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Should my new MBA be upgraded to Mavericks?

What software version are you running?

  • Total voters
    78
L

lina231

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 7, 2013
131
0
Hi all,

Apple is sending me a new MBA, because my previous one had failed. From my experience, all of my problems started when I downloaded Mavericks I'm considering not upgrading it to Mavericks because I am afraid that my computer will go downhill after.

Just wanted some of your opinions. Should I or should I not install Mavericks?
 
Mavericks is working fine for me on my 2012 MBA and my Mac Pro. I see no reason not to update.

Lou
 
My 2013 MBA is still running 10.8. I can't think of any reason why I should upgrade to Mavericks. I run a lot of old software, and each update to MacOSX brings new issues.
 
Only if you want to. I updated to Mavericks on my 2013 MBA after it had been out for a bit, as I loaded the initial release on a MBP and had a couple of wonky network issues until I reloaded ML.

Since I loaded Mav on the MBA it's been rock solid.

Do you want Mav? Do you want ML?
 
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I've had one issue on Mavericks with a kernel crash but that was on 10.9.0. It's been great since 10.9.1. I updated because of the dual screen options. I can finally enter full screen without losing a screen (as you do in ML).
 
Thank you all for your replies! The reason why I am asking is because since I am waiting on my new MBA I rented one of the MacBooks that my school offers when your computer dies on you and it is running on mountain lion. Mountain lion seems to be running more smoothly on this computer than Mavericks ever did on mine. Then of course, it could have been the computer and not the software, even though on my previous mac we eliminated both of those and still had issues….
 
In my experience Mav was a good improvement in stability and battery life, comparable with SL. Both lions weren't that good.
 
notrack said:
In my experience Mav was a good improvement in stability and battery life, comparable with SL. Both lions weren't that good.
Click to expand...
Although I agree with you, my MBA battery life had improved greatly (I was getting about 13 hours of battery life) but as far as stability, I cannot agree. After I had installed mavericks my logic board went followed by my trackpad. The MBA was about a month old at the time. So, the probability that it was faulty hardware makes sense. When I got it back it was still running mavericks, and still had issues. After two wipe/clean reinstalls of the system (one by me, one by technicians) it was still showing the symptoms that it previously had. When I took it to the technicians after the second wipe/reinstall they did another diagnostics test and everything passed. There were absolutely no hardware problems, which leads me to believe the problem is being caused by mavericks. Also, after the second wipe/reinstall I did not load any of my back ups on the computer.
 
lina231 said:
Hi all,

Apple is sending me a new MBA, because my previous one had failed. From my experience, all of my problems started when I downloaded Mavericks I'm considering not upgrading it to Mavericks because I am afraid that my computer will go downhill after.

Just wanted some of your opinions. Should I or should I not install Mavericks?
Click to expand...

Install whatever you like. But...

If Apple are sending you a new MBA they believe it's a hardware fault.
The operating system does not cause a hardware fault.
The reason the machines you're using that run Mountain Lion do not have hardware faults is because their hardware is working.
 
lina231 said:
Although I agree with you, my MBA battery life had improved greatly (I was getting about 13 hours of battery life) but as far as stability, I cannot agree. After I had installed mavericks my logic board went followed by my trackpad. The MBA was about a month old at the time. So, the probability that it was faulty hardware makes sense. When I got it back it was still running mavericks, and still had issues. After two wipe/clean reinstalls of the system (one by me, one by technicians) it was still showing the symptoms that it previously had. When I took it to the technicians after the second wipe/reinstall they did another diagnostics test and everything passed. There were absolutely no hardware problems, which leads me to believe the problem is being caused by mavericks. Also, after the second wipe/reinstall I did not load any of my back ups on the computer.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear so much trouble. Hope it gets better with the new machine.
 
bartzilla said:
Install whatever you like. But...

If Apple are sending you a new MBA they believe it's a hardware fault.
The operating system does not cause a hardware fault.
The reason the machines you're using that run Mountain Lion do not have hardware faults is because their hardware is working.
Click to expand...

The problem is that they cannot find anything wrong with the hardware. Its a very frustrating.
 
If they're shipping you a new MBA, then chances are it already has Mavericks on it.

In any case, if the operating system was the cause for your issues, it would be really unlikely that you're the only user with this problem. This board would be crammed with people complaining about it.

As someone else said, you can run what you like (unless of course the new one comes with Mavericks in which case, you might have to use that after all), but the OS is extremely unlikely to be the cause. And even if it was, it's even less probable that it'll do the same on totally new hardware.
 
scaredpoet said:
If they're shipping you a new MBA, then chances are it already has Mavericks on it.

In any case, if the operating system was the cause for your issues, it would be really unlikely that you're the only user with this problem. This board would be crammed with people complaining about it.

