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BestBuy is offering free shipping and $100 off all the newest MacBook Air models. This brings the base MacBook Air model down to $799 -- the lowest we've seen for the latest generation models. The discount kicks off today, but appears to extend all week.
- 11.6" MacBook Air, 4GB, 128GB SSD: $899 -> $799
- 11.6" MacBook Air, 4GB, 256GB SSD: $1099 -> $999
- 13.3" MacBook Air, 4GB, 128GB SSD: $999 -> $899
- 13.3" MacBook Air, 4GB, 256GB SSD: $1199 -> $1099
The MacBook Air was recently updated in April by Apple, so is considered safe to buy according to our Buyer's Guide. It's unusual for Apple's latest generation models to be discounted so quickly after their launch.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner of Best Buy.
Top Rated Comments
(View all)Considering the 150$ student discount promotion just ended yesterday, this is really kind of a price increase...
Matt
You sure about that? I just added it in my cart and the student promo code worked fine.
Considering the 150$ student discount promotion just ended yesterday, this is really kind of a price increase...Matt
But was that $150 off, on all models? And of course, not everybody is eligible for that student discount.I think $799 for a base 11" is still a pretty attractive price. May just get one to replace an iPad 2.
Considering the 150$ student discount promotion just ended yesterday, this is really kind of a price increase...
Matt
Latest student deal is OFFER VALID 6/8/14 - 7/12/14.
There was a student discount that expired, but the most recent is still available.
And I'm not saying every Apple Store should, but Apple knows which geographic areas order build-to-order and can simply put those upgraded RAM models in those stores and large cities. (ie NYC, LA, Chicago, Kansas City, Atlanta, Miami, etc..)
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You’re never going to get anything that you can compare Apples for Apples. Thunderbolt is great if I can afford the, (very scarce), peripherals that are available.
Define overpriced? Because compared to my Lenovo laptop with similar specs, I have spent $600 more over the course of 4 years than my 15" MBP. Both models were over 2k retail.Apple devices are overpriced, I’ll put that forward as a fact.
Look at it this way I can buy a Skoda which is a good quality car for a reasonable sum of money. I can buy an Audi which uses a lot of similar parts and probably even more identical ones for a lot more money. Why?
Similarly, the components that Apple uses in the most part aren’t special.
As for having the iSuites, is having lots of hardware/software that I’ll never use a good use of my money?
I chose that particular PC only because I went straight to where I thought the uninformed may go when buying a PC, PCWorld. So it was out of what they had on offer.
Use case is a funny one. I could say that I run a business that uses a range of industrial machines, (I don’t). Out there OSX is next to useless.
A lot of Apple stuff is proprietary and cannot be upgraded, this has the effect of increasing that worth/usability of that PC box.
I have a number of Apple devices and love them. Doesn’t mean that in absolute terms they aren’t a rip off. There is a feel good factor that can’t really be quantified with money and that’s what a lot of Apple users get. To the point where often they haven’t/won’t even try the competition before passing judgment.
We will all find a reason to buy what we want.
I mean yes even at that premium prices I still bought a Mac but I'm not sure if having them at high prices means something. If they lowered the price, I'm sure people will become more likely to buy a Mac than a Windows PC, which in turn increases the Mac install base at a good rate. More Apple customers, the better for Apple.
But we can agree that they can, they just don't want to. I'm happy with my MacBook Pro. Best computer I've ever had. The price is what bothers me lol.
I have no problem with Windows PCs since I'm a techie. I use both worlds everyday.
This has been debated for years though from the perspective of an ambidextrous user, OSx and it's accompanying 'box'; iMac, MBP or rMBP. MP or nMP, ther isn't a 'cheap' build in their deck. They don't cater to an audience that aren't willing to spend the money to purchase a reliable, bug free, bloat free and efficient system with phenomenal support. HP, Dell, even Sony got bit by this bug. And they're. Is fighting it. Go to any best buy. Sure, there are $350-$500 AMD last gen processors at Wal mart, but the bulk of the B&M retailers are. kW displaying AIOs from the different OEMs. Ultra books. Again all OEMs. Including healthy competition from the likes of Lenovo, ASUS, and boutique computing. Point. Ring, the prices are in parity when you compare apples to apples. No pun. Look at the differences in graphic performance of the iGPU in the Air, PCIe SS storage as fast as it gets. Thunderbolt and USB 3, light as a feather and durable as can be (my wife is still rocking the 2010 I believe first core2duo/320m model with the 1.6 and 4GB of RAM. Quick as hell, not as fast as the rMBP but still quick!). Their software included is second to none. iWork. iLife. Both suites are packed with powerful software that integrates beautiful with your iPod, iPad or iPhone and there is no need for spy protection, malware or security sweeps and maintenance. NONE! The prices aren't high. They were. They aren't now. It's simply untrue. It's been proven the new Mac Pro can not be built using the same items at the same or cheaper price. The MBA is inline with all other ultra books but it's got some extras as well as build quality, support and several year resale. I'm also a windows user. Have been for 25 years. I enjoy Win8.1. I'm lonely, i know but it's cool. It's slick. But their HiDPI and multi monitor support are still terrible. Essentials in my workflow. This fall is a huge paradigm shift with Apple. Swift. iOS 8. OSx 10.10. Metal. Handoff and Continuity. This is going to be massive. And a second generation 64 bit SoC in our phones and tablets to utilize those resources ...it's amazing you're missing the forest through the trees. It's not just 'money' or an Apple 'tax'. They make a profit. As does Dell. Unfortunately their goal was quantity over quality. They've now found their saturation level. HP. Same. Window's itself is entering the hardware market simply BECAUSE they're asses banded to them by Cupertino. And it's design. And it's vertical integration. And gradual increase in data storage, services and the cloud with these massive data centers. Soon, it'll be simple. MS will sell software, buy a decent design company to build their 'premium' hardware. Apple will continue. To be discovered....rather 'OSx' will continue to be discovered by the half a billion iOS users. They'll be intrigued when it's time to picks up their next laptop and pop that 13 or 15" rMBP open, surf for a few, check some pics, SOLD! iMac? Same. Incomparable completion on the market. The MBA needs HiDPI but rest assured, it's coming. So will the option on the iMac. It's becoming cheaper and cheaper to manufacturer HiDPI displays. Just look at today's 'Father's Day' ad for UHD TVs.
