Apple says its new 13 inch MacBook Pro is designed to appeal to folks looking for a laptop that’s thinner and more compact than a MacBook Air… but which packs a whole lot more horsepower.
But Apple is continuing to sell a 13 inch MacBook Air for folks that want a 3 pound laptop with a starting price of $999 (which is $500 less than the entry-level price for a MacBook Pro and $300 less than the starting price of a MacBook).
You know what Apple isn’t doing? Updating that 13 inch model (unless you count the fact that the base model now has 8GB of RAM). It has the same screen, processor, and starting price today as it did when the last model launched a year and a half ago.
Oh, and one other thing Apple’s not doing anymore? Selling an 11 inch model.
The 2015 MacBook Air 13 features a 1440 x 900 pixel display, an Intel Core i5 Broadwell processor with Intel HD 6000 graphics, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of solid state storage.
The notebook measures 12.8″ x 9″ x 0.7″ and weighs just under 3 pounds.
It features two USB 3.0 ports, a Thunderbolt 2 port, a headphone jack, an SDXC card reader, and a MagSafe 2 connector for power.
At this point, the MacBook Air is the cheapest notebook in Apple’s lineup, but it’s also the only model that lacks a “Retina” high-resolution display.
Bummed you missed your chance to pick up an 11.6 inch model? You can still find 11.6 inch MacBook Air models from third-party retailers that still have some on stock. B&H is selling the notebooks for $849 and up and Amazon has some for $859 and up.
The Apple Store has refurbished models for as little as $759, and since you’re buying the notebooks directly from Apple, they come with a 1-year warranty.