Should I return my refurbished Air for a new Air?

[floss boy]

Hi everyone,

Just received a 2013 i7/8GB/512 macbook air. Paid 1525 WITHOUT applecare but just realized a few things:

1. could have gotten it in Deleware (30 mins away) tax free
2. could have gotten brand new 2014 for a similar price since I am a student and now know to buy from deleware plus I wanted to add applecare

I am a dental student and usually have about 20-30 internet tabs open with about 12 pdf files and a few MS office/ppt files open at a given time. I also need to store over 150 gb and counting of school material on my laptop. They must be with me at all times. I also must have a patient database program that houses all patient charts and xrays so I can access them. I use the laptop 12+ hrs a day. I do watch a lot of movies in the little spare time I have.

I really need a long battery life as my classes run from 8-5 with very few charging outlets.

should I just return this refurb one and get a 2014? Also should I get an i5 or i7- I keep hearing that the i5 is better on battery life.

My main concerns are speed (I must work efficiently and fast) and battery life and weight of the laptop.

Thanks for any help!

 

[ayeying]

If you could get it cheaper... and newer.. why not?

 

[floss boy]

If you could get it cheaper... and newer.. why not?

well it would be like 20 bucks cheaper if I were to use the "100 dollar gift card" towards apple care vs no gift card from refurbished + purchasing apple care for refurbished one. It would also be a hassle returning it as its a 40 min drive each way with no traffic and I wouldnt get the computer for another week or so.

but mainly im trying to figure out if I should go with i5 or i7 for my needs.

 

[Newtons Apple]

I have the 2013 i7/8GB/512GB SSD and the battery did over 8 hours with 30% remaining this last weekend.

 

[brilliantthings]

I'd be very happy with your machine. 2014 and 2013 are almost identical. Not worth the bother.

 

[flowrider]

And, every return of the type the OP is inquiring about costs the rest of us money.

Lou

 

[capathy21]

And, every return of the type the OP is inquiring about costs the rest of us money.

Lou

Not true. OP would be returning a refurb which could be resold as a refurb. No problem there. Even if it was new. He has a right to return anything he wants within the return window.

Do you stand by the return line at Wal-Mart and tell people that return stuff that they are driving up the prices for everyone else?

It's a consumers right to return anything, anywhere, for any reason, as many times as they wish, as long as it adheres to the return policy of that specific company.

OP-If you want a new one, return and purchase a new one. I don't think in your specific situation it's worth the hassle but it's up to you.

 

[flowrider]

Not true. OP would be returning a refurb which could be resold as a refurb. No problem there. Even if it was new. He has a right to return anything he wants within the return window.

We've disagreed on this subject in other threads. And it is, in fact TRUE! Do you think administrative, retesting, repacking and adding to the inventory costs are done by unpaid employees? Who knows what other costs I'm missing? But, for sure, there are costs associated with frivolous returns and those added costs are figured into and increase the sales price of Apple products that you and I buy.

Do you stand by the return line at Wal-Mart and tell people that return stuff that they are driving up the prices for everyone else?

I've never waited in the return line at Walmart.

Lou

 

[crawler1975]

Hi everyone,

Just received a 2013 i7/8GB/512 macbook air. Paid 1525 WITHOUT applecare but just realized a few things:

1. could have gotten it in Deleware (30 mins away) tax free
2. could have gotten brand new 2014 for a similar price since I am a student and now know to buy from deleware plus I wanted to add applecare

I am a dental student and usually have about 20-30 internet tabs open with about 12 pdf files and a few MS office/ppt files open at a given time. I also need to store over 150 gb and counting of school material on my laptop. They must be with me at all times. I also must have a patient database program that houses all patient charts and xrays so I can access them. I use the laptop 12+ hrs a day. I do watch a lot of movies in the little spare time I have.

I really need a long battery life as my classes run from 8-5 with very few charging outlets.

should I just return this refurb one and get a 2014? Also should I get an i5 or i7- I keep hearing that the i5 is better on battery life.

My main concerns are speed (I must work efficiently and fast) and battery life and weight of the laptop.

Thanks for any help!