I'll shut up.
Tl/Dr. I disagree
I agree with the bolded sentiments from GRider. My MBA is great, but no greater than any of the other PC's or laptops I own. They all do their jobs. I can't complain about the price I paid though. I got mine from a friend who was having a few financial issues and refused to take a loan from me (stupid pride). So he sold me his 2 month old MBA for $600. Still working fine 3 years later. I've got 2 laptops even older that work just as fine. So I gotta disagree with justperry about PC's being worthless. They last just as long and can still do the job they did when I bought them.
They might not be 'worthless' physically, IOW, as you said, still capable of doing their job. That said 'worth' tends to imply money or value. Post your PC & your MBA on Craigslist for a fair price. See which one sells quicker, generated more interest, and in many cases even three years later retain 50+% of their value pending your actions with it and the condition it's in
Too bad they don't have 8GB models of the 11.6"...
They do. You can choose a core i5, i7 4/8GM RAM. 128, 256, & even 5122 GB PCIe SSDs in those little dudes. That i7 turbos to 3.3Mhz! That's pretty cool. And with the 5000 GPU, you'll get some help computationally as well. These past two years models are exceptionally fast. Even my 2012 rMBP is blazing quick and it's half what these new ones are reporting ...bot to mention the high cap TB PCIe SSDs in the nMP. I got the 768GB 2012 and the same model last year. I'm, after thirty years computing for a job, happy to open, turn em on and use them now. These are the pinnacle of today's 'power' mobile computing. There's faster. There are bigger displays, more connectivity (though with today's thunderbolt docks, I'd argue that til tomorrow....I've had nothing but kick with both rMBPs and my docks expansion with displays, NAS, Sound and 'graphic accelerators' in the daisy chain! Thunderbolt Kicks A$$! Seriously. Coupled with fast storage man, it's amazing moving stiff around, installing and updating and with the addition of gigabit ISP service in our market, we're currently at 300down, 500 July 1. 750 on Halloween and if all goes right, a Gigabit transfer option! With LTE and talk of A-LTE, I feel like I'm living in the future. I've got a ten year old son and I'm 43. The differences in frowning up in the 21st century vs the 70s and early 80s couldn't be more different.
I used to look at things like that. But, (and Ill exaggerate);
With the same display resolution and characteristics? Thunderbolt and IO? A box that makes a ton of noise, has a proprietary BIOS, and limited area left in the MoBo for expansion, forget an x16 card, right? Or is this a DIY, NewEgg pricing? Again, fusion or all SSD in the iMac. The 680, I know....it's mobile, but it flies. And if you're a GPU geek, iMac isn't for you. A PC build is essential. And expensive (to keep up with those FPS;)). The processors, 32 GB of RAM with an SSD and HDD built in, USB 3 x4 and thunderbolt x2. I'm sure when those HiDPI iMacs hit, they'll be hot as hell. Tough, IMHO to compare AIOs as there's nothing quite like the iMac and it's now mature. Others are catching up but they're amazing. Again, if you're a creative. Musician, Motion/Video, Photog, Designer or CAD op, productivity user, it's hard to beat the 27" iMac with an SSD. When they get the 'blades' the PCIe SSDs, the retina treatment, the continuity with iOS, it's going to be tough to walk away from an iMac at $1099. Everything included. No word processors to buy, no spyware, for most users the iWork and iLife suites are all they'll ever need for their documents, photos, videos...even their podcasts or bedroom 'porduction' rooms. The HP doesn't offer that 'experience' in the least. It's a headache waiting to hurt (look at HP issues or problems in .google you'll see;))iMac 27" computer £1600
HP 27 with similar specs, £1050
Mac loses, 40% of value in a couple of years, HP loses 55%.
Mac has cost you £640, PC has cost you £578?
So yes it might be worth more but its also cost you more. Youll have to play with the percentages if you disagree with them.
J