I know nothing about these.  I do not use them at all, but my wife wants to like them.  So, I have some questions.

Being an educator, I can get some pretty decent deals (I think) on refurbed machines, so I am seeking your advice on what is good and what isn't.  Here is a list of what I can get through school:

MacBook Air 11” MD711LL/B (1.4Ghz Core i5, 4GB, 128GB SSD) $599
MacBook Air 11” MD711LL/B (Second Stock) $549

MacBook Air 13” MD760LL/A (1.3Ghz Core i5, 8GB, 128GB SSD) $749
MacBook Air 13” MD760LL/A (8GB, Second Stock) $649

MacBook Pro 13” MD101LL/A (Second Stock) $649

MacBook 13" MC516LL/A (2.4Ghz, 2GB, 250GB) $299
MacBook 13" MC516LL/A (Second Stock) $249

Are any of these good deals?  Anything I should look/ask about?  Specifically, what about this one? MacBook 13" MC516LL/A (2.4Ghz, 2GB, 250GB) $299

Thanks!

The Airs have no removable-media drives, so if that matters to you that may affect your preferences.

What does your wife want to do with the computer?  Any of those will be fine for web surfing, writing screenplays, or watching youtube videos (you know, the usual things people do on home computers).

If she wants to run the latest first-person shooter games, none will work well.

I love both of my Airs.... have absolutely been bulletproof.

+1


My wife and I both have Airs.  Her air is 7 years old and mine is 5.  They have both been bulletproof with no issues. 

Quote from: viffergyrl on April 26, 2017, 10:47:28 AM

I love both of my Airs.... have absolutely been bulletproof.

+1


My wife and I both have Airs.  Her air is 7 years old and mine is 5.  They have both been bulletproof with no issues.

+3 My MacBook Air travels with me globally and almost always on my bike and it truly is bulletproof.

The airs are all about battery life, and as such, either have M3 or M5, or maybe a few-generation-old i3 processors, and are tuned to slow down a lot for battery preservation. If that matters most, that's what you want.

The rule in tech - especially software - is "1 = 100%", meaning, if you do it even once, you're going to want to be properly geared up for it.

If you're going to edit video - like, at all - just get the Mac Book Pro and be happy with the much better performance from the proper i5 (likely), and larger memory (capacity, if not already populated). Slap an SSD drive in there for better performance.

I get between 2-6 hours out of my 2011 2.6GHz MacBook Pro, which is my primary computer, doing all sorts of stuff. Primarily I do software development, occasional Photoshop use, beyond all the daily mundanes. I keep it plugged in and use a 24" monitor for daily desktop use, and when I go mobile, as noted, battery power is usually sufficient to hold me 'til I'm back at a desk.

The first video you want to edit on the Air is going to make you rethink your choice. The airs are great for the 90%, but that 10%, they fall pretty far short.

I looked at getting a newer MB-P, but honestly, mine still rocks it and I have no real need for the marginal power bump.

It's going to be WAY primarily for the usual stuff- NO gaming, I even doubt much video editing, but maybe some.  Mostly email, word/powerpoint processing, and web browsing.

I'll see what more info I can get on the MacBooks.

Circa 2010.  Seems old?

The Airs have no removable-media drives, so if that matters to you that may affect your preferences.

What does your wife want to do with the computer?  Any of those will be fine for web surfing, writing screenplays, or watching youtube videos (you know, the usual things people do on home computers).

If she wants to run the latest first-person shooter games, none will work well.

I recently replaced my aging 2010 MBP with a refurb 2015 precisely because of the lack of connectivity on the 2016 models. I frequently use SD cards, and the audio out jack. Don't want to hassle with a bunch of adaptors or a bulky expensive dock.

 The touch bar is also not my thing. I actually use the function keys too.