2011 or 2012 MBA

Hey guys, I know the new Ivy Bridge processors are in the new MBA air, but given the lower price of the 2011 (929$ for a 13" 2011 MBA refurb) would you consider getting that over the 2012??

I really would like to know what people thing.

Thanks

 

it depends... if you do not need a stronger CPU or GPU, its probably no big deal.

 

650m is so much faster than my 6750m 1Gb and i am sure it can break 6770m into two but in terms of CPU the new Ivy bridge does not have a huge impact compared to the old CPU. My MBP has some hot spots but its not something i cant control with Trottlestop.

 

The MBA has neither of those GPUs and relies solely on Intel HD 3000 and HD 4000 integrated graphics.

Honestly, I see no reason why you should just get the 2012 13" MBA. It is only $270 more than buying used, last year's technology and it comes with two USB 3.0 ports, a faster processor, a better IGP, and you can configure it up to 8GB of RAM. All-in-all, you are getting quite a bit for the extra $270. Most people would pay that extra amount just to get something new and not refurbished let alone get something with better tech.

 

Based on Sandybridge vs Ivy Bridge CPUs of windows notebooks, there are hardly any power differences, although there is a very slight speed boost. IMO, it's definitely not worth a whole new MBA refresh. There's only a noteable boost in integrated graphics, which even then is still pretty far behind discrete graphics options in the MBP. I'd say save your money and go with the older model unless money is not a huge factor.

 

i'd also save the cash, it's kind of marginal either way

 

Only thing I'm awaiting news of is whether the Thunderbolt port has been uprated in the Ivy Bridge Macbooks to x4 3.0, up from x4 2.0 in Sandy Bridge systems. If yes, then it could be worth it for doubling of bandwidth for Thunderbolt devices.

If they are both x4 2.0 then that difference of $270 could pay for a nice GTX460 Thunderbolt eGPU implementation whose graphics will convincingly outbench Ivy Bridge's HD4000. Otherwise what's the remaining difference? Slight faster CPU + iGPU, USB 3.0 ports. 8GB of RAM surely can be added aftermarket for le$$? Personally I'd pocket the $270.

 

why would you pick a GTX 460?

 

I picked a GTX460 because . . .

1. I'm guestimating a Thunderbolt eGPU enclosure + a s/h GTX460 would be about the $270 difference b/w a MBA 2011 and MBA 2012 the OP shortlisted.

2. A NVidia solution is chosen over AMD solutions due to NVidia Optimus being able to drive the internal LCD on iGPU equipped systems. We are not yet sure if the Thunderbolt DP signals will be routed via a hardware mux to drive the internal LCD.

3. A GTX460 is also near the 150W PSU limit of a MSI GUS-II, in case that eGPU enclosure was chosen. It's a bit more at 160W. So would need a GTX460-768MB, GTX460SE or GTX460V2 to fit in the 150W power budget.

So with (3) could look at a GTX560SE or GTX560 (not Ti) to also fit in the power budget. Being a newer card, it tends to cost a bit more than a GTX460 for what is pretty much the same performance delivered in a slightly more efficient way.

 

IF you qualify for the Apple education discount, the Ivy 13" Air is $1149 plus a $100 iTunes card, which really makes it a no brainer. I'm contemplating ditching my mini for the new 13" and getting the Henge Dock which I'd wanted for months when I still had my 2011 Air but they never released it. Glad I sold my Air a few weeks back for $1100 To answer your question, *I* would still pay the extra $270 for the new version. The only thing I'm unsure is the Magsafe 2 plug which looks huge and is not angled like last year's plug, which would be pretty unsightly on the Henge dock..

 

I have been considering this, since I am only using the laptop for basic computer tasks. I have been using my laptop for primary office work, and virtual office.

I have been debating a MBA for a while, and now with the Lenovo X1 Carbon coming out, I am tempted to wait it out until the Lenovo comes out and checks out the antiglare screen.

 

Both the CPU and IGP are still more powerful. Granted, I doubt anyone is going to notice a difference but that is still something to factor in with the marginal $270 price increase. I know some people would pay that just to have USB 3.0 since it has become much, much, much more common in the external hard drive world. Even a $40 500GB external hard drive uses USB 3.0 now and the transfer speeds, while still being below the theoretical maximum of 3Gbps, are still worlds beyond anything that USB 2.0 can offer.

Either way, if someone is just going to buy a new MBA, I don't see any reason in not buying a new model especially since the price increase isn't all that much. $1200 for a new 13" MBA with new hardware? Things would be different if the 13" MBA kept its old price but Apple decreased it making it a much more viable option over buying year old refurbished tech.

 

just depends on the value of the money vs the value out of the speed boost and interface updates. both offer similar functionality for the majority of users, so i could see the draw towards pocketing the difference for many (but not all)

 

The new 13-inch MBA's cost more there? The prices of the new models in my country are 10% lower than last years

I would not buy the new one for Ivy Bridge per se, but I think USB 3.0 is wortj it if you use an external drive a lot. You also get the OS update free (US$19.95 value).

 

These new Airs are lustworthy, but I'm holding onto my 2011 15" MBP for a little while longer.

Regarding 2011 vs 2012 Air, I think kornchild2002 hit it on the head. The tech additions outweigh the price increase. You're getting a lot more tech for not much more. I know that if I went with an Air, the first thing I'd do is max the RAM at 8GB. That's one of the big things that kept me from the Air in the first place. I got used to having 8 GB in my previous 13" MBP and my current 15" MBP. 8GB is a baseline for me.

 

USB 3 is huge to me.

 

It's becoming bigger for me as well. Just finished putting together an HTPC and upgrading my main desktop rig, and both have USB3. I've also got an external USB3 drive, and the speed increase is just amazing. Makes transferring files a breeze.

 

Just wanted to thank everyone for their input, I did end up getting last year's MBA from amazon for 883.00 delivered .. I figured for this price it was a great deal. Almost 360 dollars less than the new model.

Thanks again guys