Should i buy a Refurb Macbook Air or a new Macbook white?

bigslope · 01-25-2009, 01:56 PM

I have always been a Windows user and am really happy. However after a demo last year in Vegas in an Apple store i would really like to buy a Mac laptop. I have looked around and am not sure wether the Air would be a good result with no dvd drive and limited ports. However it looks really coollllll. I will also run windows xp on it for my fav thinks. The macbook looks really good too but not sure about the white plactic.

What do you all think??

I am off to Vegas in 3 weeks from the cold climate here in Northern Ireland and might buy one out there although the exchange rate sucks!!!

macgirl · 01-25-2009, 02:01 PM

I have a white MacBook (the last generation) for work and I don't like how the plastic wears at all - it shows scuffs and scratches so easily. My personal laptop is the latest version of the MacBook Air and I LOVE it. The latest white MacBook is definitely better spec-wise than the first-generation of the MacBook Air, but the MacBook Air is far more svelte and attractive, IMHO.

Will the Mac laptop be your primary computer? If so, I would recommend a MacBook for you (an aluminum version if you can swing it). The lack of ports on the Air can be a big deal if you're used to plugging in lots of peripherals and the largest hard drive on the first generation was 80GB, which is not a lot of room at all.

If this will be a secondary computer for you for traveling/commuting, I vote for the MacBook Air all the way!

bigslope · 01-25-2009, 02:08 PM

WOW quick response. The laptop will not be my main computer, i will use it when i am at home in the living room and use it a little in work.
I am not really fussed about the lack of ports as it is not my main machine.

macgirl · 01-25-2009, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by bigslope

WOW quick response. The laptop will not be my main computer, i will use it when i am at home in the living room and use it a little in work.
I am not really fussed about the lack of ports as it is not my main machine.

Then do it! MacBook Air FTW!

My Air is my primary computer - I realized that on the black MacBook I had that I rarely used the CD drive and hardly ever used more than one USB port at a time. Plus, I could live with the 128GB hard drive on the latest version of the Air since it was larger than the hard drive on my MacBook anyway. No regrets whatsoever for me...

EDIT: You should be aware that the first generation of the Air had some major problems with video playback and processor core/heat management. This review highlights the differences between the first version and the latest one.

bigslope · 01-25-2009, 02:14 PM

Now just need to decide a refurb one or the new version. Quite a price difference.

chris · 01-25-2009, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by bigslope

Now just need to decide a refurb one or the new version. Quite a price difference.

I jumped at 1.8GHz/64GB refurb. This computer retailed for $3098 just 7 months ago. There are some significant improvements under the hood on the new models (Rev.B). If you plan on light usage..surfing, etc. then perhaps you might want to save yourself a few bucks. If storage isn't an issue, then I'd say go for the 1.8Ghz/64GB. That puts you at $1300 vs $1800 for a new non-SSD Rev.B. Still a $500 savings.

If it were your primary computer, then I would have said go for the Rev. B. I'll let you know what I think on Tuesday (tomorrow if I'm lucky). I had the original Rev. A and returned it for a MBP. I can be pretty demanding of my computers. I'm hoping the model I picked up will suffice for blogging, surfing, light Photoshop work and the occasional movie. I did rent a movie when I had my first MBA and it worked perfectly. I just balked at the slow load times of programs. Too many beachballs for my taste. ArsTechnica says the SSD will drastically cut down those issues.

My main reasoning for going back to the MBA is the form factor. I only had it for a few weeks, but it was so easy to use. The MBP is far from a big, cumbersome laptop, but there is something about the Air that makes you want to use it more often (at least that's my feeling). It's super light, ample screen size and great keyboard (I prefer the black keyboard of the newer models to my aluminum keyboard).

I'm not sure if the MBA will replace my MBP. I'm playing it by ear. I do expect to enjoy the hell out of the the MBA.

From my research, the first order of business will be a "leaner" install and then purchase of xSlimmer. Depending on leftover space, I might even set up a 10GB bootcamp install of Windows 7.

Good luck with your decision. Let us know how you make out.

Ramesh · 02-04-2009, 12:15 AM

My Black MacBook is for sale in the Marketplace here, because I'm thinking about buying a MBA refurb.

chris · 02-04-2009, 08:05 AM

I've been happy so far with the MBA. The SSD makes it very peppy. Apps open quickly and overall it's a nice machine. I've haven't used it as much as I'd like, as I'm waiting for my Invisible Shield that's due Friday.

I absolutely love the size of it and the keyboard. I could of gotten by without the SuperDrive if I didn't run Windows. I installed Windows 7 on a 10 GB Boot Camp partition. Probably should have gone with 12-13GB, as it's a little tight if I decide to add more apps.

Not sure what your budget is or when the 128GB rev.B MBA's will find their way to the refurb section.

hankb · 02-04-2009, 11:23 AM

Chris, thanks for posting all the MBA info! I have been hesistant to pull the trigger b/c of issues w/ the Rev.A models.....I was about to buy the $999 80HDD until I read your posts and experience w/ that model. I only will be using the MBA for surfing and light program usage, but the speed factor is huge for me. You sold me on the SSD model b/c it seems like more for your money. I've read where the RevB HDD model is comparable to the RevA SSD in terms of speed.....my question is for my usage would you pick the RevA SSD over the RevB HDD SATA?

chris · 02-04-2009, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by hankb

Chris, thanks for posting all the MBA info! I have been hesistant to pull the trigger b/c of issues w/ the Rev.A models.....I was about to buy the $999 80HDD until I read your posts and experience w/ that model. I only will be using the MBA for surfing and light program usage, but the speed factor is huge for me. You sold me on the SSD model b/c it seems like more for your money. I've read where the RevB HDD model is comparable to the RevA SSD in terms of speed.....my question is for my usage would you pick the RevA SSD over the RevB HDD SATA?

That's a tough decision. I have a MacBook Pro to fall back on, so for me it made sense to go for the "deal" which was the 64GB SSD. I also don't need much in terms of hard disk space. I'm hesitant to load up my laptops with data, as my central hub is my desktop Mac. For me, I looked a laptop that was $3095 just six months ago. Now, they have made huge improvements in Rev.B.

With the Rev. A refurb, you get a better processor (although the Rev.B has frontside bus improvements), SSD hard drive and you still save $500 over the Rev.B. Here are some speed tests courtesy of MacWorld. Seems they forgot the 64GB SSD.

If there was an extra USB or more RAM, then I'd opt for the Rev. B. Right now, I still see a ton of value in the 64GB SSD if you do not need the added hard drive space.