I'm considering buying a 12" MacBook...
My MacBook (13-inch, Aluminum, Late 2008) is getting, understandably, a bit long in the tooth.
My laptops have always been second computers for me--my iMac is only about a year old--and I mainly use the laptops for Internet access (browsing, email), writing, and storing trip pictures (I download pictures each day and annotate them, so I don't forget details). As a result, my laptop needs to be portable much more than it does powerful.
My Macbook's battery doesn't last at all anymore, even though it's a replacement, an Anker battery bought in February 2015 that seemed to revive battery life for a while, but nowadays it doesn't even last me close to an hour, so I don't know if the issue is with the replacement battery or with the MacBook itself.
So I've been casually in the market for a replacement.
I'd been waiting for the new MacBooks this fall but was disappointed by what was offered. With only the Pros being refreshed they're a lot of money for what I need, with the non-Strip 13" starting at $1500. If I was getting a primary computer that's not an issue, but for I described above it is.
I was considering a 13" Air, but then I wondered about the 12" Macbook.
I've read about the downsides with it--the lack of ports being the major one--but that's not so much an issue for me. The only thing I regularly plug into my MacBook is a SD card (using an adapter, since my MacBook doesn't have the SD slot). A built-in SD slot would have been nice but not crucial (and the new Pros don't have one anyway).
The MagSafe adapter with the Air is something to consider, but the Retina display with the MacBook seemed compelling enough that it was a big part of why I was considering the 12", but I don't know if it's decisive. The Air has the longer battery life, but with what I'm using now 9 vs 12 hours seems almost more an abstraction than anything real. And how much will I notice two versus three pounds?
Any factors I'm missing, considering the particular requirements I'm talking about?
My laptops have always been second computers for me--my iMac is only about a year old--and I mainly use the laptops for Internet access (browsing, email), writing, and storing trip pictures (I download pictures each day and annotate them, so I don't forget details). As a result, my laptop needs to be portable much more than it does powerful.
My Macbook's battery doesn't last at all anymore, even though it's a replacement, an Anker battery bought in February 2015 that seemed to revive battery life for a while, but nowadays it doesn't even last me close to an hour, so I don't know if the issue is with the replacement battery or with the MacBook itself.
So I've been casually in the market for a replacement.
I'd been waiting for the new MacBooks this fall but was disappointed by what was offered. With only the Pros being refreshed they're a lot of money for what I need, with the non-Strip 13" starting at $1500. If I was getting a primary computer that's not an issue, but for I described above it is.
I was considering a 13" Air, but then I wondered about the 12" Macbook.
I've read about the downsides with it--the lack of ports being the major one--but that's not so much an issue for me. The only thing I regularly plug into my MacBook is a SD card (using an adapter, since my MacBook doesn't have the SD slot). A built-in SD slot would have been nice but not crucial (and the new Pros don't have one anyway).
The MagSafe adapter with the Air is something to consider, but the Retina display with the MacBook seemed compelling enough that it was a big part of why I was considering the 12", but I don't know if it's decisive. The Air has the longer battery life, but with what I'm using now 9 vs 12 hours seems almost more an abstraction than anything real. And how much will I notice two versus three pounds?
Any factors I'm missing, considering the particular requirements I'm talking about?
Comments
The Macbook would be a suitable replacement for the old 2008 model, especially given that ports aren't an issue. The port is also the charging port so you effectively have no ports while it's plugged in and you'd have to use an adapter but the battery life should be enough that you don't need it plugged in when using USB peripherals.
You would even be able to get by with last year's model to save some money:
http://www.apple.com/shop/product/FF855LL/A/refurbished-12-inch-macbook-11ghz-dual-core-intel-core-m-silver
http://www.apple.com/us/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac
The latest one is $1299 so that saves $370. The downsides to refurbs include not being able to pick the spec and color and you don't get the original box but they are practically the same as new models and have the same warranty.