about to purchase a used MB air...?

[driphone]

thanks...I did look at the Air this weekend loved the SSD's speed but my god for an extra $700...so need to think more...not many used rev Bs on market yet and the existing ones are close to retail price.
One other question how is the Air's battery life compare to the white Macbook?

 

[justit]

One other question how is the Air's battery life compare to the white Macbook?

Battery from my use is about the same. But, you need to first figure out what your usage needs are. You've mentioned "at home for regular computing needs". You also seem to be highly price sensitive and the white macbook meets both your criteria. We've got 2 at our house and they've served us well for home computing as it's an incredibly underrated machine.

 

[driphone]

Battery from my use is about the same. But, you need to first figure out what your usage needs are. You've mentioned "at home for regular computing needs". You also seem to be highly price sensitive and the white macbook meets both your criteria. We've got 2 at our house and they've served us well for home computing as it's an incredibly underrated machine.

Well I love my MB but I will be taking it to my office that's why I am looking for a new laptop for home...and price is not a major factor as long as there is a decent performance difference between the SSD & 4200 rpm HD (BTW, I am anxiously waiting for a HD DVD burner drive in a new Mac Pro for heavier duty work).

I am glad that battery life is similar since I have had no problems with my MB.

 

[justit]

I am glad that battery life is similar since I have had no problems with my MB.

You didn't ask but I'll also point out that the MBA takes roughly twice as long to charge. Purchase an extra adaptor for work.

 

[driphone]

You didn't ask but I'll also point out that the MBA takes roughly twice as long to charge. Purchase an extra adaptor for work.

thanks, good to know that, I'll post the outcome.

 

[ozone]

This is a great thread! (Long reply)

Not to highjack your thread driphone, but I'm in almost the same situation as you! iBookG4user's comment really strikes a chord with me:

I personally think that the SSD's are a bit too expensive to be justified currently. I'm typing on my MacBook Air rev A right now and I can say that it works fine for the things that you've listed. As long as you aren't expecting it to be blazing fast on 5D mark II files in CS4, I really don't see where you would notice enough of a difference to warrant the price of the SSD or the rev B MacBook Air... I say save the money that you would've spent on the MacBook Air rev B or a SSD and buy something else. And as for the temperatures, my MacBook Air runs a bit hot but it is quite manageable, nowhere near as hot as my MacBook Pro has gotten.

I picked up a demo MBA RevA from BestBuy here in Canada for $1350 Cdn (about $1150 US) and bargained a 3 year service plan with BestBuy (eh, not the greatest I know, but probably better than AppleCare anyways for what I need - I'm an exchange and repair kind of person).

I was hesitant to pick it up with it being a demo model and all, but I'd been eyeing it for a while and nobody else was biting. I had also read about the overheating issue, the loud fan, the shut downs, etc. and so was a bit reluctant to take a chance. I have an iMac for the heavy lifting so to speak, but I do take my portable computers on business trips, meetings, etc., so it can't be too much of a lightweight.

I've had it for just over a week now, and yes, when I've been on Skype or iChat for over 45 minutes, or if the laptop has been on for more than 3 to 4 hours, the fan kicks in and it does seem rather loud, although not quite as loud as an Acer Aspire Netbook that I tried and returned. It does slow down and occasionally grinds to a slow walk if I have more than 3 to 4 programs open (Aperture, Lotus Notes, FireFox, and transferring large photo files) *but* I'm trying to tax the MBA as much as I could use it in a reasonably "maxed out" situation to see if it does shut down or if I can tolerate the so-called deficiencies. In addition, it was a demo model for about 1-1/2 months, so while it would not have been running under a full load, it would have been up and running continuously for a significant time.

For a RevA model, I have to say it's a "tight" machine, the keyboard is nice (better than the first gen chiclet iMac keyboards), and the screen is wonderful - probably better than the new glossy 13" MBs as many claim. It really is nice to hold! It has yet to shut down on me so far, and while it does get warm-hot on the kitchen table, it doesn't seem *that* bad. Mind you, I'm not the kind of person who uses laptops on a bed or soft surfaces frequently.

For me, the price jump up to the RevB HD version is $500 Cdn minimum (educational price) plus another $200 to $300 for AppleCare or equivalent warranty. I admit that I'm the type of person who does look over the shoulder and "wonder" about the brightest and best, and tries to invest in quality (too many lessons learned from buying cheap stuff).

So, I'm trying to decide if I should return this demo RevA and just get a RevB... but the $700 difference can buy a lot! It would be a $1200 difference if I went with the RevB SSD model!... and this is where iBookG4user's comments hit home. And rumours of a Mac tablet / biggie iTouch are just too tempting... I admit the extra 40 GB of HD space between RevA and RevB models is enticing.

If I didn't know about a RevB, I'd just keep this RevA. And interestingly, the fan was on when I first jumped onto MacRumors because of a recently ended iChat and Skype sessions ... and now it's quieted down to almost nothing and motoring along just fine...

Well, I don't know if this helps your decision, but if anybody else more experienced wants to comment, I'd appreciate hearing the feedback! Thanks!

 

[Maven1975]

Not to highjack your thread driphone, but I'm in almost the same situation as you! iBookG4user's comment really strikes a chord with me:



I picked up a demo MBA RevA from BestBuy here in Canada for $1350 Cdn (about $1150 US) and bargained a 3 year service plan with BestBuy (eh, not the greatest I know, but probably better than AppleCare anyways for what I need - I'm an exchange and repair kind of person).

I was hesitant to pick it up with it being a demo model and all, but I'd been eyeing it for a while and nobody else was biting. I had also read about the overheating issue, the loud fan, the shut downs, etc. and so was a bit reluctant to take a chance. I have an iMac for the heavy lifting so to speak, but I do take my portable computers on business trips, meetings, etc., so it can't be too much of a lightweight.

