Slickdeals is community-supported.  We may get paid by brands for deals, including promoted items.
frontpage Posted by LivelyCheetah5238 • Apr 11, 2021
frontpage Posted by LivelyCheetah5238 • Apr 11, 2021

Certified Refurbished Apple MacBook Air Devices

+ Free S/H

From $760

$899

Apple Store
155 Comments 171,064 Views
Get Deal at Apple Store
Good Deal
Save
Share
Deal Details
Apple Store has select Certified Refurbished Apple MacBook Air M1 Devices on sale listed below. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member LivelyCheetah5238 for finding this deal

Note, curbside pickup is unavailable at any Apple Store locations

Example Deal(s)Warranty

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • These products are sold through the official Apple Store; see product details for complete specs/what's included w/ purchase
  • Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, every unit is evaluated to ensure it meets Apple's quality standards.
  • These products were originally released November 2020
  • Next day delivery is offered with additional cost ranging from ~$8
  • Supplies may be limited; offer valid while promotion last
Additional Note
  • Please refer to the forum thread for additional details - Discombobulated

Original Post

Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Apple Store has select Certified Refurbished Apple MacBook Air M1 Devices on sale listed below. Shipping is free.

Thanks to community member LivelyCheetah5238 for finding this deal

Note, curbside pickup is unavailable at any Apple Store locations

Example Deal(s)Warranty

Editor's Notes

Written by Discombobulated | Staff
  • These products are sold through the official Apple Store; see product details for complete specs/what's included w/ purchase
  • Apple Certified Refurbished Products are pre-owned Apple products that undergo Apple's stringent refurbishment process prior to being offered for sale. While only some units are returned due to technical issues, every unit is evaluated to ensure it meets Apple's quality standards.
  • These products were originally released November 2020
  • Next day delivery is offered with additional cost ranging from ~$8
  • Supplies may be limited; offer valid while promotion last
Additional Note
  • Please refer to the forum thread for additional details - Discombobulated

Original Post

Community Voting

Deal Score
+76
Good Deal
Get Deal at Apple Store

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Top Comments

geektech
1403 Posts
1023 Reputation
8GB M1 MacBook and Mac mini have excessive ssd read/write issues that significantly reduce ssd lifespan. 16gb is a must.

Edit: for those who still wonder, read this

M1 Mac Users Report Excessive SSD Wear
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02...-ssd-wear/

and

How worried should you be about your M1 Mac's SSD lifespan?
https://www.macworld.com/article/...espan.html

There are two major causes:

1. small ram (8GB total, including 2-4GB for VRAM, only 4-6GB left for the system and applications) and ARM chipsets' increasing demand for RAM (due to weak RAM management on the legacy Unix/Linux memory/swap system with ARM instruction sets).
Apple's solution: disproportionately increases the size and usage of the swap partition;

2. Rosetta 2 translation demands larger RAM than X86, X64 precompiled apps.
Apple's solution: disproportionately increases the size and usage of the swap partition, again.

So, you would expect a significant reduction in SSD lifespan on an M1 Mac compared to an Intel mac, not to mention a Windows pc which has a much more robust ram/pagefile management system.
teknoman
3244 Posts
507 Reputation
Just to be aware I checked on an Intel Mac mini I use at work and the SSD is also reporting high amount of writes (write amplification). So I don't think this is M1 specific. It's not macOS Big Sur either cuz I'm still using Catalina.

I posted in MacRumors but the thread is so long it's buried.

154 Comments

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Apr 11, 2021
201 Posts
Joined Dec 2010
Apr 11, 2021
kmccarthy88
Apr 11, 2021
201 Posts
Oos...
Apr 11, 2021
9,420 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
Apr 11, 2021
uthorns1976
Apr 11, 2021
9,420 Posts
That was fast.
Apr 11, 2021
1,403 Posts
Joined Feb 2017
Apr 11, 2021
geektech
Apr 11, 2021
1,403 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank geektech

8GB M1 MacBook and Mac mini have excessive ssd read/write issues that significantly reduce ssd lifespan. 16gb is a must.

