Life Expectancy Of 11" Air?

[racheldeet]

Because I know you all love "Is this right for me?" threads! I'm looking at replacing a whitebook with an 11" base model air for toting to the library, classes, etc. A good portion of the funds will be a Christmas gift, so I want to make a good decision. I'm wondering how long these will last, with mild use (internet browsing, lots and lots of writing).

It won't be my only computer, as I have a relatively new iMac, so I'm not too worried about the processor or RAM. The whitebook I've been using has treated me fine with the same usage and similar specs. The disk size isn't a problem, as it'd be in use as a work computer, with only my active files. The biggest problem I forsee is the smaller screen, though with the higher resolution and limited use (I have a bad habit of couch-surfing at times), it shouldn't come up often.

What I'm hoping is that the aluminum body and light usage will keep it from becoming unusable in the next 3-4 years. My other option is a MBP, but when weight and size is a big deal to me, I'd rather go for the Air if I can. What's the life expectancy of the flash storage? For a student toting one around, is Applecare a good idea (in case of hinge problems, etc)?

Please tell me I'm being paranoid?

 

[Hellhammer]

Usually computers last as long as you want them to last. Treat it well and it will definitely last 3-4 years unless there is a hardware failure. You may want to get a sleeve or something like that to protect it a bit. I would also suggest AppleCare so it will last at least 3 years

 

[KPOM]

I agree it will likely last 3-4 years with ease, but disagree on AppleCare. It is 25% of the cost of the base model you are looking at. The likelihood of you both having an uncovered repair and it being more than $250 are pretty slim (otherwise Apple wouldn't sell them).

 

[Hellhammer]

The likelihood of you both having an uncovered repair and it being more than $250 are pretty slim (otherwise Apple wouldn't sell them).

Since nearly all components are integrated into the logic board, if something fails, a logic board replacement is needed. Usually they cost around 1000$, so as much as new MBA. Any repair is very likely going to be more than 250$ and not that long ago, I saw a thread about it being 174$ somewhere.

It's a preference thing though, some people don't like paying for AC while some do

 

[BeyondtheTech]

I can see the SSD could degrade or fail after several years, even earlier if you're a developer that compiles and updates millions of files. That being said, that and the battery are the only components that are replaceable, the SSD being more "user-replaceable."

I suspect my Air will carry me over far long after my need for it, and I'll likely pass it down or trade up to a newer revision or a different Apple product in the far future.

 

[KPOM]

Since nearly all components are integrated into the logic board, if something fails, a logic board replacement is needed. Usually they cost around 1000$, so as much as new MBA. Any repair is very likely going to be more than 250$ and not that long ago, I saw a thread about it being 174$ somewhere.

It's a preference thing though, some people don't like paying for AC while some do

A repair is likely to be expensive, but is unlikely to occur. If they quoted me $1000 for a repair, I'd just buy a new one. Remember, everyone gets a one year warranty, and most electronics items that fail do so early in their lives.

 

[3goldens]

the storage will out live you!

 

[crazyyankeefan]

If you take good care of it, it can really last as long as you want except for some minor parts. Both my and my sister's 5-yr-old MacBooks are still running. My sister used hers more often than me, and she brought it all over the places a lot. I only used mine at home. She had the wrist rest panel and battery replaced. That was it, and mine is still with the original components.

 

[dmelgar]

A repair is likely to be expensive, but is unlikely to occur. If they quoted me $1000 for a repair, I'd just buy a new one. Remember, everyone gets a one year warranty, and most electronics items that fail do so early in their lives.

Remember too that many credit cards will extend warranties on items purchased with that card for up to a year, giving you 2years in this case.

 

[MartiNZ]

Since nearly all components are integrated into the logic board, if something fails, a logic board replacement is needed. Usually they cost around 1000$, so as much as new MBA. Any repair is very likely going to be more than 250$ and not that long ago, I saw a thread about it being 174$ somewhere.

It's a preference thing though, some people don't like paying for AC while some do

And given that every single one of my Mac laptops have had logic board failures, I think I'll be shelling out for AC with my Air!

