hotwheels 22

Q: 2015 or 2014 i7 13" new air purchase (boot camp and speeds)?

i am looking to buy a i7 air to replace a mid 2009 MBP and was hoping to get a top of the line model. i have been reading up on macrumors and they seem to recommend the i7 processor with the 2015 being the 13" model being the fastest read write capability. originally i had thought to go with the 11" but i need whatever speed i can get. i plan to get the 512 GB storage with 8 GB RAM.


i can't really realistically lug around the MBP line any more and i have a Mac Pro desktop that i can use at work.


the issues i have are that this is replacing a mid 2009 MBP which despite putting in 8 GB of RAM is not a well performing machine. (1) i know in the air that i will have to load much less software but i am not sure if i need to worry about anything else. (2) i also am not totally clear about whether i can get a 2014 or 2015 and how to tell these models apart if i am buying refurbished. (3) i ALSO would very much like to leave open the option of loading WINDOWS 7 with boot camp.


can anyone help me know how to distinguish between 2014 vs. 2015 on these issues (and /how/ to best identify them) as well as whether the specs below would be a good selection?


i think in part i am trying to determine if i need to get a 2014 model which does not seem to have the speed bumps that the 2015 offer but i am under the impression that the 2015 may not be able to load boot camp(or is this just for the new macbook line?!).


also, the geekbench scores from my current laptop (http://browser.primatelabs.com/geekbench2/847027) show 2614 and am wondering how the new AIR would compare to this with the 2015 13" rating at 6251 and the 2013 rating at 5477 (couldn't find the 2014).


thanks for any help with these issues.


-


Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7

 

Originally released June 2013

13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution

8GB memory

512GB flash storage

720p FaceTime HD camera

Intel HD Graphics 5000


Originally released June 2013

13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution

8GB memory

512GB flash storage1

720p FaceTime HD camera

Intel HD Graphics 5000

MacBook Pro, OS X Yosemite (10.10.1), mid 2009 13" 2.53 core2duo 8 GB RAM

Posted on May 7, 2015 10:39 AM

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Q: 2015 or 2014 i7 13" new air purchase (boot camp and speeds)?

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Phil0124,Apple recommended

    Phil0124 Phil0124 May 7, 2015 11:47 AM in response to hotwheels 22
    Level 7 (27,441 points)
    iPhone
    May 7, 2015 11:47 AM in response to hotwheels 22

    The Refurbished section of the online store tells you exactly what model the Macbook Air is:

    Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Air 1.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i7

     

    Originally released June 2013

    13.3-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen display, 1440-by-900 resolution

    8GB memory

    512GB flash storage

    720p FaceTime HD camera

    Intel HD Graphics 5000

    That's a 2013 model. since the 2015 models have just been released, its unlikely you'll find a refurbished unit so soon.

     

    As to bootcamp, all of them support Bootcamp just fine, its just the support for the Windows versions you can run on them that has changed.

     

    The New bootcamp only supports Windows 8 and above now.

     

    You can always run Windows 7 in a virtual machine such as Parallels or Virtualbox

     

    Also unless you plan on doing serious heavy HD video editing and processing, read write Hd capability will not play much of a role in day to day tasks.

     

    As to performance, there are many factors that go into it. such as age, loaded apps, running processes etc... Simply adding RAM to a machine may not make it faster.

     

    Regular maintenance like removing unwanted processes and not installing things like MacKeeper usually make a computer run smoother.

  • by hotwheels 22,

    hotwheels 22 hotwheels 22 May 7, 2015 11:50 AM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    May 7, 2015 11:50 AM in response to Phil0124

    hi thanks.

    so if iy says a release date of 2013 it is a 2013 i guess? do they show the model # somewhere so u can verify?

    also, would a2014 run windows 8 boot?

    do u know if the 2015 is a good performance upgrade from the 2014?

    i sort of don't want to have to upgrade from win 7 if at all possible...

    THANKS

  • by Phil0124,Helpful

    Phil0124 Phil0124 May 7, 2015 12:01 PM in response to hotwheels 22
    Level 7 (27,441 points)
    iPhone
    May 7, 2015 12:01 PM in response to hotwheels 22

    hotwheels 22 wrote:

     

    hi thanks.

    so if iy says a release date of 2013 it is a 2013 i guess?

     

    Exactly

     

    hotwheels 22 wrote:

     

    hi thanks.

    do they show the model # somewhere so u can verify?

     

    Unfortunately no, but i don't see any reason to doubt it is what it says it is.

     

    hotwheels 22 wrote:

     

    hi thanks.

     

    also, would a2014 run windows 8 boot?

    Yes.

     

    hotwheels 22 wrote:

     

    do u know if the 2015 is a good performance upgrade from the 2014?

    It does have a faster processor and better hd, but whether or not it will be noticeable to you, its hard to say.  Most of the time the differences aren't that noticeable in day to day work.

  • by hotwheels 22,

    hotwheels 22 hotwheels 22 May 7, 2015 1:11 PM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    May 7, 2015 1:11 PM in response to Phil0124

    ok thanks! one more here. i meant that i need to run windows 7 not 8.

    is there a way to tell /which/ boot camp i am getting on a newer purchase of an air so i know i can run window 7! this link indicates 5.1 will run 7...

    Boot Camp 5.1: Frequently asked questions - Apple Support

  • by Phil0124,

    Phil0124 Phil0124 May 7, 2015 3:12 PM in response to hotwheels 22
    Level 7 (27,441 points)
    iPhone
    May 7, 2015 3:12 PM in response to hotwheels 22

    As long as its not a 2015 Macbook Air it will support Windows 7. Only the newest models lack the support for it.   Its not even the Bootcamp version that makes a difference, since it will be the same one. Its more to do with hardware.

     

    System requirements to install Windows on your Mac via Boot Camp - Apple Support

  • by hotwheels 22,

    hotwheels 22 hotwheels 22 May 8, 2015 5:32 AM in response to Phil0124
    Level 1 (12 points)
    Desktops
    May 8, 2015 5:32 AM in response to Phil0124

    hi phil. thanks for the link. i will have to bookmark it.

    so it's hardware specific as to which versions if windows i can load onto which computers? does anyone know what the issues are? i guess it is just something to do w the logic board?

    ALSO are there practical differences between BCA and 5.1?!