MBA 2019 - Coming-up on 6 months

[yngwietiger]

So, Best Buy has the 2019 MBA for $850 (reg $1100), and the 2017 MBA for $700 (reg $1000).

At these prices, is the 2019 a no-brainer?

This will be for my wife, who has always used Windows machines, but they always seem to have issues after 1-2 years. I'd rather pay more and have something that lasts.

BTW, I have a 2012 MBA 13", and it's still doing okay for the most part, although it's a little sluggish sometimes due to only 4GB of RAM. Also, the trackpad is a little wonky (cursor jumps around sometimes) since replacing the battery a year ago. I'm tempted to upgrade mine as well, but I'm not sure the minor annoyances are worth the money right now, especially if I can get another 1-2 years out of mine.

 

[Mainsail]

So, Best Buy has the 2019 MBA for $850 (reg $1100), and the 2017 MBA for $700 (reg $1000).

At these prices, is the 2019 a no-brainer?

This will be for my wife, who has always used Windows machines, but they always seem to have issues after 1-2 years. I'd rather pay more and have something that lasts.

BTW, I have a 2012 MBA 13", and it's still doing okay for the most part, although it's a little sluggish sometimes due to only 4GB of RAM. Also, the trackpad is a little wonky (cursor jumps around sometimes) since replacing the battery a year ago. I'm tempted to upgrade mine as well, but I'm not sure the minor annoyances are worth the money right now, especially if I can get another 1-2 years out of mine.

I don't think you can go wrong.

Before the 2019 MBA was released, we bought my son the 2017 MBA for college. It was deeply discounted, and he has been quit happy with it. At that time, I was very concerned about the reliability of the 2018 MBA butterfly keyboard. The 2017 MBA is a time tested design, and it was familiar to my son because we were replacing his 2012 MBA, which was an amazing machine. So, it just seemed like a safe bet for a college freshman first time away from home.

A couple of months later, Apple released the 2019 MBA with the improved BF KB. I wanted to replace my 2014 MBA (4GB RAM), so I took a chance on the 2019 MBA, which was discounted to $900 at BB a month or so after release. I have owned it for about 5 months and it has been flawless. Very satisfied. The 4 year KB warranty plus improved KB reliability is enough coverage and peace of mind for me. I like the feel of the BF KB, but I also like the feel of the 2014 MBA.....so, I am not very picky in that department. The big selling features for me where the Retina display, additional RAM, and smaller footprint for portability (easier to slide into a backpack).

There is a $150 price difference, but you will make some of that up on trade-in/resale. If you keep the machine for 4-6 years, the price difference is really not a big deal. Personally, I would go with the 2019 MBA.

My 2 cents.

 

[yngwietiger]

I don't think you can go wrong.

Before the 2019 MBA was released, we bought my son the 2017 MBA for college. It was deeply discounted, and he has been quit happy with it. At that time, I was very concerned about the reliability of the 2018 MBA butterfly keyboard. The 2017 MBA is a time tested design, and it was familiar to my son because we were replacing his 2012 MBA, which was an amazing machine. So, it just seemed like a safe bet for a college freshman first time away from home.

A couple of months later, Apple released the 2019 MBA with the improved BF KB. I wanted to replace my 2014 MBA (4GB RAM), so I took a chance on the 2019 MBA, which was discounted to $900 at BB a month or so after release. I have owned it for about 5 months and it has been flawless. Very satisfied. The 4 year KB warranty plus improved KB reliability is enough coverage and peace of mind for me. I like the feel of the BF KB, but I also like the feel of the 2014 MBA.....so, I am not very picky in that department. The big selling features for me where the Retina display, additional RAM, and smaller footprint for portability (easier to slide into a backpack).

There is a $150 price difference, but you will make some of that up on trade-in/resale. If you keep the machine for 4-6 years, the price difference is really not a big deal. Personally, I would go with the 2019 MBA.

My 2 cents.

Thanks for the feedback!

I ended up ordering the 2019. Had the price not dropped, I would have gotten the 2017. But for the small difference, I figured I'd give the new one a try.

But I agree, either would be good at those prices.

 

[aajeevlin]

Thanks for the feedback!

I ended up ordering the 2019. Had the price not dropped, I would have gotten the 2017. But for the small difference, I figured I'd give the new one a try.

But I agree, either would be good at those prices.

im debating on getting this or go for the $1099 at Costco for 256GB. Costco has 2+2 years of warranty so it’s like getting 256GB plus AppleCare plus for the extra $250.