In Canada if you know an IBM employee, there's a friends and family purchase plan website for a certified 2016 MacBook M3 for $985CDN or $760US. It's literally new with 3-5 battery cycles on them with free returns if you don't like the condition but the 2 year warranty is through IBM and not Apple.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Time to kill the Air and drop the 12" Macbook to $999.
- Thread starter deepen03
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Seriously... why do you even care? Don't buy it if you don't like it. If enough other people do the same, Apple will kill it.
Is this a lynch mob?
I'm going to go into Starbucks and smash all the the MacBook Airs I see!
Let's wipe all these stupid Airs from the Earth.
I'm going to go into Starbucks and smash all the the MacBook Airs I see!
Let's wipe all these stupid Airs from the Earth.
It's like a 22 year old dog, that can only just crawl alone on it's front paws.
Poor thing needs the decent thing doing to it.
There's only one bad thing about the MacBook Air and it's the display quality. There's a reason Apple still sells so many of them so there's no reason to drop it from their lineup. The MacBook is not an appropriate replacement for most users. Going with USB-C only was a stupid decision, the new butterfly keyboards just plain suck, the CPU sucks and the price is twice as much as most people should be paying for that low-end, limited design. The only good thing about the MacBook is the display.
Eliminating the MacBook Air will not make them buy a MacBook, it will make them switch to Windows or Linux.
What if people were pushing to eliminate the MacBook, the MacBook Pro and the iMac? It's either Mac mini, MacBook Air or Mac Pro for everyone. Don't like this idea? That's the kind of nonsense decision you're talking about here.
Eliminating the MacBook Air will not make them buy a MacBook, it will make them switch to Windows or Linux.
What if people were pushing to eliminate the MacBook, the MacBook Pro and the iMac? It's either Mac mini, MacBook Air or Mac Pro for everyone. Don't like this idea? That's the kind of nonsense decision you're talking about here.
It's a nice thought.....
But what makes more sense with killing the MacBook Air would be to add a 128gb option for the 12" MacBook at $1099 and make the iPad Pro your lowest cost "laptop".
I really think (hope because I'm so sick of the MacBook Air - its an eyesore in the current lineup) this will happen (or be a lot easier) after the full release of iOS 11. During the next Mac lineup update, the MacBook Air will be no more.
[doublepost=1502508975][/doublepost]
It cheapens the overall brand. Many folks buy it because of the price point - not because it's the best machine for them or for any other legitimate reason.
If you need something super light because all you'll do is browse the web, an iPad or iPad Pro is perfect. If you are dead set on a laptop form factor, save $300 and buy MacBook (or find it on sale).
The display, processor, ports....it's all just out of date. And it makes no sense to sell it alongside the current lineup (I feel the same way about the 2015 15" MacBook Pro that inexplicably is still available).
For $999, your money is FAR better spent on iPad Pro.
[doublepost=1502509195][/doublepost]
USB-C is an industry wide standard. Buying a laptop right now that will last 5+ years that comes with USB-A ports is silly.
And those new butterfly keyboards are fantastic. They take some adjustment, but they are so much nicer to type on in my opinion. I have a 15" Pro and I would never go back to a different keyboard.
You do realize the 12" MacBook is only $100 more at the same storage capacity as the Air right? 7th gen M3, i5 and i7 processors are far better than what is in the MacBook Air.
Except for price and a 1-2 hour battery life bump, there is literally NOTHING the Air is better at....
When they can make their typical margin off a sub $1,000.00 MacBook, they will kill the Air.
Also, the anecdotal evidence I’ve heard on various podcasts is that the Apple Store sells a ton of them. Probably because of the price.
Without more ports, an SDXC card reader and more power, this will never happen. Despite what some people think, the MBA is a solid and useful computer. Take the MBA and upgrade the screen. Now Apple has something.
This is the first thing I think of when I buy an Apple laptop - I was thinking about a retina MacBook, but the use of legacy USB 3.1 gen 1 threw me off. At that point I sold all of my Apple products because the brand had lost all value and I switched over to Windows Vista. Productivity FTW!
What if someone doesn't want a giant iPhone?
