02-25-2014, 09:19 PM
I'm in the minority, likely, of folks considering such a purchase, in that I just bought one of the previous gen 13" MBP w/optical. I got a base model on ebay w/2 years remaining Applecare for about $850. I have seen similar or better deals, but I'm not complaining, as it represents $150 savings over a refurb w/no extended warranty from Apple, and even more than that if you consider the cost of Apple Care.
I know that optical discs will go away completely in a number of years, but I still use them a good bit, and I knew it would be more than adequate for the tasks that I plan to throw at it.
That said, the weight of the Air is hard to beat if portability is of the utmost concern. For me, that's not a big deal...I'd rather have a machine that's fixable/upgradeable and a pound heavier than one that's not upgradeable/fixable (for the most part) in order to save a bit of weight.
I know that optical discs will go away completely in a number of years, but I still use them a good bit, and I knew it would be more than adequate for the tasks that I plan to throw at it.
That said, the weight of the Air is hard to beat if portability is of the utmost concern. For me, that's not a big deal...I'd rather have a machine that's fixable/upgradeable and a pound heavier than one that's not upgradeable/fixable (for the most part) in order to save a bit of weight.