John Lewis were selling current spec MacBook Airs for £599.
I say 'were' because the link was showing 'more than 10 in stock' yesterday when I found it, but is now sold out.
Thought I'd post it anyway, because it's the first time I've seen a worthwhile discount on Apple kit from a reputable retailer:
www.johnlewis.com/231672700/Product.aspx
Might be worth keeping an eye on their clearance department to see if they get any more.
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Phew, glad they ran out, thats only a bit more than I paid for mine.
I guess they were the, was current, now old ones. Like mine now is. Such is the pace of technology.
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SO would I. If I didn't already 'ave one.
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Mrs RP's resolve broke the other day and she bought an iPad3 from Lewis' - bet she would have snapped that Air up as well.
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Go on RP, you know you want to replace your MacBook:
www.johnlewis.com/231672698/Product.aspx
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Seem very expensive compared to an equally specced PC, whats so special about them?
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>> Seem very expensive compared to an equally specced PC, whats so special about them?
>>
Ah, it's the "experience". If you don't get it, you're just not there yet.
Neither am I ;-)
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At 599 quid, its a very very nice, exquisitely made, thin, light, robust, speedy but quite expensive netbook. Just justifiable.
At its full price of 999 you are having a giraffe.
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At its full price of 999 you are having a giraffe.
Thats what I was thinking! ;-)
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>> Seem very expensive compared to an equally specced PC, whats so special about them?
>>
Its made by Apple, therefore price is unimportant.
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Just been offered a good "part ex" on my iPad2 by a relative - now do I really need one ??????
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>> Just been offered a good "part ex" on my iPad2 by a relative - now
>> do I really need one ??????
No of course you don't need one.
Do you WANT one tho?
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Yes. :-( Is it worth going for the latest version or iffy's bargain basement one ?
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Well look, all I can say is I am happy with the "bargain basement" version, but as they haven't got any its a bit of redundant question.
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The current Macbook Air will be a better machine but as Z says the old one was good too. But the offer originally mentioned is over. I'd say that offer was for the previous model anyway.
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Play.com are flogging them off for 689 - I can source the latest version from Apple for 798 with discounts from my old professional body...
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I wouldn't go for a MBA with only 2Gb RAM - I'd purchase one with 4Gb. You cannot upgrade these later - the memory is soldered onto the board. So avoid the ones on Play.com - they are the old model.
I see all the new model MBA's come with 4Gb. They also have a faster processor with a better graphic processor (HD4000). And I seem to recall they are user faster SSDs in these too. So go for the one from Apple with the discount.
You will also be entitled to a copy of Mountain Lion when it comes out if you buy from Apple. Depending on timing it might come with it installed.
EDIT: I'd actually pay £80 and get the MBA with 8Gb RAM. That is now an option I see.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sat 7 Jul 12 at 22:24
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I have the 4gb model, you really don't need 8gb, and from what I hear you really don't want Mountain Lion when it comes out.
Last edited by: Zero on Sat 7 Jul 12 at 22:25
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The current model MBA all come with 4Gb RAM. And Ivybridge processors. The ones via Play.com are the old model.
I've not bothered looking into Mountain Lion. I am guessing some of the optional UI element in Lion are going to be more prominent. I am happy with Lion. Might look up Mountain Lion and see what's changed. I will probably stick with Lion even though the upgrade will be very cheap.
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Mmmm. Decisions - The MacBookPro is a very good machine runs on OSX - I would keep that running as my workaday computer - the new one would replace the iPad as my "other" machine - the one that goes away overnight, the one I use upstairs to watch telly on and be on here....
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>> Mmmm. Decisions - The MacBookPro is a very good machine runs on OSX - I
>> would keep that running as my workaday computer - the new one would replace the
>> iPad as my "other" machine - the one that goes away overnight, the one I
>> use upstairs to watch telly on and be on here....
Well if you want my opinion (you'll get it anyway) the Air makes a better pad than the pad.Its not really that much bigger, its thin and light, but most of all it has a decent keyboard, and a screen that stands up on its own without you holding it, and therefore much better usability and ergonomics.
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they are dragging the IOS and OSX together with the same features, Thats fine for a pad or phone, but I don't want "games centres" or "notifications" splashed all over my desktop. So no thanks.
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Sounds like sense to me...
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If you've still got the MBP then I'd personally keep the iPad.
The question I'd be asking is what would I use the MBA for that cannot be done on the iPad. Or couldn't be done on the MBP instead. If you're using the iPad to consume media (watch video, read, etc.) then the iPad is the answer. If you need a workhorse that is more portable than the MBP then maybe the MBA is the answer. So will you use the MBA to create content when away from the MBP?
The MBP Retina model is very nice though... Expensive but nice.
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Thanks....I'll sleep on it...:-)
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Although I agree with Z when it comes to holding a tablet for viewing for extended periods.
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>> Although I agree with Z when it comes to holding a tablet for viewing for
>> extended periods.
That's easily solved with a suitable case that makes a stand. £12 on Amazon. Bought one for my aunt when I kitted her out with an iPad.
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It's not just the holding... a laptop has balance.
If I was Rob I'd not go for the MBA. Simply because he has the iPad and a Macbook Pro.
Now if the question was should I replace the iPad and the Macbook Pro with a 13" Macbook Air then that's different. And I assume there's a Retina model coming in the MBP line that is 13" in size.
I'd offer for the MBP 15" if it was available for a decent price.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Sat 7 Jul 12 at 23:13
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>> >> Although I agree with Z when it comes to holding a tablet for viewing
>> for
>> >> extended periods.
