Is a 2014 MacBook Air still good in 2022?
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Show The 11-inch MacBook Air (Early 2014), 13-inch MacBook Air (Early 2014), and 13-inch MacBook Pro (Mid 2014) will become obsolete on April 30.
Apple is famous for the long and active support it provides for its products. When you buy one of the company's devices, you're investing in what you know will receive (software and hardware) support for years to come. And that's very reassuring for customers because people want to have this kind of peace of mind. Accidents and faults happen, so not having access to proper repair services can be problematic or even a dealbreaker for many users. However, all good things in life come to an end at some point, and so does the official support for Apple products. The 11-inch MacBook Air (Early 2014), 13-inch MacBook Air (Early 2014), and 13-inch MacBook Pro (Mid 2014) will become obsolete later this month -- on April 30. Apple already lists them as vintage products since 2020, and they're about to make the transition to the final stage in a few weeks. What's an obsolete Apple device?Apple has a long list of vintage and obsolete products. The former refers to those that the company has last sold in the past five to seven years. Obsolete products, on the other hand, refer to those that Apple hasn't sold in seven or more years. So what does this actually mean? When a device becomes obsolete, the Cupertino tech giant drops hardware support for it. Additionally, it stops shipping spare parts to authorized repair centers. So if something breaks while using one of those, you will have to look for unofficial repair stores with (potentially) second-hand or unoriginal parts. It's worth mentioning, though, that some of these MacBook models could remain eligible for battery replacements in certain regions -- for a limited time only. Do you still actively use one of these three (almost) obsolete MacBook models? If so, will you be upgrading? Let us know in the comments section below. Via: MacRumors
MacBook Air models made before 2018 might be available at extremely low costs, but they are not a good buy in 2022, and should be avoided.
MacBook Air models produced before 2018 might be available at extremely low costs — sometimes just a few hundred dollars — but these laptops don't hold up in 2022 and should be avoided by anyone in the market for a new MacBook. Prospective buyers looking to get a new MacBook might be shocked by the high sticker prices of Apple's most popular consumer laptop, and that's certainly a reasonable reaction. The latest MacBook Air, updated this year to include the company's new M2 processor, was released with a $200 price increase over the previous model. That prior generation — featuring the M1 processor — still starts at a thousand U.S. dollars. And since Apple's systems-on-a-chip (SoCs) are not upgradeable, it's best to future-proof the device to last many years down the road. The MacBook Air has been a popular thin-and-light laptop since the late Apple CEO Steve Jobs pulled the notebook out of a manila envelope in 2008. Apple had to take great lengths to produce a MacBook that compact — including using the same micro hard drive as the iPod classic in the laptop. Clearly, the MacBook Air has come a long way since the original unveiling of the product, but the upgrades were not incremental. Intel MacBooks often saw a multi-year upgrade cycle that coincided with the release of new Intel processors, unlike the annual release cycle preferred by Apple. For this reason, buying an older MacBook Air could result in using technology that is all but obsolete in 2022. Buyers looking for a new MacBook Air might be surprised at how inexpensive older models can be, especially compared to the higher price tags of the latest models. There are many listings on popular sites for refurbished MacBook Air models for under $300, including one from Walmart featuring a $158 MacBook Air. It is all but unheard of to see a MacBook for that price, which may be tempting to prospective buyers on a budget. These listings are hundreds of dollars cheaper than purchasing the latest MacBook Air, and put an older MacBook Air in the same price bracket as a Chromebook. Do not be fooled by the enticing price tag, though, MacBook Air models produced before 2018 are not likely to hold up well in 2022. Pre-2018 MacBook Air Models Are Underpowered For 2022
MacBook Air models produced before 2018 retain the same essential design as the original MacBook Air, with a silver finish and wedge shape. These models were updated periodically — in 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2017 — but were not overhauled since the original laptop was released in 2008. The first major redesign to the MacBook Air came in 2018, with an all-glass screen, smaller bezels, and new colors. Anything released before that upgrade comes with a low-quality display, underpowered processors, and limited connectivity. These older laptops include low-quality screens — the 2017 MacBook Air doesn't even have a Retina display — and users can actually see the individual pixels. That is unacceptable in 2022, and users will notice a difference coming from more recent devices, like newer smartphones. The base model starts at 128 gigabytes of storage, 8 gigabytes of RAM, 1.8 GHz Intel processor. These specifications were weak at the time, and the trade-off was the MacBook Air's portability, but they verge on unusable in 2022. Though pre-2018 MacBook Air models can be purchased for insanely low costs, they aren't a good buy in 2022, with low-end specs and waning software support. Source: Apple, Walmart Is the 2014 MacBook Air outdated?All three notebooks have already been on Apple's list of "vintage" products since 2020 and will be moved to the "obsolete" list at the end of the month. The models set to become obsolete: MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2014)
Is MacBook Air still worth buying 2022?Verdict. If you are a die-hard fan of Apple products, there is no reason not to buy the new model. However, if you are looking to make a smart purchase, the M1 MacBook Air will do a great job and will last a few more years before becoming outdated. It will also save you a couple of hundred dollars.
Is a 2015 MacBook Air still good in 2022?A 2015 MacBook Air is a relatively old computer, and it is likely that it would not be able to keep up with the demands of modern software and tasks. In 2022, a 2015 MacBook Air would likely be quite slow and may not be able to run the latest versions of operating systems or software.
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