I can get a Refurbished MacBook Air 11 (from 2014) for $188. Is it too old to be useful at this point? The specs seemed great, but I only have an Iphone and don't know about other Apple products, i.e., if the MacBook Air also makes older models practically obsolete?
DHuntress wrote:
I can get a Refurbished MacBook Air 11 (from 2014) for $188. Is it too old to be useful at this point? The specs seemed great, but I only have an Iphone and don't know about other Apple products, i.e., if the MacBook Air also makes older models practically obsolete?
That MacBook Air was introduced in April 2014 and discontinued in March 2015. That's 7+ years ago. In Apple's eyes, that machine is Obsolete, meaning that they no longer stock repair parts, or offer hardware repair service – with the possible exception of battery replacement service – for it.
The highest version of macOS it can run is Big Sur, which is no longer one of the "most recent three". That means that companies like Adobe and Microsoft will soon stop offering applications for it. It also implies that Apple is no longer providing security patches.
That doesn't mean that the machine would be totally useless. If the hardware holds up, it could make a perfectly useful Web browsing and general productivity machine.
If you installed Big Sur, you could run
But you would not have the same applications support as you would with a M2 MacBook Air – or the 'base' M3 chip version of the 14" MacBook Pro.
DHuntress wrote:
I can get a Refurbished MacBook Air 11 (from 2014) for $188. Is it too old to be useful at this point? The specs seemed great, but I only have an Iphone and don't know about other Apple products, i.e., if the MacBook Air also makes older models practically obsolete?
That MacBook Air was introduced in April 2014 and discontinued in March 2015. That's 7+ years ago. In Apple's eyes, that machine is Obsolete, meaning that they no longer stock repair parts, or offer hardware repair service – with the possible exception of battery replacement service – for it.
The highest version of macOS it can run is Big Sur, which is no longer one of the "most recent three". That means that companies like Adobe and Microsoft will soon stop offering applications for it. It also implies that Apple is no longer providing security patches.
That doesn't mean that the machine would be totally useless. If the hardware holds up, it could make a perfectly useful Web browsing and general productivity machine.
If you installed Big Sur, you could run
But you would not have the same applications support as you would with a M2 MacBook Air – or the 'base' M3 chip version of the 14" MacBook Pro.
It is too old. The 2014 MacBook Air cannot update further then big sur. Big sur is not supported anymore with updates from Apple. Also, Some software cannot run on big sur.It is rather old, the hardware is almost 10 years old so Yeah, If you want the computer for everday use, I shouldn’t do it if I where you
I agree with WheelieNick on this. A ten year old MacBook Air isn't supported by Apple, and a lot of software from other sources isn't supported anymore. Additionally, there are "wear points" that are at the age for possible failure, such as the battery and disk drive.
If I were shopping for a "cheaper than brand new" MacBook Air, I'd look at refurbished models from Apple, as they will come with a complete warranty. I'd also add that I (personally) would want an Apple Silicon model (M1, M2, or M3 processor).
I'd be very wary of purchasing one from private parties, as many of those can be nothing but "bricks" if they weren't properly prepared for resale.
Just my $0.02 worth.
Agreed. Too old. Not only can it not be updated but it might run slow and have a battery that’s already failing. Start with a newer model than this. Do more research. Decide what you need it for, what Apps would you want to use and does it even work for that, etc.
DHuntress wrote:
I can get a Refurbished MacBook Air 11 (from 2014) for $188.
Only Apple sells refurbished Macs, and they do not sell any nearly that old. The seller is being disingenuous at best.
Free would be a good price for that one. Most likely, you would be buying problems.
If you need a Mac to actually be useful, and you need to save some money, buy one from Apple's Certified Refurbished page.
Considering old MacBook Air
