The 2012 Air Buyers Dilemma: Rebuy next year or feel humbled!

[Mac32]

I wouldn't make a big deal of potensial problems with Haswell, you'll only be using the IGP anyway. Apple seems to do a fine job of messing up the OSX in general these days...
I'm still using my MBA 2010, and will buy the very moment Haswell MBA 13'' is available. That MBA model will have a significant upgrade in graphics power (games, big external monitors), and yet remain very portable. Hopefully (I'm guessing here) the Haswell should also run cooler, because of the focus on longer battery life and lower power usage.

All this rush to constantly upgrade every or the other year is nonsense IMO. My 2010 MBA still runs like a champ, and runs cooler than the newer models.

 

[Blackberryroid]

Or we can continue to use our 2012 Airs, which will work just as well as they do today even when the new ones come out.

The problem about this is knowing the fact that we would have spent the exact same amount of money as those who has the 2013 Air but theirs are so much better in terms of battery life.

You won't be able to help but notice their smiling faces carrying nothing but their Airs while you carry that clunky charger along with you.

That's the real torture. And now we're discussing on what would be the wise thing to do.

 

[Acorn]

well i really really like my 13 inch 2012 air. if they somehow double the battery life to like 14 hours i would consider picking up an 11 inch macbook air and keeping the 2012 13.

 

[Mike in Kansas]

The problem about this is knowing the fact that we would have spent the exact same amount of money as those who has the 2013 Air but theirs are so much better in terms of battery life.

You won't be able to help but notice their smiling faces carrying nothing but their Airs while you carry that clunky charger along with you.

That's the real torture. And now we're discussing on what would be the wise thing to do.

The problem about this is that we would have been using our MBAs and getting along in life while those waiting for what may or may not be will be whining and becoming frustrated when Apple doesn't release an update that conforms to their expectations (see iPhone 5) and timing (see iMac).

You won't be able to help but notice their frowns and posts of angst and impatience on forums while I am happily working away on my 2012 MBA.

That's the real rub. And now we're discussing the merits of buying what is out there now versus waiting for hypothetical vaporware that is sure to under-impress if/when it goes commercial.

 

[iamsen47]

So torture in the modern day has been redefined as someone else having a newer model of the same toy?

There already is a strong stereotype that people who buy Apple do so only because of the latest marketing gimmick, do we really want to help reinforce that image?

I have the 2012, you have a 20XX, woe is me, I must now sell off my family and all possessions so I can have it!

Read this please.
http://theoatmeal.com/comics/apple

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Let's be logical about this. One of the problems with the Air is how little space there is in it for batteries.

If this next processor were to magically double battery life, we can all be guaranteed that whatever battery life gained would be spent on new and improved RAM, SSDs, an IPS panel (or maybe even RETINA!!11!!) or whatever new-fangled version of whatever else is already in there.

What we gain in one place, we lose in another. That's how the universe works. Sir Newton died a virgin to prove that for us.

 

[26139]

Huh?

While I love it when I can sell my year-old Apple laptop for 50%+ of what I paid for it, I've never understood why you'd buy a tool (yes, a computer is just a set of tools), use it for a long time, and constantly worry about what it's worth when it's done.

If we waited to buy the next model until it was perfect, we'd never buy new models.

 

[metadata]

2012 refresh?

Just a quick question guys, will there likely be a refresh of the MBA line before Christmas this year? Thinking of getting the current 13" as I need a little more screen size from my current 2010 11".

 

[Abazigal]

The problem about this is knowing the fact that we would have spent the exact same amount of money as those who has the 2013 Air but theirs are so much better in terms of battery life.

You won't be able to help but notice their smiling faces carrying nothing but their Airs while you carry that clunky charger along with you.

That's the real torture. And now we're discussing on what would be the wise thing to do.

The same can be said for those who bought 2011 airs. New models come and go. It is going to be another 9 months before apple updates its laptop line. If you think you can wait, then go ahead (and if you can wait, you probably don't really need a laptop in the first place). For those who do need one now, either get one now or hold out for the rumoured 13" retina mbp.

 

[MultiFinder17]

I'll just put out there that up until a month or so ago, I was using a Mid-2009 Air quite happily. I only upgraded because some of my work was pushing me beyond the comfortable capabilities of that machine (mostly the whole 2GB of RAM thing). I had it for a bit over three years, and I expect to get at least as much time out of my new Air; I might start looking for an upgrade around 2015-2016