MBA V1.0 or Rev B?

[sparkie7]

I have never really considered a MBA before, but with the recent update to 128 SSD it looks more attractive, but at the same time you can now pick up a V1.0 MBA for 40% cheaper. Is the Rev B worth getting over the 1.0

Any issues I should be aware of?

Just so you know, its £999.00 for a MBA 1.0 64GB SSD 1.8GHZ vs £1,799! for a MBA Rev B 186GHz 128SSD

SO a difference of £800 or $1270 USD!

Is the new Nividia GPU in Rev B THAT much better?.. also is the screen matte on both? and of equal quality

Would appreciate your insights and opinions/advice

 

[costabunny]

both have the same glossy screen (which I looooove)

Its more than a GPU addition. The B has the new chipset also, a diff rev CPU, (albeit at the same clocks), and DDR3 memory - all should make it more robust with heavier apps.

 

[sparkie7]

Glossy screen?

It not the same as the new MB and MBP screens is it -- (i dont think so at least)

would u buy a MBA 1.0 or Rev B if you were in the market today and you didnt have either?

 

[costabunny]

I am seeling my 1.0 for a 1.1 (because I want the NVidia chipset) so YEP. And no the screen isnt quite the same, as it does not have the huge edge-to-edge glass panel overlay.

 

[sparkie7]

Thats quite a premium to pay. ok double the SSD space, and new GPU for £800? also is the new CPU chipset that much faster? the speedbus in improved and DDR3 RAM, but no actual increase in RAM capacity. were there the core shut downs that bad?

 

[costabunny]

were there the core shut downs that bad?

Dunno - never had one

and the price diff for me is its going to cost an extra £119 to get the new air (1.6HD) over the £1099 I paid for the old one)

 

[NC MacGuy]

Lets not forget a real improvement in rev.B - SATA drive. There are very few PATA ZIF drives out there for upgrades for 1st gen Air. I have a rev. A and filled it up.

 

[phoobo]

More than core shutdowns

were the the core shut downs that bad?

The heat-dissipation issues and higher internal temperatures of the old Air probably reduce the working life of many components of the machine, in addition to its functional shortcomings.

 

[tigres]

Let me add something here.

I have 2 iMacs (one at home, one at work) and a 3rd replacement MBP with the striping issues.

Instead of taking the new MBP this time, I opted for the MBA SSD as I see the specs so close to the MB. Now granted, my MBP has 4 gig ram but honestly I do not do intense video editing on it other than the occasional FCX.

So, I downgraded. Slower processor, less ram, (and I prey a better experience in a smaller package.) I did a lot of homework on this and my setup will be the following.

Office 08, with Entourage for exchange/ VMware with XP to run a mandated SQL program for my business, and some I.E. websites that are incompatible
with Safari/Firefox.

Some iTunes (my library is on an external drive at home) and some importing of vid from my CX7 Sony camcorder.

So I took the plunge, hope I am happy; as I am sure I will be. Went to the stores a couple of times and banged on the first gen's for some time. Worked well enough for me.

Time will tell as I will not have my new one for a while it looks like.

 

[sparkie7]

The heat-dissipation issues and higher internal temperatures of the old Air probably reduce the working life of many components of the machine, in addition to its functional shortcomings.

wow. did the V1.0's get THAT HOT?.. to cook the internals.. YiPeS!

I only buy machines with at least 3-4 yrs longevity (and more). Given that a new CPU and GPU will/(may?) run cooler and efficiently, these are strong arguments for the Rev B. Even at the premium.

Goes to prove that a V2.0 of anything is worth getting, as its a refined version of V1.0 with all the kinks (mostly) ironed out

 

[daneoni]

The Air you're looking to buy (SSD model) is no longer available at the refurb store...maybe a sign to go for Rev B

 

[sparkie7]

darn it. it was available about half and hour ago.. oh well..

 

[Piaget]

The refurb store is updated at least daily based on supply. Check back frequently to see if any become available and if they do, pick one up before it's gone! (I sound a bit like an Apple rep here!)

 

[sparkie7]

The refurb store is updated at least daily based on supply. Check back frequently to see if any become available and if they do, pick one up before it's gone! (I sound a bit like an Apple rep here!)

After much research and mulling over.. I believe the RevB is worth it.

The RevA of the MBA suffers from too many fundamental problems. Mainly:

1. Over-heating and core shut downs
2. SSD is too small
3. GPU much slower vs newer one
4. Older display connector is not as good. New one is more future proofed (at least for now) and can run the 30" display
5. PATA vs SATA. The later is reportedly faster

Main disappointments of the Rev B IMO is its still 2GB RAM. Apple should have upped it to 4GB