>>
>> That's easily solved with a suitable case that makes a stand. £12 on Amazon. Bought
>> one for my aunt when I kitted her out with an iPad.
Its not really, they are still not as flexible and adjustable as a netbook screen.
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>> Its not really, they are still not as flexible and adjustable as a netbook screen.
Of course it's not the same thing, isn't that too obvious to bother saying? Obviously it wasn't, because it earned a green thumb :-0
But there's a big difference between holding an ipad at arms length for an hour, and standing it on a coffee table in front of you - the objection was to the holding up, which is easily avoided.
I can't imagine an ipad being useful without a stand. You can't prop them up, they're designed to fall over.
What do I care, I haven't an ipad, nor likely to have. A big iPhone that doesn't make phone calls is no use to me;-)
Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 12:16
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>> What do I care, I haven't an ipad, nor likely to have. A big iPhone
>> that doesn't make phone calls is no use to me;-)
I am with you there. If you need mobility you combine it with the mobile phone. Look at jake walking around the pit lane, the only way he can hold it is with his thumb firmly planted on the screen.
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You're both right - popped along to PC World this morning to grope an Air - but they didn't have one ! Haven't been there for a while and I was shocked - it was like a Soviet era store - very little on display empty near empty shelves......what's happened ??
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What ever you do, DO NOT grope an MB Air, it does funny things to your credit card,
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>> You're both right - popped along to PC World this morning to grope an Air - but they didn't have one ! Haven't been there for a while and I was shocked - it was like a Soviet era store - very little on display empty near empty shelves......what's happened ??
>>
It has combined with Currys, and lost its way.
IF Maplins, or some other similar business play their cards right, PC World will wither and die.
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I was greeted by a veritable tsunami of mauve shirts when I walked in - not a good sign, been totally ignored there in the past - rainy Sundays used to always busy there !
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>> I was greeted by a veritable tsunami of mauve shirts when I walked in -
>> not a good sign, been totally ignored there in the past - rainy Sundays used
>> to always busy there !
Consumer spending is through the floor.
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There is no money in retail space just selling PCs and its peripherals. It made ultimate common sense to combine PCs into space selling other consumer goods, for thats what the PC is, just another consumer goods.
PCs are on a slow march to death anyway, the future is the thin terminal, just a window on the net, The TV can do that.
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Figured it out now MC is the older spec MD is the newer one.
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That's the previous model. The slowest Ivy Bridge based MBA is 1.7GHz (turbo boost goes to 2.6GHz). Minimum RAM is now 4Gb - remember you cannot later upgrade this.
And didn't the MBA go without a backlit keyboard before - it's now backlit.
Other additions are the Thunderbolt port - look out for more storage and other peripherals using Thunderbolt now PCs are coming out with this connector.
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Mine is the Model A1370, it has the lit keyboard.
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>>It [PC World]has combined with Currys, and lost its way.
>>IF Maplins, or some other similar business play their cards right, PC World will wither and die.
It depends what you mean by "lost its way".
PC World was unusual in being essentially the only PC-only retailer, along with software, peripherals and accessories of course. It's a format that is very hard to make money out of, but it was very profitable in the good times for Dixons Retail which leveraged its buying and infrastructure to support the PC World business, which couldn't have existed stand-alone.
It's no accident that there was never a head-to-head rival to PC World. The margins on computers are just too low, compounded by the issue of price deflation which in computing means that if your stock is on hand for more than 3 months then it's worth less at retail than it cost you to buy in.
Times have got even harder since then, and Dixons has responded primarily with its megastore and 2-in-1 formats, the latter carrying both the Currys and PC World brands. Dixons is already well down that path and it appears to be successful.
Meanwhile the "legacy" stores are somewhat neglected - the investment is going into the conversion to the new formats which are frankly a vast improvement. Many of those have Apple shop-in-shops with Apple employees in them, others have Dixons staff in Apple branded areas. Dixons, through Currys and PC World, is the biggest UK consumer distributor for Apple computing outside of the Apple stores.
The most interesting competitor is probably John Lewis. They leverage their space, brand and footfall to make it worth doing. I don't think you'll see a stand-alone start up, or a Maplins jumping in - they'd just crash and burn.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 8 Jul 12 at 15:23
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>> >>It [PC World]has combined with Currys, and lost its way.
>>
>> >>IF Maplins, or some other similar business play their cards right, PC World will wither and die.
>>
>> It depends what you mean by "lost its way".
>>
What I mean, is as a 'one stop shop' for the whole PC customer base.
ie, back in the day, you could walk in and buy a complete PC package, or separate components, software etc...
Whilst they were never the most keenly priced, or had the most knowledgeable staff, at least they 9 out of 10 times had what you wanted.
The last time I walked in there (as a Currys/PCW combo) they had next to no PC stuff at all (inc PC's!!!!) and the staff... well... they made car salesmen look good....
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£10.00 cheaper from Amazon today........wavering !
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Cheapest current model MBA is £787.60. I'd have thought your discount with Apple would be better than that.
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>
>> I don't think you'll see a stand-alone start up, or
>> a Maplins jumping in - they'd just crash and burn.
Like Best Buy. Crashed and Burned. Good job too, appalling outfit, and they say Yanks can do retail.
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Went to cuddle one today at another (better stocked) PC World branch...somewhat impressed still umming and ahiing.....I used to be better than this at making a decision...
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My shoes don't have strings ~ I wear slip-ons.
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Air on a shoestring - Zero
