Macbook Air: Buy Used or New?

[Luigi239]

I have a family member who wants to buy a Macbook Air in the very near future and has asked me to find the best deal. Looking around online, I found that I could buy a rev. B version for around $1000. However, is it worth it to buy the newest version with better specs for $500 more? I've read that the rev. A models (and somewhat the B ones) have had issues as far as heat and slowdowns, which makes me nervous.

The computer is going to replace a small little netbook that just can't handle doing real work on the road. It will be used for displaying powerpoint presentations on the road, web browsing, and usage like that.

That being said, should I buy this computer new or used? The family member is willing to pay the extra money if it's worth it. Thanks.

 

[musicpenguy]

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB940LL/A?mco=MTA4MzI1NzA

I would recommend going this route - this way you can grab the AppleCare which most laptops need at least once. Also it will be as good as new and a very speedy model of the Air.

 

[Luigi239]

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB940LL/A?mco=MTA4MzI1NzA

I would recommend going this route - this way you can grab the AppleCare which most laptops need at least once. Also it will be as good as new and a very speedy model of the Air.

Oh, I forgot about refurbished! Only thing is that with tax, it's just as expensive as the base model Air on Amazon.

Is that a rev B or C? Also, is the SSD worth it? The family member's main concern is word documents and powerpoint...that's it.

 

[musicpenguy]

http://www.macmall.com/p/Apple-MacBook-Air/product~dpno~7684029~pdp.fbdchbd

Here is the same laptop on MacMall (where I got mine) same price - it's brand new and no tax unless you live in California - it's a Rev B - quite a steal

SSD - is really a must if you want speed at all - I believe the HDs are 4200 RPM which are very very slow.

 

[5630745]

Used or Refurb. The Air is due for a revamp sometime soon. I'm in the same boat, looking for my first computer. I know that the B/C new's will drop in price in the next couple months. So the new price looks high to me. The used price also feels high due to the impending revamp, as well. Plus they are used, anything can go wrong. I can't find anything that matches what I want to pay for an Air, currently, so I'll wait and see what shakes out. I've waited 32 years, I can wait a couple more months.

 

[coast1ja]

For the tasks you are using the Air for, I would suggest getting the cheapest version you can... you would not be disappointed, even by the Rev. A HDD if you're moving up from a netbook! Buy a cheap one now, then get the new version when it comes out if you like it... errr, your family member.

 

[alphaod]

Try to avoid the Rev. A simply based on the problematic hinge and the overheating issues if you do anything other then word processing, light browsing (no YouTube), and checking emails.

 

[Luigi239]

http://www.macmall.com/p/Apple-MacBook-Air/product~dpno~7684029~pdp.fbdchbd

Here is the same laptop on MacMall (where I got mine) same price - it's brand new and no tax unless you live in California - it's a Rev B - quite a steal

SSD - is really a must if you want speed at all - I believe the HDs are 4200 RPM which are very very slow.

I went with a B Model 1.6ghz 120gb HDD from Macmall. I know it's not a SSD but I think it's going to be plenty fine for the person's need. It really is for my mother, she travels as much as 3 days per week for business and so this should be a lifesaver for her compared to the crappy XP netbook she was using.

Thanks everybody.

 

[Scottsdale]

I went with a B Model 1.6ghz 120gb HDD from Macmall. I know it's not a SSD but I think it's going to be plenty fine for the person's need. It really is for my mother, she travels as much as 3 days per week for business and so this should be a lifesaver for her compared to the crappy XP netbook she was using.

Thanks everybody.

So you're buying someone that uses it for business the cheapest model available? That doesn't make any sense to me... if I were only using it for personal needs, I wouldn't think I needed a better Air. For business, I would spend the money to do everything I need especially if I were going to be away from the office 60% of the time.

 

[Spanky Deluxe]

So you're buying someone that uses it for business the cheapest model available? That doesn't make any sense to me... if I were only using it for personal needs, I wouldn't think I needed a better Air. For business, I would spend the money to do everything I need especially if I were going to be away from the office 60% of the time.

It probably depends what that business is and how much they earn. The days of $3000 MacBook Airs that only high end business clients could afford are long gone. The Air is now more of a skinny MacBook Pro than a businessman's elite toy and it's priced as such.

 

[Luigi239]

So you're buying someone that uses it for business the cheapest model available? That doesn't make any sense to me... if I were only using it for personal needs, I wouldn't think I needed a better Air. For business, I would spend the money to do everything I need especially if I were going to be away from the office 60% of the time.

Most of the work is done at home from a Mac Mini. All that's done on the road is editing Word documents and Powerpoint presentations. There's nobody other than my mother to pay for the computer, so cost is a factor. There's no point in her buying a computer that's $350 more expensive when the one that she purchased will more than meet her needs. She's been able to do this all on an Atom netbook for about a year now, so a Core 2 Duo Air should do her just fine.

Just because it's being used for business doesn't mean that my mother should spend more than she needs to on a computer, especially when there's a mortgage and a million other expenses to pay.

 

[cfitz7111]

Another vote for the refurb route. I would consider the MBP 13 for $999, cheaper then the air, a few more features and not that much larger.

 

[RSW]

I bought a refurbished Air and 24" iMac within a week of each other (I am a recent Apple convert). My savings over new was well over $1,300.00 combined.

My Air, about 6 weeks into ownership, had some issues. I took it to my local Apple store, and had to have the hard drive replaced. My local Apple store had my Air for about 2 days, fixed it, and have had no problems since!

 

[coast1ja]

If she is stepping up from a netbook that was presumably serving her needs (if only minimally), she will be blown away by the speed of the Rev. A MBA. Don't let others convince you otherwise.