What does your gut tell you? If your gut tells you to go return your refurb and get the new Air, then go for it. All of us here have our own valid opinions on the matter, but remember whatever route you take, getting an Applecare is a good investment

 

[capathy21]

We've disagreed on this subject in other threads. And it is, in fact TRUE! Do you think administrative, retesting, repacking and adding to the inventory costs are done by unpaid employees? Who knows what other costs I'm missing? But, for sure, there are costs associated with frivolous returns and those added costs are figured into and increase the sales price of Apple products that you and I buy.

What the OP is referring to isn't a "frivolous return." He spent 1500 bucks and has every right to be satisfied without catching guilt from strangers. There are many factors in deciding how much a product sells for. Price of gas, employee insurance, cost of supplies etc.

I understand that massive abuse of a return policy could affect the prices we pay but that's not what we are discussing here.

Your attitude is that everyone should NEVER return anything because it may change what you pay for your future Mac. That he should keep what he may not be happy with out of guilt for not selecting the perfect option in the first place. In the long run, it has no bearing on what you will pay for your next Mac. In fact, the pricing for several models has steadily decreased with each release.

 

[flowrider]

In the long run, it has no bearing on what you will pay for your next Mac. In fact, the pricing for several models has steadily decreased with each release.

You do realize how silly the above statement sounds - Right?

Your attitude is that everyone should NEVER return anything because it may change what you pay for your future Mac.

No, my attitude, is get it right the first time. You talked about Walmart, now let's talk about automobiles. You buy a brand new car, and 3 weeks later, you decide, hey, this car is just fine, but I could have bought it cheaper from another dealer and got floormats. Do you go to the first dealer and return your then used car for a full refund?

Lou

 

[capathy21]

You do realize how silly the above statement sounds - Right?

Not at all. Am I wrong in saying that the cheapest Mac Book Air used to be over a 1,000 and now it's offered at 899? Am I wrong in saying that the first generation 13 inch retina MacBook Pro was at least 1499 (if not more) and now the base model can be had for 1299?

Apple is selling the same models cheaper than they used to. If the small portion of those who return or exchange really had an impact, they wouldn't be offering their machines at lower prices than they used to.

No, my attitude, is get it right the first time. You talked about Walmart, now let's talk about automobiles. You buy a brand new car, and 3 weeks later, you decide, hey, this car is just fine, but I could have bought it cheaper from another dealer and got floormats. Do you go to the first dealer and return your then used car for a full refund?

I don't see how cars are any comparison but yes, if a dealership gave you 14 days (like Apple) to make sure the car is right for you, then you have every right to return or exchange if you aren't satisfied.

 

[brilliantthings]

It's a consumers right to return anything, anywhere, for any reason, as many times as they wish, as long as it adheres to the return policy of that specific company.

What you say is true. Consumers do have those rights and can exploit them to whatever extent they wish. But it is very wasteful to return a computer, have it refurbished by the company, reboxed, transported in all four directions etc.

You may want to defend your rights as a consumer, but you're not doing the best thing.

I do this with my laptops every 3 years. I make the decision to sell my current laptop and buy a refurbished more recent model. That's a little wasteful, but nothing close to exploiting your consumer rights in the first few weeks (maybe several times) cos you want something a little better.

 

[capathy21]

nothing close to exploiting your consumer rights in the first few weeks

I love the dramatic wording you all use like "frivolous" or "exploiting your consumer rights."

If someone buys something that has a stated return policy on the receipt, they should be able to return or exchange that product if for whatever reason it doesn't work for their needs.

I can't believe you guys practically lose sleep at night over Apple losing a few bucks on a return of a product they make massive profits off of already.

 

[brilliantthings]

I can't believe you guys practically lose sleep at night over Apple losing a few bucks on a return of a product they make massive profits off of already.

I actually said nothing about Apple losing a few bucks. I only commented on how wasteful it is. You may not care about that though. For some people it's much more important to get the 1.4GHz instead if the 1.3 GHz.

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But yes. You definitely have the right.

 

[shenan1982]

I am a dental student and usually have about 20-30 internet tabs open with about 12 pdf files and a few MS office/ppt files open at a given time. I also need to store over 150 gb and counting of school material on my laptop. They must be with me at all times. I also must have a patient database program that houses all patient charts and xrays so I can access them. I use the laptop 12+ hrs a day. I do watch a lot of movies in the little spare time I have.

