 i7, 256, for $1300. "Barely used" (the infamous line).

Should I go for it and save $400 for a used machine with the faster chip? I don't "need" the i7, and opted for the i5 mostly to avoid heat/noise.

I'm torn!
Click to expand...

Stay with the i5. You get roughly a ~8% performance increase by switching from the 1.7 i5 to the 1.8 i7, at the cost of increased heat, and possibly poorer battery life.


PaulWog said:
Here's a bit of moral advice that no one likes to hear:

Don't be an ass. No offence, but picking up an i5 Air only to return it after opening it all up just because you're getting a bit of buyer's remorse is rather... ass-like behaviour.
Click to expand...

No matter what anyone says--it's never possible to tell exactly how a piece of hardware will work for you when you're standing in the Apple Store (or where ever you buy yours from.) It could be that he would rather have the extra performance. There is a reason why Apple has a 14 day return policy. They want their customers to be extremely happy with their new piece of equipment. If you're going to spend 1500 bucks on a computer--you should very well have the opportunity to work with the equipment and return/exchange/change your mind. Obviously this isn't effecting Apple too much. They're only sitting on what? 83 billion in cash right now?


A bit of advice to you: Most people don't being preached to. Especially on the internet. (Notice how I didn't put in any sort of derogatory remarks there?)
 
Last edited:
marrzie said:
Nice catch. I was thinking hmmm I know the i7 is a 1.8 but is it technically 1.86? It appears definitely not....
Click to expand...

Ah, yes you are right. It is a Core 2 Duo. Either it's a confused seller, or someone trying to pull something over on someone. Either way, the Core 2 Duo 13" Ultimates from 2010 are going for $1399 on Apple's website, so if he's just confused, it could be a legitimate sale, but I'd be careful, anyway.
 
PaulWog, I'm not offended. This is the internet. I don't really agree (and like others said, neither does Apple ... that's why they have the return policy) but it doesn't really matter.

Good advice, everyone. Thanks. I think it is a case of a confused seller. They say "new 2011 high end MBA", but then say it's a 1.86. Either way, enough to scare me off. I'll stick with what I have (which was, fairly magical to open, haha)
 
thegreatdivorce said:
PaulWog, I'm not offended. This is the internet. I don't really agree (and like others said, neither does Apple ... that's why they have the return policy) but it doesn't really matter.

Good advice, everyone. Thanks. I think it is a case of a confused seller. They say "new 2011 high end MBA", but then say it's a 1.86. Either way, enough to scare me off. I'll stick with what I have (which was, fairly magical to open, haha)
Click to expand...

You said it yourself. You don't "need" the i7. Apple states that their return policy is there for "unforeseen reasons". If constantly trying to find the best used product is your priority, then have at it. But my advice would be to not buy new products and search for a better used price immediately afterward.
 
PaulWog said:
Don't be an ass. No offence, but picking up an i5 Air only to return it after opening it all up just because you're getting a bit of buyer's remorse is rather... ass-like behaviour.
Click to expand...

I disagree. True buyer's remorse is a legitimate reason to return a machine. If it wasn't, then the retailers wouldn't offer a return policy, only an exchange. There are plenty of good reasons why someone might buy a Mac and then change their mind. Maybe they find a better deal. Maybe they decide OS X isn't for them. Maybe they suddenly need the money for some other emergency.

What would be "ass-like" behaviour is if someone bought a Mac, used it and then returned it, without ever actually planning to keep it in the first place (e.g. they wanted a free rental).
 
PaulWog said:
You said it yourself. You don't "need" the i7. Apple states that their return policy is there for "unforeseen reasons". If constantly trying to find the best used product is your priority, then have at it. But my advice would be to not buy new products and search for a better used price immediately afterward.
Click to expand...

Unforeseen Reason: Being able to buy the same/similar product at a better price/value.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back