Secret Squirrel

Q: To buy or not to buy

I'm thinking of purchasing a 13" MacBook Air.  My question is, should I wait for the refresh?  Any ideas on when the refresh may occur?  I bought my MacBook about 2 years ago, love it, but I cracked the screen.  I can wait (screen crack is in corner and not totally annoying) a bit, but am starting to jones.  Thanks in advance!

iPad 2, iOS 5.1

Posted on Apr 18, 2012 9:38 AM

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Q: To buy or not to buy

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  • Helpful answers

  • by captfred,Helpful

    captfred captfred Apr 18, 2012 9:41 AM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 7 (26,329 points)
    iTunes
    Apr 18, 2012 9:41 AM in response to Secret Squirrel

    Nobody knows when a refresh will occur or what will change.  You'll have to decide if you need it now or can wait. 

     

    Regards,

    Captfred

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Apr 18, 2012 9:42 AM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 10 (270,278 points)
    Desktops
    Apr 18, 2012 9:42 AM in response to Secret Squirrel

    There are rumors flying of new Macs this year, but no one knows if there will be new Macs, what they will be if there are, nor when they will be released. Only Apple knows, and they never tell until the day the new models are actually released.

     

    You can wait or not depending upon how desperate you are for a new computer.

  • by ace_mac,

    ace_mac ace_mac Apr 18, 2012 1:19 PM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 18, 2012 1:19 PM in response to Secret Squirrel

    Well, if you cracked the screen of a MacBook, you'll not be happy with the air. I've bought the last model and less than a week after I "touch" the screen. No way to use... 4 months, a lot of money invested, and a macbook air to put in the trash - no money to fix it.

    EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY FRAGILE.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Apr 18, 2012 1:42 PM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Apr 18, 2012 1:42 PM in response to Secret Squirrel

    Compared to calculator screens they are fairly sturdy.  But I would say this, touching an LCD is generally not advised.    An accidental touch isn't going to kill it, unless you press real hard, but some people real hard might mean to others the same thing as just swiping it with a thumb.    If you move it around, shut down the computer before moving it around.  That will give it extra protection against sudden jolts, and put it in a foam padded container on all six sides that the foam isn't falling apart, or has anything inside of it.    Anything inside can damage the ports, or worse, the screen, since there is often a little gap between the screen and keyboard.     Read my FAQ* on cables though:

     

    http://www.macmaps.com/frayguide.html

    And read my FAQ on new Macs:

    https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-2294

  • by ace_mac,

    ace_mac ace_mac Apr 19, 2012 6:04 PM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 19, 2012 6:04 PM in response to a brody

    I can understand all this. An LCD screen really need care. However, I have worked with iMac and Macbook Pro (with glass screens too), and "touched" on the screen at least 10 times stronger than I did with the air. The "touch" in the air's screen was very, very weak. Nothing happens on the screen of the macbook pro and iMac with these "touches". In the air, simply crippled forever ... So much money thrown away, very much.

  • by a brody,

    a brody a brody Apr 19, 2012 7:24 PM in response to ace_mac
    Level 9 (66,781 points)
    Classic Mac OS
    Apr 19, 2012 7:24 PM in response to ace_mac

    You may just have had bad luck.  If it has happened more than once, maybe you have a tendency to touch where the backlight is most sensitive.

  • by ace_mac,

    ace_mac ace_mac Apr 19, 2012 9:07 PM in response to a brody
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 19, 2012 9:07 PM in response to a brody

    Other people have posted on the web similar situations, including the breaking point:near the bottom on the left side of the screen. If it were true that there are points of weakness, Apple should assume that there are production failures. That did not happen, unfortunately. Apple only tells me that I am guilty.

    So I agree with you that I may have had bad luck. Just as when you are robbed you have bad luck...

    Macbook Air is not a reliable machine.

  • by carl wolf,

    carl wolf carl wolf Apr 19, 2012 11:02 PM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 6 (14,625 points)
    Apr 19, 2012 11:02 PM in response to Secret Squirrel

    The MBP screen has an extra layer of glass.  Without this additional protection, the MBA screen is more vulnerable to damage.

  • by ace_mac,

    ace_mac ace_mac Apr 21, 2012 5:39 PM in response to carl wolf
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Apr 21, 2012 5:39 PM in response to carl wolf

    Unfortunately, it was just this extra glass that was not a good idea from Apple.

    To fit the extra thin structure, the glass sheet is extremely thin and fragile.

    The small shock that I gave the screen broke the glass (this does not happen with the glass of the macbook pro,for example).

    One day later, the LCD showed the black spots.

    Maybe if it were not so thin glass, the Air would not have caused so much financial loss to me.

  • by MrDaveWiebe,

    MrDaveWiebe MrDaveWiebe Oct 29, 2012 11:49 AM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 1 (35 points)
    Oct 29, 2012 11:49 AM in response to Secret Squirrel

    I would buy the MacBook Pro with retina display 13 inch it's only a little heavier and a little bigger but it's way stronger and more powerful, plus it has more flash storage.

  • by Ben Furuta,

    Ben Furuta Ben Furuta Oct 29, 2012 12:35 PM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 4 (1,170 points)
    Oct 29, 2012 12:35 PM in response to Secret Squirrel

    The latest refresh for the MBA was in June of this year. I know this because I waited until a refresh before purchasing my MBA. Unless Apple has changed their mode for the Air, I would not expect a major refresh until the end of the year at the earliest, more likely early or mid spring of 2013. Mind you, these are just my guesses and I could be totally wrong, especially given the secrecy mode of Apple!

  • by Congo_1,

    Congo_1 Congo_1 Oct 30, 2012 7:40 AM in response to Secret Squirrel
    Level 1 (70 points)
    Oct 30, 2012 7:40 AM in response to Secret Squirrel

    I have found that waiting is always better if you can handle it...  New models/refresh = new problems!  Wait for the bugs to get worked out and/or the price to drop - then upgrade!