Upgrading from the MacBook Air M1

[AJB1971]

I recently decided to upgrade from my MacBook Air M1. It’s been a great device, but I like to move my computers on while they still have some value, and it felt like the right time. Another reason was that I wanted a device with more memory.

I ruled out the MacBook Pros, as I like the form factor of the Airs. I also like the fact that they don’t have fans. That left the choice between the M2 and M3 Airs.

There’s no doubt that the M3 is the better machine, but they haven’t been out long, and I was looking for a good deal. A used M2 with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage seemed like a better bet.

So, a few weeks ago, I purchased a refurbished Starlight MacBook Air M2 from a large eBay store. A discount code and cashback meant it was a good price. The specs were also good: 24GB of memory and 512GB of storage, but only the 8-core GPU.

What turned up was a Space Grey version, but the specs were identical, apart from the 10-core GPU. It was in excellent condition, so I was okay with that. It was only later that I noticed the absence of the £ symbol. I’m in the UK, and the computer had a US keyboard. Nowhere was that mentioned in the listing, so I got in touch with the seller, and they arranged a return.

This week, I started looking again. The same seller had listed a Space Grey MacBook Air M2 with 24GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and an 8-core GPU. The listing had a holding price on it, so I waited for the actual price to be revealed. It was even better than before, and that’s before taking into account discounts. There was no mention of it having a US-spec keyboard, so I bought it!

And now the wait begins. Have I ended up buying the same machine that I previously returned? I’ll find out in the next couple of days.

 

[Mike Boreham]

I recently decided to upgrade from my MacBook Air M1. It’s been a great device, but I like to move my computers on while they still have some value, and it felt like the right time. Another reason was that I wanted a device with more memory.

I ruled out the MacBook Pros, as I like the form factor of the Airs. I also like the fact that they don’t have fans. That left the choice between the M2 and M3 Airs.

There’s no doubt that the M3 is the better machine, but they haven’t been out long, and I was looking for a good deal. A used M2 with 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage seemed like a better bet.

So, a few weeks ago, I purchased a refurbished Starlight MacBook Air M2 from a large eBay store. A discount code and cashback meant it was a good price. The specs were also good: 24GB of memory and 512GB of storage, but only the 8-core GPU.

What turned up was a Space Grey version, but the specs were identical, apart from the 10-core GPU. It was in excellent condition, so I was okay with that. It was only later that I noticed the absence of the £ symbol. I’m in the UK, and the computer had a US keyboard. Nowhere was that mentioned in the listing, so I got in touch with the seller, and they arranged a return.

This week, I started looking again. The same seller had listed a Space Grey MacBook Air M2 with 24GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and an 8-core GPU. The listing had a holding price on it, so I waited for the actual price to be revealed. It was even better than before, and that’s before taking into account discounts. There was no mention of it having a US-spec keyboard, so I bought it!

And now the wait begins. Have I ended up buying the same machine that I previously returned? I’ll find out in the next couple of days.

Sounds like the same machine. Presume there are no photos on eBay site showing the keyboard?

I fell into this trap once, and as I recall there are other differences like size and shape of return key which would be easier to see on a photo.

This thread on ASC has some diagrams comparing. Look at "English" (which is US) and British (which is UK):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7249429?sortBy=best

 

[AJB1971]

Sounds like the same machine. Presume there are no photos on eBay site showing the keyboard?

I fell into this trap once, and as I recall there are other differences like size and shape of return key which would be easier to see on a photo.

This thread on ASC has some diagrams comparing. Look at "English" (which is US) and British (which is UK):

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7249429?sortBy=best

Yes, it turned up this morning, and it was the same computer. I’d taken note of the original serial number.

They only use stock photos on eBay, and they showed the UK keyboard. The return key is different as well. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102743

They sell quite a lot of used MacBooks, so there was always a chance that it was a different one, but that specification is unusual.

I had to go for it as the price was so good—£920 before cashback for a machine in excellent condition with a year of warranty. They are quick at dispatch and delivery, but less so at responding to questions. If I’d contacted them beforehand, somebody else would’ve bought it.

The annoying thing was that I missed out on a 16GB model in the meantime. That was from a private seller, with no warranty.

I might leave it a little longer and see if I can pick up an M3 with the 16GB/512GB stock configuration.

 

[mcru21]

Maybe contact them and see if they would offer a partial refund for keyboard mixup

 

[AJB1971]

Maybe contact them and see if they would offer a partial refund for keyboard mixup

I’ve sent it back with a covering note saying that I’m open to an exchange unit of the same specification and condition, in either silver, space grey, or starlight. The chances of them having one are slim.

It took them two days to get back to me, and that was just a standard response, the same as I’d received the previous time. There was no acknowledgement of the specific issue, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it appeared on eBay again without any disclosure.