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MacBook Air M1

Spookytree

Spookytree

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 8, 2022
16
6
I’m in the market for about MacBook Air m1 currently. I already have a i9 MacBook Pro 16 inch and I’m tired of carrying it because it’s huge. Should I get a m1 for basic work, like MS Office, Youtube, and note-taking, or cheap out and get something like a 2017 MBP? Not looking to spend more than 450$

I’m not looking for a replacement for my i9, it’s got a TB of storage and an EGPU that I can’t use with Apple silicon. Would the m1 also be Over-kill? The laptop I’m going to buy is going to out last my i9, since my i9 is still my main computer, with all my editing tools.
Any other suggestions for student MacBooks?
 
For $450 you should be able to get a nice M1 Air. The only potential downside is that it's a good chink of the way through the support cycle, and eventually Apple will stop offering software updates and h/w repairs. There are ways around both of those things though, usually, but it's not totally trivial.
 
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jeffmr4 said:
I'd say go for it. The M1 Air will seem a lot faster (and run a lot cooler) than your current setup. Try to get one with 16GB RAM if you can. Sometimes you can find these on eBay.
Click to expand...
Is 16 gb worth the extra for light use?
 
Spookytree said:
I’m in the market for about MacBook Air m1 currently. I already have a i9 MacBook Pro 16 inch and I’m tired of carrying it because it’s huge. Should I get a m1 for basic work, like MS Office, Youtube, and note-taking, or cheap out and get something like a 2017 MBP? Not looking to spend more than 450$
Click to expand...
Definitely look at a used or refurb M-series MBA. They're way more capable than the Intel series at this point.
 
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Update: I found a really good deal on eBay for a M1 MacBook Air Base. It was listed for parts. Little did they know it was wiped and just needed a fresh reinstall. Paid 165 USD + shipping and tax. It looks to be in amazing shape. It even comes with the original charger. Glad I was able to find it.
These are some pictures from the listing:
IMG_0192.jpeg
IMG_0193.jpeg
IMG_0190.png
 
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Spookytree said:
Is 16 gb worth the extra for light use?
Click to expand...

8GB is totally fine for "everyday computing" use. I ran a 13" 8GB M1 MBP as hard as I could when it first came out and it did so well I nearly decided to replace my loaded 2018 i7 MBP with it.

That was a MBP and not an Air, but especially with those initial models, there wasn't much daylight between an Air and a MBP.
 
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Spookytree said:
Update: I found a really good deal on eBay for a M1 MacBook Air Base. It was listed for parts. Little did they know it was wiped and just needed a fresh reinstall. Paid 165 USD + shipping and tax. It looks to be in amazing shape. It even comes with the original charger. Glad I was able to find it.
These are some pictures from the listing:
View attachment 2503832
View attachment 2503833
View attachment 2503834
Click to expand...
Looks pretty sweet! Tell us what you think of it once you got it up and running!! I had an M1 2020 MBP 13" and I really loved that laptop!!!The M1 Air is a very well made laptop and M1 is still a very good chip.
 
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Technerd108 said:
Looks pretty sweet! Tell us what you think of it once you got it up and running!! I had an M1 2020 MBP 13" and I really loved that laptop!!!The M1 Air is a very well made laptop and M1 is still a very good chip.
Click to expand...
It was activation locked. Seller didn’t know. She gave me a refund though. I have one on marketplace I’ve kept an eye one. 450$ cad not bad
 
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