Apple this morning quietly updated its ultra-portable MacBook Air family around Intel’s latest Haswell chips, switching from the i5-4250U to the i5-4260U CPU on the base model. Apart from this minor change – the new chips are slightly faster and more power efficient versus the previous generation – the biggest new “feature”, however, is a change in Apple’s pricing scheme – the new Airs now start at just $899, a hundred bucks less than before.
But if the though of burning $900 on a notebook is still unsettling, Apple’s online refurbished store is now offering little-used 2012 Airs for as low as $599, or just a $100 more than the entry-level $499 iPad Air…
Available here, the refurbished mid-2012 MacBook Air models have lower specc’d hardware compared to the current-generation. You can get your refurbished model in 64/128/256GB storage varieties and in 11 and 13-inch flavors, all featuring standard features like Apple’s backlit keyboard, 4GB of RAM, 720p FaceTime camera and more.
The computers are good as new, have been factory refurbished, include standard 1-year warranty and are eligible for the extended AppleCare three-year coverage. Refurbished products are only available through Apple’s online store and can be purchased for home delivery or in-store pickup to your nearest Apple retail store.
These deals typically go away fast, especially with prices like this. At $599, this is your best chance to date to get the biggest bang for your buck.
[via DanDeSilva]