For $999, your money is FAR better spend on a Surface Pro
This is the first thing I think of when I buy an Apple laptop - I was thinking about a retina MacBook, but the use of legacy USB 3.1 gen 1 threw me off. At that point I sold all of my Apple products because the brand had lost all value and I switched over to Windows Vista. Productivity FTW!
What if someone doesn't want a giant iPhone?
For $999, your money is FAR better spend on a Surface Pro
Your sarcasm aside, I’m missing your point.
I have a lot of experience in this arena. I see it very regularly - people buying MacBook Air because they want a Mac but aren’t thinking about anything other than their wallet. Then they get upset when the MacBook Air won’t run the way they expect. Because they need something more than a 2 year old processor and outdated display.
The whole USB argument is fine. I’ll never agree because I’ve moved away from connecting most things with a wire. I recognize folks need to do this still.....but USB-C is just so much faster. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want to move to a standard thats far more advanced.
Finally, it looks likes someone is intentionally ignoring what iOS 11 brings to the iPad. That’s fine. Just ask Consumer Reports if that $999 is better off spent on a Surface.....
USB-C being so much faster notwithstanding, a computer needs more than one port... especially if that lone port is also used for charging the computer.
Perhaps it used to. Think ahead - some day we won’t be some reliant on cables and cords and plugged in accessories. And if you’re in the Apple ecosystem, that wireless lifestyle is much closer.
Obviously rMB isn’t for everyone - there are other options for folks who need multiple ports. And really - there are multi port adapters that offer MORE than you’d get on a MBA while still providing faster, more versatile transfers.
Look I get it - I’m in this every day. I have these conversations with people all the time and I recognize there are those not ready to make the jump. So while I personally would love for the Air to die, I’m fine when folks purchase it for legitimate reasons.
My point simply is - that’s not the overwhelming majority of cases.
I have two and they work great. Why? So I can purchase a computer with a worthless touch bar?
[doublepost=1502512962][/doublepost]
Display quality? Is your opinion formed by use or specs? I have two that look and perform fine. Granted not as nice as a retina, but still very nice. 11 hours or more of battery life is also a plus.
1. Have you even spent any meaningful time with the Touch Bar?
2. You know there are multiple other options without a a Touch Bar correct?
Let me rephrase that. An "expensive" worthless touch bar. I can not find a reason to spend extra on a product to enjoy a novelty. I spent some time with one at an Apple Store. I was not impressed. Cool, interesting, but not useful to me. With time it may grow on me, but from a practical point of view, a gimmick. Again 11 plus hours of battery life on an Air is way more important to me than a touch bar. To each their own. But I ask why kill off a successful line?
I view the touch bar or non touch bar Mac and Air as different lines used for different reasons.
Ok, I will beat the drum one more time... PORTS. Connectivity. Multiple points of connection.
I use the USB and card reader every day. I have little patience for dongles. Why be forced to buy them if I don't need them?
No, the USB-C on the macbook is not "so much faster" than the Air! Can we please put that nonsense to bed?
The USB-C port on the Macbook provides a DisplayPort 1.2 output and one 5Gbps "USB 3.1 gen 1" port. It doesn't have the new, faster USB 3.1 gen 2 and it doesn't support Thunderbolt.
"USB 3.1 gen 1" is the same 5Gbps protocol as USB3.0 or "SuperSpeed USB". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB_3.0
...and a single USB-C port can't even do 5Gbps if you also connect a 4k@60Hz display, since (with DisplayPort 1.2) that needs all four of the high-speed data lanes: (https://www.vesa.org/news/vesa-brings-displayport-to-new-usb-type-c-connector/) and only leaves capacity for USB2 "non-Superspeed" data (so no 1G ethernet, for a start) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#USB_Type-C).
The MacBook Air has two 5Gbps USB3 ports and a SD card reader and a separate DisplayPort 1.2 output which also doubles as a 20Gbps Thunderbolt 2 port.
The Air has significantly more i/o capability than the rMB. What the rMB offers is a party trick of one-cable docking with charging - provided you don't want to dock with a 4k 60Hz display and a SuperSpeed USB device at the same time. The Air can happily do two cable docking with its Thunderbolt port - with far better bandwidth for multiple peripherals - if you can tolerate the ignominy of plugging in the magsafe as well.
