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What about 4 yr old MacBook Air 11”?

N

nhod

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 5, 2014
44
2
What are your thoughts on these used 2014 MacBook Air 11” on eBay for $250? This seems like a good value for light wallets.

My rMBP 15” is totaled (dead keys and defective GPU) and i can get about $200 ish for it. My thinking is that I can essentially transmute this into a 2014 11” MacBook Air.

As a non power user i.e. safari, YouTube, word processing this can do all that the former machine could.
 
To be honest, if your MB Pro is shot and you're strapped for cash, why not? You'll be moving from a non-working computer to a working one. I think you'll miss the larger display, inevitably. Before making the purchase I'd check what condition the Air's battery is in, though. Something like CocoNutBattery would help.

nhod said:
What are your thoughts on these used 2014 MacBook Air 11” on eBay for $250? This seems like a good value for light wallets.

My rMBP 15” is totaled (dead keys and defective GPU) and i can get about $200 ish for it. My thinking is that I can essentially transmute this into a 2014 11” MacBook Air.

As a non power user i.e. safari, YouTube, word processing this can do all that the former machine could.
Click to expand...
 
nhod said:
What are your thoughts on these used 2014 MacBook Air 11” on eBay for $250? This seems like a good value for light wallets.

My rMBP 15” is totaled (dead keys and defective GPU) and i can get about $200 ish for it. My thinking is that I can essentially transmute this into a 2014 11” MacBook Air.

As a non power user i.e. safari, YouTube, word processing this can do all that the former machine could.
Click to expand...
For comparison purposes, Best Buy is currently offering $267 trade-in value for a 2014 11" Macbook Air. If the MBA that you're considering is in good/excellent condition, then $250 is an extremely good price. (Best Buy trade-in values are generally "ok", they sometimes have a "great" value for particular items)

I have a 4GB/128GB 2014 11" MBA that I bought new 4+ years ago and still use. It has been a terrific workhorse of a system. I've used it for everything that I use my iMac for... video encoding, audio processing, image editing, running virtual machines, running game emulators, productivity, you name it. It only "breaks a sweat" (ie. fan goes on) when encoding video (editing video is done with ease).

The thing to be concerned about would be the battery. Battery life, even when it was new, was decent but no where near the 12-13 hours of the 13" MBA. Factor in a potential battery replacement into the cost. The battery on mine is nearly as strong was it was when it was new, so hopefully the battery WON'T be an issue for you.

I tried using a 12.9 iPad Pro + Pencil + Smart Keyboard to replace it. It couldn't... not even close. So I ended up sticking with my 11" MBA + 2018 iPad + Pencil. THAT is a great portable solution.

If I sound like a diehard 11" MBA fan, it's because I am... based on my first-hand experiences. It's the "Little Macbook That Could". ;)
 
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I only wish MacBook Air prices were this low in Canada. Were never have any crazy multi-hundred dollars rebates/sales either. The best I have seen is a CAD$50 sale, otherwise it's always CAD$1199 for a MacBook Air. :(
 
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Things to look for when buying used Macbook Airs.
1) Battery condition. Find the number of cycles and the health. Less than 500 cycles and 85-90% of it's original capacity is what I would go for.
2) Does the screen have dead pixels, white spots(muras) or scratches. These will bug you to no end.
3) Do all the ports. keyboard work?

These are the main issues. I can deal with a couple of dents, scratches, etc. But a good battery and a screen that isn't damaged are harder to find.
 
I did some work for a customer on an 11.6" MacBook Air a few weeks back and had forgotten what a good machine they are. Unfortunately now discontinued and replaced by the inferior 12" MacBook they still fetch a fair price on the secondhand market. Expect to pay around £450 for the 2014 model (128GB SSD, 4GB RAM).
 
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nhod said:
Do you think this one is worth buying?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/192619800374
Click to expand...
Not in my opinion. These bulk resellers don't have a great reputation when it comes to Macbooks. First, it doesn't come with a charger. Also, one of my rules-of-thumb that has served me well for nearly 20 years on ebay: NEVER bid on an auction that uses stock photos... never.

Also from the description of that auction:
All units have some type of dead pixel or damage
Example white spots on the screen
White ring on the screen
Heavy line in middle of the screen
Heavy damage to a corner
...
These unit are all finial sales we are selling them cheap as is not returns . If you have questions or want images just email and will send you what you need .

Typo aside, they are claiming final sale without the option to return. Run, don't walk, away from this auction.
 
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sracer said:
Not in my opinion. These bulk resellers don't have a great reputation when it comes to Macbooks. First, it doesn't come with a charger. Also, one of my rules-of-thumb that has served me well for nearly 20 years on ebay: NEVER bid on an auction that uses stock photos... never.

Also from the description of that auction:
All units have some type of dead pixel or damage
Example white spots on the screen
White ring on the screen
Heavy line in middle of the screen
Heavy damage to a corner
...
These unit are all finial sales we are selling them cheap as is not returns . If you have questions or want images just email and will send you what you need .

Typo aside, they are claiming final sale without the option to return. Run, don't walk, away from this auction.
Click to expand...

Good points. Thanks for giving me this knowledge.
 
dogslobber said:
Can’t you purchase a replacement 11” MBA battery? I’ve done it for a 13” MBA so assume the 11” will too.
Click to expand...
Yes you can. But unless you know the cycles/health when buying online, you must assume it will need replacement. Ask the seller before bidding. If it's bad, just figure in the cost of a replacement when figuring how much you want to bid.
 
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nhod said:
Do you think this one is worth buying?

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/192619800374
Click to expand...

The title says 11" but the picture shows a 13". That alone is fishy enough for me to pass.

FWIW, I use a 2013 MBA daily (i7/8GB/512GB) and I think it's great. None of the improvements since 2013 have been so material as to change day to day performance that much.
[doublepost=1534970781][/doublepost]
dogslobber said:
Can’t you purchase a replacement 11” MBA battery? I’ve done it for a 13” MBA so assume the 11” will too.
Click to expand...

You can, and I have. Though, when it comes to power electronics, the #1 rule is don't cheap out! I bought a "used" battery for $100 because it was guaranteed to be OEM and have less than 50 cycles. That was worth it over the "new" $30 gray-label batteries of unknown origin and quality. When it comes to things that might blow up and spew burning chemicals in all directions, see #1 rule.
 
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