I've had it for just over a week now, and yes, when I've been on Skype or iChat for over 45 minutes, or if the laptop has been on for more than 3 to 4 hours, the fan kicks in and it does seem rather loud, although not quite as loud as an Acer Aspire Netbook that I tried and returned. It does slow down and occasionally grinds to a slow walk if I have more than 3 to 4 programs open (Aperture, Lotus Notes, FireFox, and transferring large photo files) *but* I'm trying to tax the MBA as much as I could use it in a reasonably "maxed out" situation to see if it does shut down or if I can tolerate the so-called deficiencies. In addition, it was a demo model for about 1-1/2 months, so while it would not have been running under a full load, it would have been up and running continuously for a significant time.

For a RevA model, I have to say it's a "tight" machine, the keyboard is nice (better than the first gen chiclet iMac keyboards), and the screen is wonderful - probably better than the new glossy 13" MBs as many claim. It really is nice to hold! It has yet to shut down on me so far, and while it does get warm-hot on the kitchen table, it doesn't seem *that* bad. Mind you, I'm not the kind of person who uses laptops on a bed or soft surfaces frequently.

For me, the price jump up to the RevB HD version is $500 Cdn minimum (educational price) plus another $200 to $300 for AppleCare or equivalent warranty. I admit that I'm the type of person who does look over the shoulder and "wonder" about the brightest and best, and tries to invest in quality (too many lessons learned from buying cheap stuff).

So, I'm trying to decide if I should return this demo RevA and just get a RevB... but the $700 difference can buy a lot! It would be a $1200 difference if I went with the RevB SSD model!... and this is where iBookG4user's comments hit home. And rumours of a Mac tablet / biggie iTouch are just too tempting... I admit the extra 40 GB of HD space between RevA and RevB models is enticing.

If I didn't know about a RevB, I'd just keep this RevA. And interestingly, the fan was on when I first jumped onto MacRumors because of a recently ended iChat and Skype sessions ... and now it's quieted down to almost nothing and motoring along just fine...

Well, I don't know if this helps your decision, but if anybody else more experienced wants to comment, I'd appreciate hearing the feedback! Thanks!

It would be my recommendation to get a Rev. B. There were several issues addresses with Rev. B and benchmarks show a 3 X performance increase over Rev. A.

I personally own a Rev B SSD that replaced a Rev. A SSD. IMHO, the difference is night and day.

Good luck.

 

[justit]

For a RevA model, I have to say it's a "tight" machine

Sounds like you are happy with it and price is a real concern to go to the next level. You will continuously get the "rev B is better" comments. Every time you buy entry/mid level the top-of-the-line is always compared to. The issues that bothered others don't seem so far to effect your machine and if its held up to public use as a demo machine I'd say it's already been through the stress test. Relax and enjoy.

 

[ozone]

Sounds like you are happy with it and price is a real concern to go to the next level. You will continuously get the "rev B is better" comments. Every time you buy entry/mid level the top-of-the-line is always compared to. The issues that bothered others don't seem so far to effect your machine and if its held up to public use as a demo machine I'd say it's already been through the stress test. Relax and enjoy.

Thanks justit. I have to say that others comments on going "bigger and better" still swirl in my head, but once I start working on this MBA.... I sort of forget the RevA vs RevB issue... until the fan starts up. I guess I'm just hyperconscious of it.

I'll put this thing through its paces over the next few days, and if it acts up, back it goes. If not, then I guess I'm keeping it! Plus... I have up until the day after Macworld to return it! So, if the KeyNote address announces a 13.3" MacBook Touch with 6GB RAM, a 500 GB SSD, wireless Z a psychic based eye motion based sensor, and can quad-fold into a wallet size case only 0.5" thick, well, I'm afraid this MBA is going back!!!

 

[justit]

wireless Z a psychic based eye motion based sensor

Bad news... they are dropping the wireless Z and reverting back to wireless N as I've been told by insiders.

 

[ozone]

Well, if they're dropping wireless Z...

... then that just ruins my Macworld hopes. First no Steve Jobs, and now the demise of draft wireless Z... what is the world coming to!

Seriously though, I just came back from our New Year's party and needed to check one or two things quickly before turning in, fired up the MBA and just started typing away. Maybe its performance is more than good enough...

Kind of like photography. I was shooting a basketball game yesterday, and despite have two $1700 zoom lens, the one that produced the best shots was a good quality but only $400 prime lens. Go figure.

 

[hhlee]

i've heard many more positive replies about rev b vs rev a. however, at this price point, you have a nice and long service contract. if i were you, i'd just enjoy my laptop and turn a blind eye.

 

[ozone]

i've heard many more positive replies about rev b vs rev a. however, at this price point, you have a nice and long service contract. if i were you, i'd just enjoy my laptop and turn a blind eye.

Yes, the service contract can't be entirely dismissed.

Say, I'm wondering if all this additional discussion helped the OP, driphone, with the big decision.

driphone... any luck? Did you end up getting a RevA at a good price? Happy New Year!

 

[driphone]

Yes, the service contract can't be entirely dismissed.

Say, I'm wondering if all this additional discussion helped the OP, driphone, with the big decision.

driphone... any luck? Did you end up getting a RevA at a good price? Happy New Year!

Happy New year to all!

I think after reading all entries, I have decided to go with the Rev. B. I know myself better and even if the real difference may not be noticeable to my daily usage, I will regret not getting the updated version, later. Too bad there aren't as many Rev Bs as Rev As on the used market. I may just have to bite the bullet and buy it new.

I do appreciate everyone's help with my posting.

Best wishes for a healthy and successful 2009.
DriPhone