Apart from the single-cable charging thing (which the MacBook forces on you because it doesn't have a separate charge port) there is nothing that the rMB can connect to that the Air shouldn't be able to connect to and drive at 5Gbps. New USB-C external drives often come with the required USB-A adapter in the box, half of USB-C pen-drives are double-ended. Even the 4k USB-C displays ought to work on the Air with a MiniDP-to-USB-C cable (frankly I'm not taking bets on that one - but the VESA spec says that USB-C to DP cables should work both ways). Then there's all the Thunderbolt devices that will work with the Air - even many TB3 devices, with an adapter. And, yeah, at the moment I'd rather need adapters for the USB-C/TB3 devices I don't have yet than all the USB-A devices that I already use day-to-day.
Now, in the case of the MacBook Pros - their USB-C ports support USB3.1 gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3, at up to 10Gbps and 40Gbps respectively - and they all have at least two of them - so there's a real future-potential vs. present convenience debate to be had. The rMB, though, with a single port and no gen 2 or TB, is seriously limited in connectivity c.f. an Air.
Cue the First Church of the One True Connector saying this is not true because Chewbacca is a Wookee from Kashyyk but he lives on Endor. If in doubt, go read the specs of actual USB-C products (you may have to look at the small print) and the available in-depth information on USB-C, TB3 (not marketing infographics from intel or the USB-C consortium).
The bit about a USB-C port only being equivalent to a single USB3.1 port (it only ever uses 2 of the 4 lanes in a USB-C cable) may be news to you if you haven't read about the forthcoming USB3.2 standard (which can use all 4 lanes for USB - although not at the same time as running a display, of course). The great news is that all of your USB-C cables will work with USB 3.2. The bad news is that your 2017 USB-C computer won't support it...
Actually, I'd still buy a maxed out 11" MBA, if I could lay hands on one.
But, for now, I have no plans to replace my current (and excellent) 11" MBA.
Excellent post, and I agree completely with every word, especially the part I have underlined and bolded.
And again, I agree.
The rMB reminds me of the MBA in 2008 and 2009; gorgeous but only hinting at the potential that it had.
Are you trolling, intolerant of the perspective of others, or merely reluctant to concede the point that others have different preferences when purchasing a computer the you clearly have?
Agreed.
Utter hyperbole.
The MBA is easily the best computer that Apple ever designed, and its reliability, power, portability and battery (not to mention those ports) make it a perfect computer for those who travel a lot when working.
Let us just say that I beg to differ.
And your assumption that price is the sole determinant behind the decision to purchase a MBA is not entirely accurate - as you would know if you had troubled to read the thread.
I bought it because it was the best computer for my needs, and still is, simple as that.
Agree completely.
Again, agree.
Well said.
Well said and argued.
Your analogy is wrong. The MacBook Air is the exact same computer as it was when released, it can still do everything today that it did back then. The "22 year old dog" is near death and can't do any of the things he did when he was younger.
So you would put a 7 year old dog to sleep because you want a cute new puppy, even though the old dog is still healthy and could live many more years.
After reading your reasonable comment it made me think maybe the reason some users promote the "out with the old and in with the new" philosophy may be their way of encouraging Apple to continue moving forward.
For example, the last several years we have seen Apple introduce a new model, then the "s" model (As in 6, 6s, 7, 7s, etc), or introduce a new product and then tweak the specs for a few years with very little change in design. Does not give the impression that Apple is innovating. Encouraging them to drop a product that is still useful, but behind technology wise, may be due to some people feeling Apple is falling behind.
Seeing older products like the MBA or the Mini still being sold as "new" and at a premium, does not give the impression Apple is at the forefront of innovation. Even though the products themselves are great products.
Did you actually read this whole thread? A fair number of people defended the MacBook Air.
But the ones who didn't adopted a rather intemperate tone in denigrating the MBA, (while dismissing the reasons of those who have chosen to buy it) and that tone, ugly and intolerant, I think, is what the poster takes issue with.