 

[KnightWRX]

A repair is likely to be expensive, but is unlikely to occur. If they quoted me $1000 for a repair, I'd just buy a new one. Remember, everyone gets a one year warranty, and most electronics items that fail do so early in their lives.

And in intelligent states, we don't let companies dictate what is a normal warranty period. 1 year is ridiculous. Straight from our consumer protection act :

38. Goods forming the object of a contract must be durable in normal use for a reasonable length time, having regard to their price, the terms of the contract and the conditions of their use.

People have gotten warranty work on 4 year old TVs and 7 year old fridges with that law. A computer would get probably a 2 or 3 year warranty from that law with a reasonable judge.

 

[KPOM]

And in intelligent states, we don't let companies dictate what is a normal warranty period. 1 year is ridiculous. Straight from our consumer protection act :



People have gotten warranty work on 4 year old TVs and 7 year old fridges with that law. A computer would get probably a 2 or 3 year warranty from that law with a reasonable judge.

That seems like a very vague law. I'm guessing that small manufacturers hate it. It's probably also another reason why goods cost more north of the border (and Europe, for that matter).

 

[KnightWRX]

That seems like a very vague law. I'm guessing that small manufacturers hate it. It's probably also another reason why goods cost more north of the border (and Europe, for that matter).

It's vague on purpose. You shouldn't expect a 10$ trinket made of plastic and that has probably 2 uses to last as long as a 1000$ Mac, which as evidenced by the used market, should last years.

It's also hard to get enforced, you have to drag manufacturers into small claims most of the time and actually, most manufacturers don't even know about this law until it gets brought up by a savvy consumer.

 

[Cycom]

Since nearly all components are integrated into the logic board, if something fails, a logic board replacement is needed. Usually they cost around 1000$, so as much as new MBA. Any repair is very likely going to be more than 250$ and not that long ago, I saw a thread about it being 174$ somewhere.

It's a preference thing though, some people don't like paying for AC while some do

AC also helps a lot with resale value.

 

[n1tut]

Just buy it, use it, enjoy it, and stop bloody worrying about anything else.

tut

 

[hcho3]

Apple care can be bought cheaper on online retailers and it can be as lows as 200 dollars. Sometimes, it is even lower. Personally, I usually go without an apple care. Every apple products come with 1 year warranty and you have a year to make up your mind.

 

[kryca]

I agree it will likely last 3-4 years with ease, but disagree on AppleCare. It is 25% of the cost of the base model you are looking at. The likelihood of you both having an uncovered repair and it being more than $250 are pretty slim (otherwise Apple wouldn't sell them).

I've had for the past decade always AppleCare with my *Books, and they paid off quite well. Hinges, logic board ... whatever breaks we are talking about $300 and upwards. With a previous silver MBP I've had 2 logic board swaps, 2 power bricks, 2 batteries. With the exception of a Duo 2300 and TiBook I didn't have a single laptop that would have survived without AppleCare. Strangely enough 2002 was the last time a hard disk failed on me , so it's not the cheap and easily replaceable parts!

As for the built quality, I guess Apple goes to the extreme as much as anyone else. With AppleCare I don't really care because it's nicely covered. I can strongly recommend it but YMMV.

 

[superdudeo]

Apple do a lot of things right but their one year warranty is utterly ridiculous. It makes me think less of them if I'm honest. If they can't even supply a 2 year warranty on the prices they charge, they should be forced to.

I'd be very interested to know if anyone in my country (the UK) has managed to use the above consumer law guidelines with Apple. If the above quote was from USA, the british one is very similar. In terms of reasonable life expectancy for a judge, a premium product such as Apple should be covered for at least a few years.

 

[miata]

I don't buy warrantees for a number of reasons:

- expensive
- inconvenient -- I don't have time to drop off a system for days
- won't cover many common failure like liquid spills
- if something does break it is often better to replace it with something newer and better

 

[racheldeet]

Thanks all. I'll look into getting AC from a third party, but it looks like the best bet to put my mind at ease. I've never had something fail on me before, but Murphey says that when it does, it will be something ridiculous.

 

[Andrmgic]

If you can find Apple Care for less than MSRP, i'd say go for it.

