Thinking About Buying a Macbook Air

Okay, well I have a Lenovo Y470, and a Desktop with enough power I could ever need. So I am thinking about buying a used Macbook Air, the 1.6ghz model ( can be had for around $600 on eBay ). It would be nice to have to browse the web while lounging, or watching TV. Also, and this is the main reason I want it is I want to give OSX a try. I have never owned an Apple computer, and I want to try it. So what do you guys think? Should I go for it? Also I was considering picking up a 2008/2007 Macbook to try out OSX, let me know what you think. And thanks for looking.

 

If you like OS X and have the cash, I don't see a reason to stop you. You can always sell it down the road if it doesn't work out. When I had a Mac a couple years ago, I liked it as something different, but I personally didn't find it to be significantly better Windows or Linux. I have to say I really like the Air. I debated long and hard between the 13" Air and the X220 before getting the X220.

 

i want to get an air too but I use a MBP 15 on a daily. so the weight difference is a jump up. If you arent sure if you want to keep OSX you could run windows but why would you spend that much unless you have that much to spend on something you arent sure of. if you are going to get an older MB just make sure you grab on with at least 2gb of ram and you should be good to go as far as learning OSX and toying around.

my 2 cents. theres plenty more to say but i think ill let the others chime in.

 

Either one would work out for you. Go with whatever is cheaper

 

The MBA is a great total package. I'd definitely pick it up and see what you think.

I do not like the idea of picking up a four-year-old MacBook to see if you like OSX. The MacBook was not Apple's strongest product at all, and by four years old, it will be long in the tooth and definitely feeling aged (and not in a good way...computers, even Apples, are not fine wine).

I'd just get the MBA, and if you don't like OSX, just resell it.

 

If it doesn't have it, put lion on it for Mission control.

 

Okay, well the MBA I am looking at are the ones from 2008.

 

From what I've read about Lion's Mission Control, I'd rather have Expose from Leopard/Snow Leopard. So a 2008 MBA (which would have Leopard unless the previous owner upgraded the OS) would be perfect.

 

Mission control is simply expose and spaces in one.. Since you can use 1 multitouch gesture to get to both, I think its better.

 

I just got a 2010 Macbook Air, and I love it. Its such a beautiful, polished piece of kit compared to even expensive Windows laptops, it is definitely worth it.

 

If you've got four browser windows and four word processor windows open at once, Leopard/Snow Leopard's Expose displays all eight windows at once so you can choose which one you want with one four-finger swipe and one click. Neither of the Lion equivalents--Mission Control or single-app Expose--can do that as efficiently.

 

you know that you can still use expose on lion right?

 

I believe it's "single-app Expose," which doesn't help when there's four word processor documents and four browser documents that you're switching between, like in my example (which is a common situation for me when I'm working). In OSX Lion, there's nothing that displays all eight windows at once. They're stacked in Mission Control, and single-app Expose speaks for itself.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3201688?start=0&tstart=0

 

Here are examples of two Macbooks I am looking at - eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

 

while the current Macbook Air line is pretty good, and the last version was decent.. those two much older ones you link to there I don't think are worth a penny. I'd only look at the Core 2 Duo models that have the Geforce 320m, or the current Core i series CPU models with the Intel HD 3000.

If the graphics in the Macbook Air is a GMA X3100, or a Geforce 9400, then I wouldn't touch that thing. Its not about the graphics, just looking at that is an easy way to tell the difference in the models...

 

Why wouldn't you touch them? Is there something bad about them? Also that would mean I would be looking at at least a 2010 MacBook. That would probably mean closer to around $700-$800. And I'm not sure I wanna spend that much, after all I am just trying it out.

 

Just make sure you dont buy first generation. There was some problems with the lid if i recall correctly. Also the older it is, the higher the chance that SSD will fail (had two friends who encountered this problem after few years of maindriving SSD, not specifically with mac os x, maybe just unlucky).
Not to mention possible battery problems.
Also, air isnt the most durable notebook there is.

so..

... To sum it up: i encourage you to spend $150-200 more and get newer model with at least 320m as the poster above suggested else you are risking.

 

If they have the Geforce 9400 they might be decent, but the ones with the older Intel GMA graphics were always very problematic.

Your much better off getting an older MBP 13" over the old Air.

 

So would soething like this be better?

?APPLE?MACBOOK?13.3"?2.4GHz?INTEL?CORE 2 DUO?250GB?2GB?WIN 7 ULTIMATE?LAPTOP?MAC | eBay

 

I think Air have much stronger niche so to say and i would buy it over macbook any day. Cuz macbook is "just another notebook" nothing special except for os x obviously.

 

If you're just buying a Mac to toy around with it and experience OS X, why not buy a refurbed Mac Mini? You can get a newer model for roughly same price as this MBA, and the Mini will of course be faster and better equipped, and can usually be sold at no loss to you. You could still use your same keyboard/mouse/monitor. Given how much the brand new MBAs have come down in price over the years and how vastly better the new ones perform, I can't help but imagine that it's a buyer's market for those old ones (in the event you ever want to sell it...)

 

Well I've been trying to find a Macbook Pro 13", and I am having no luck finding a 2010 model that I can afford. So how about a 2009 model? What a 2009 Macbook Pro be better than a 2010 Macbook Air or White macbook?

 

People say the MacBook Air has made some big strides compared to previous versions...I would jump on it!!

 

as someone who has made the jump. i totally agree.

 

That's a reason NOT to move to Lion IMO.