I'm really curious who's optimizing your files. 150GB of school material? Do you mean 150MB? I've been through various medical schools and can't think of a reason to have 150 GIGABYTES of anything... heck, that's 900+ hours of 1080p high definition video, and no reputable school would distribute that sort of thing. Documents, photos, and school collateral doesn't take up 150GB.

You refer to a patient database that houses the charts and what not. That doesn't house it on your laptop... if it does, it violates HIPAA regulations, even mores if you're a student.

Sounds like you keep your movies on your laptop. There's nothing that you've described that's high-demand or anything that a 5 year old MBA\MBP can't handle.... so pick whatever laptop is financially sensible for you today and in the near future.

 

[brilliantthings]

I can't believe you guys practically lose sleep at night over Apple losing a few bucks on a return of a product they make massive profits off of already.

Also, pretty sure Lou isn't concerned that poor Apple might lose a few bucks. Rather that someone has to bear the cost of all the returns (frivolous or otherwise) and it definitely isn't Apple. It's the consumer. So all of these benefits that we apparently have with our consumer rights are paid for in the price of the products.

In saying that, excellent customer service and returns policy is one of the main reasons I buy Apple phones, pads and computers. But probably best that we don't make a mess of it.

PS Let me know, Lou, if I'm misrepresenting you.

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I guess I think you're promoting irresponsible consumerism. Like Lou said... At least try and get it right the first time rather than being lazy because we're blessed with infinite consumer rights.

 

[floss boy]

I'm really curious who's optimizing your files. 150GB of school material? Do you mean 150MB? I've been through various medical schools and can't think of a reason to have 150 GIGABYTES of anything... heck, that's 900+ hours of 1080p high definition video, and no reputable school would distribute that sort of thing. Documents, photos, and school collateral doesn't take up 150GB.

You refer to a patient database that houses the charts and what not. That doesn't house it on your laptop... if it does, it violates HIPAA regulations, even mores if you're a student.

Sounds like you keep your movies on your laptop. There's nothing that you've described that's high-demand or anything that a 5 year old MBA\MBP can't handle.... so pick whatever laptop is financially sensible for you today and in the near future.

LOL 150 mb is like the size of a folder plus a few pdf files bro. Not sure what med schools ur referring to.. I'll put it this way- they weren't joking when they told us it would feel like we would be getting hit by a continuous fire hose everyday. Seriously tho, it sounds unreal but it adds up especially when u got upperclassmen notes, pdf books, plus a few lecture vids u find important etc.

Anyways, I did the math and its about 40 bucks cheaper to keep the refurbished (I think I accidentally said it was more expensive but its actually cheaper) so prob will just stick with the refurbished. Not worth the hassle of driving 45 mins both ways, waiting for a new laptop to come in, and then picking it up. Next time I will definitely take advantage of the no tax option though.


ps- an example of a hippa violation would be sharing patient information without permission. This is simply a practice management software- but still it can lag up the computer when you have a bunch of x rays and charts up at once and the program size itself is no baby.

And lou- no offense but chill out man. Im sure if you were dropping $1500 + on something you would want to make sure it's for the most part exactly what you want. I'm not trying to screw over apple, or apple customers or end the world, etc. and FYI (since you most likely are not aware)- MBA's are 100 bucks cheaper than last year so quite frankly I am just utterly confused by ur comment. Just simply didn't realize I could have gotten a newer one for almost the same price. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[scaredpoet]

ps- an example of a hippa violation would be sharing patient information without permission. This is simply a practice management software- but still it can lag up the computer when you have a bunch of x rays and charts up at once and the program size itself is no baby.

Just a sidenote: if ever you do start using your laptop for actual patient work, I would recommend turning on FileVault if you haven't already. If that laptop gets lost/stolen for any reason, being able to say the drive was encrypted and turning over the key to prove it will help save you a lot of headaches.

Relevant:

http://derflounder.wordpress.com/2013/06/29/filevault-2-on-os-x-10-8-x-is-now-fips-140-2-compliant/
https://www.utdallas.edu/infosecurity/documents/FileVault.pdf