As someone else said, you can run what you like (unless of course the new one comes with Mavericks in which case, you might have to use that after all), but the OS is extremely unlikely to be the cause. And even if it was, it's even less probable that it'll do the same on totally new hardware.
Click to expand...
Yeah, Im very sure that im not the only one with this problem. My mac is two days old with new problems and quite frankly im tired of having an air. Since my MBA is only 2 days old would you happen to know what my options are of exchanging. I would gladly fork over the difference for a MBP because they do not seem to have nearly as many problems as the air...or at least it seems.
 
lina231 said:
Yeah, Im very sure that im not the only one with this problem. My mac is two days old with new problems and quite frankly im tired of having an air. Since my MBA is only 2 days old would you happen to know what my options are of exchanging. I would gladly fork over the difference for a MBP because they do not seem to have nearly as many problems as the air...or at least it seems.
Click to expand...

If it's only two days old, then sure, you should be able to return it and then buy a macBook Pro if that's what you want. Though given the propensity for people with bad luck on Apple products, I would say maybe you're better off getting a Windows ultra book instead. If you have problems with the MBA, you're probably gonna find something wrong with the MBP. just sayin'.
 
scaredpoet said:
If it's only two days old, then sure, you should be able to return it and then buy a macBook Pro if that's what you want. Though given the propensity for people with bad luck on Apple products, I would say maybe you're better off getting a Windows ultra book instead. If you have problems with the MBA, you're probably gonna find something wrong with the MBP. just sayin'.
Click to expand...

Would I have that option even if it is a replacement computer? And I was thinking about getting a Toshiba, because the last one I had has lasted 6+ years.
 
^^^^If you return it, get a cash refund, then you can buy whatever you want.

Lou
 
lina231 said:
Would I have that option even if it is a replacement computer?
Click to expand...

It wasn't clear that you had actually gotten a replacement yet. So, how long has it been since you bought the first MBA that came out of the original box?

If it's less than 14 days, then you can probably still return it if you're polite but firm. If it's been more than 14 days, you're probably out of luck.


And I was thinking about getting a Toshiba, because the last one I had has lasted 6+ years.
Click to expand...

I've had Macs last that long too. But again, to each their own.
 
scaredpoet said:
It wasn't clear that you had actually gotten a replacement yet. So, how long has it been since you bought the first MBA that came out of the original box?

If it's less than 14 days, then you can probably still return it if you're polite but firm. If it's been more than 14 days, you're probably out of luck.




I've had Macs last that long too. But again, to each their own.
Click to expand...

Yeah its been awhile since I bought the original MBA, about 7 months. Although, this is my second replacement.
 
scaredpoet said:
I've had Macs last that long too. But again, to each their own.
Click to expand...

I too have had several Macs last that long while without major issues (other than those that I caused myself). My current MBP was purchased in mid-2009, and is still functioning splendidly. I upgraded the RAM to 8GB and did a DataDoubler with 256GB SSD/stock 500GB HDD combo, but otherwise it's all original parts. The trackpad is occasionally finicky because I spilled water on it (a repair I mean to make at some point), and my battery is completely dead so I can't work unplugged (to be expected from a laptop in it's 6th year of life; possibly another repair I will make), but it is otherwise still going strong. Now that I think of it, the SuperDrive was being odd before I removed it for the DataDoubler (I think that was my final motivation to do the upgrade), but who uses disc drives anymore? I am talking to an MBA crowd here... haha.

That being said, I had two before that did have a problem or two that I had to bring to the genius bar... ><
 
mousouchop said:
I too have had several Macs last that long while without major issues (other than those that I caused myself). My current MBP was purchased in mid-2009, and is still functioning splendidly. I upgraded the RAM to 8GB and did a DataDoubler with 256GB SSD/stock 500GB HDD combo, but otherwise it's all original parts. The trackpad is occasionally finicky because I spilled water on it (a repair I mean to make at some point), and my battery is completely dead so I can't work unplugged (to be expected from a laptop in it's 6th year of life; possibly another repair I will make), but it is otherwise still going strong. Now that I think of it, the SuperDrive was being odd before I removed it for the DataDoubler (I think that was my final motivation to do the upgrade), but who uses disc drives anymore? I am talking to an MBA crowd here... haha.

That being said, I had two before that did have a problem or two that I had to bring to the genius bar... ><
Click to expand...

Yeah it can be pretty frustrating.I bought my first mac in July and I'm now on my second replacement. I was hoping that my computer would actually last a good 4 or five years, at least long enough to get me through grad school....but its not looking good if I'm on my third mac in 7 months.

I feel like these airs are flawed in a way, my boyfriend has an 2011 MBP and has no problems with it, he doesn't even maintain the thing and it still works perfect (just a little slow)
 
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