MBA 2011 vs 2012

POB

POB

POB

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Visiting the USA at the end of the week :)

Looking to get a Macbook Air 11"

Not sure if it would work but I might try ordering a refurb from Apple, and getting it shipped to the store.

The 2011 model (11" 4GB, 128GB) is $899 inc sales tax.

But a new 2012 one (11" 4GB, 128GB) is $1164.95

So a $265.95 difference (£172 ish difference)

I keep thinking I would prefer an 8GB edition, but it makes the 2012 more expensive then the 2011 refurb.

Then again I'm tempted with the iPad 2 (16GB refurb) is $338.14 ~ £222

Machine is only a travel machine but it might need to run a VM of windows on occasion.


So at these price points £583 or £756 (£825 8GB) what would you pick?
 
Whether you need 8GB of memory depends on your usage while running the virtual machine. You may be able to get away with 4GB. The SSD will speed things up too.

What will be running in the virtual machine?

Should mention that at this point, if it were between the two 4GB models, I'd go with the older one, as the performance is close for everything aside from gaming. Will USB 3.0 be a deal breaker? And will you play the occasional game on this machine at all?

This said, if you only need the VM to run Windows and you don't need OS X during that time, you could Boot Camp Windows on the 4GB model, and you'll have more than enough oomph.
 
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This would be a secondary machine.

The bootcamp idea might be a good solution as Windows is what I need for work (Visual Studio)

The Apple side I don't need any more ram its just browsing and entertainment watching really.

Never going to game on this machine.

USB 3 would have been nice, but I think I can manage OK with the 128GB SSD.


What I want is a netbook that has some oomph, but don't need to go too crazy.
 
Thanks, thinking about it I think USB 3 would help expand the storage in future.

I just hope I can source a 8GB version.
 
LordSplodge said:
My rule of Mac buying is buy the newest and best you can afford. Simple.
Click to expand...

But you can also view it from a value for money point of view. If you don't require USB 3.0, and are only going to use the system for graphically-undemanding work, the new machine isn't going to give you much above the older model at all.

However, you do of course buy what you need.
 
Get the 240GB SSD - I went for the 120GB drive, but like you I run Windows 7 in VMware for Visual Studio, and recently I've been running out of disk space. I'm now looking for a bigger drive!
 
lamboman said:
But you can also view it from a value for money point of view. If you don't require USB 3.0, and are only going to use the system for graphically-undemanding work, the new machine isn't going to give you much above the older model at all.
.
Click to expand...

Agreed but I'd rather buy the current generation if I was buying new. As for features that will never get used well I cry a little every time I see the wife using a fraction of the power of her 15" MacBook Pro. She didn't even use all the power of the 2007 MacBook she had before that. However when it died she chose a MBP. So what choice did I have other than to buy it! :D
 
DSC_0020.jpg


MINE!

2012 11" 128GB SSD, 4 GB Ram.
 
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