If you decide later that you don't need it, you can cancel the policy and get a refund for the unused portion of the coverage.. so it won't be a total loss either way if you decide you don't need it after the fact.

I always buy apple care on my machines I plan to keep for a while, because Apple makes their machines in the same chinese factories that everyone else uses and it makes my laptop more attractive to a prospective second-hand purchaser to have that extra bit of assurance.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

Because I know you all love "Is this right for me?" threads! I'm looking at replacing a whitebook with an 11" base model air for toting to the library, classes, etc. A good portion of the funds will be a Christmas gift, so I want to make a good decision. I'm wondering how long these will last, with mild use (internet browsing, lots and lots of writing).

It won't be my only computer, as I have a relatively new iMac, so I'm not too worried about the processor or RAM. The whitebook I've been using has treated me fine with the same usage and similar specs. The disk size isn't a problem, as it'd be in use as a work computer, with only my active files. The biggest problem I forsee is the smaller screen, though with the higher resolution and limited use (I have a bad habit of couch-surfing at times), it shouldn't come up often.

What I'm hoping is that the aluminum body and light usage will keep it from becoming unusable in the next 3-4 years. My other option is a MBP, but when weight and size is a big deal to me, I'd rather go for the Air if I can. What's the life expectancy of the flash storage? For a student toting one around, is Applecare a good idea (in case of hinge problems, etc)?

Please tell me I'm being paranoid?

I had a 10-inch netbook, it lasts pretty good. But I hardly use it now since I got my macbook. It might last long depending on how you treat it.

I honestly don't think that you should replace your Macbook with the Macbook Air only because you MIGHT want a bigger HD in the future. And the White Macbook doesn't seem to heavy, at least not for me. I think that the MBP would be a better buy for you. And $999 for a 11inch netbook (that's really what it is), and only 64GB of HD space is a little much. Which is why I decided to get the MB. Now if you REALLY want the MBA I suggest you get the 13-inch MBA. You get a bigger SSD and more screen space plus a really good screen resolution! But that's just my opinion. Choose what best suits you

 

[weckart]

Apple do a lot of things right but their one year warranty is utterly ridiculous. It makes me think less of them if I'm honest. If they can't even supply a 2 year warranty on the prices they charge, they should be forced to.

I'd be very interested to know if anyone in my country (the UK) has managed to use the above consumer law guidelines with Apple. If the above quote was from USA, the british one is very similar. In terms of reasonable life expectancy for a judge, a premium product such as Apple should be covered for at least a few years.

The Sales of Goods Act is not easy to enforce for the average consumer, either. Up to six months after purchase, the law presumes under the Act that faults must lie with manufacture and the retailer would have to prove otherwise to avoid paying for repairs, replacements or refunds. After six months the onus is on the purchaser to prove that any fault was present at the time of purchase. Not easy. The standard one year guarantee is therefore better than the law provides.
Buy from John Lewis if you want better cover. You are likely to get better discounts going elsewhere - it's really your call.

 

[racheldeet]

I honestly don't think that you should replace your Macbook with the Macbook Air only because you MIGHT want a bigger HD in the future. And the White Macbook doesn't seem to heavy, at least not for me. I think that the MBP would be a better buy for you. And $999 for a 11inch netbook (that's really what it is), and only 64GB of HD space is a little much. Which is why I decided to get the MB. Now if you REALLY want the MBA I suggest you get the 13-inch MBA. You get a bigger SSD and more screen space plus a really good screen resolution! But that's just my opinion. Choose what best suits you

I'm looking at the 13", but haven't made up my mind because the budgeting part isn't entirely in my hands. But thank you.

Between external drives and an iMac at home, I think storage is kind of a moot point. The MB is not heavy compared to the HP laptop it replaced, but when tossed in a bag with textbooks and such, it starts to add up. There's nothing wrong with the MB, for sure, and it's going to my dad to become his primary computer.

 

[Wang Foolio]

And in intelligent states, we don't let companies dictate what is a normal warranty period. 1 year is ridiculous...

People have gotten warranty work on 4 year old TVs and 7 year old fridges with that law. A computer would get probably a 2 or 3 year warranty from that law with a reasonable judge.

Is that federal or provincial?