Edit: for those who still wonder, read this

M1 Mac Users Report Excessive SSD Wear
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/02...-ssd-wear/

and

How worried should you be about your M1 Mac's SSD lifespan?
https://www.macworld.com/article/...espan.html

There are two major causes:

1. small ram (8GB total, including 2-4GB for VRAM, only 4-6GB left for the system and applications) and ARM chipsets' increasing demand for RAM (due to weak RAM management on the legacy Unix/Linux memory/swap system with ARM instruction sets).
Apple's solution: disproportionately increases the size and usage of the swap partition;

2. Rosetta 2 translation demands larger RAM than X86, X64 precompiled apps.
Apple's solution: disproportionately increases the size and usage of the swap partition, again.

So, you would expect a significant reduction in SSD lifespan on an M1 Mac compared to an Intel mac, not to mention a Windows pc which has a much more robust ram/pagefile management system.
Last edited by geektech April 12, 2021 at 10:52 AM.
5
37
Apr 11, 2021
9,420 Posts
Joined Jun 2008
Apr 11, 2021
uthorns1976
Apr 11, 2021
9,420 Posts
Quote from geektech :
8GB M1 MacBook and Mac mini have excessive ssd read/write issues that significantly reduces ssd lifespan. 16gb is a must.
Link, please.
14
Apr 11, 2021
8,988 Posts
Joined Jan 2010

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Apr 11, 2021
1,108 Posts
Joined Oct 2006
Apr 11, 2021
ex0dus
Apr 11, 2021
1,108 Posts
Better off waiting for one to pop up open box on Best Buy. $649 and like new despite the fair listing.
1
Apr 11, 2021
9,420 Posts
Joined Jun 2008

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Apr 11, 2021
8,988 Posts
Joined Jan 2010
Apr 11, 2021
sdtacos250
Apr 11, 2021
8,988 Posts
Quote from uthorns1976 :
Display model???
Open box please read
5
Apr 11, 2021
1,403 Posts
Joined Feb 2017

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Apr 11, 2021
3,244 Posts
Joined Feb 2005
Apr 11, 2021
teknoman
Apr 11, 2021
3,244 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank teknoman

Quote from geektech :
8GB M1 MacBook and Mac mini have excessive ssd read/write issues that significantly reduces ssd lifespan. 16gb is a must.
Just to be aware I checked on an Intel Mac mini I use at work and the SSD is also reporting high amount of writes (write amplification). So I don't think this is M1 specific. It's not macOS Big Sur either cuz I'm still using Catalina.

I posted in MacRumors but the thread is so long it's buried.
2
2
Apr 11, 2021
162 Posts
Joined Oct 2018
Apr 11, 2021
randomuser29
Apr 11, 2021
162 Posts
Normal price on Apple refurbished for both mini and air
1
Apr 11, 2021
1,509 Posts
Joined Feb 2010
Apr 11, 2021
nojmplease
Apr 11, 2021
1,509 Posts
These MBAs have been for sale open box at Best Buy for months at better discounts. I picked up two silver M1s for $629+tax each. Fantastic machines.
5
Apr 11, 2021
330 Posts
Joined Apr 2014

This comment has been rated as unhelpful by Slickdeals users.

Apr 11, 2021
173 Posts
Joined Aug 2017
Apr 11, 2021
jimmyco2008
Apr 11, 2021
173 Posts
Fellas I'm tellin ya you'll want more than 8GB. I wasn't doing anything beyond "web browser and productivity" tasks and memory pressure spent a good bit of time in yellow and red. Everyone's experience will be different but I think Apple screwed up by making 8GB the base and not having a 32GB option. 16GB is fine for this in 2021 but 8 is not.
1
17

Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.

Apr 11, 2021
205 Posts
Joined Jan 2009
Apr 11, 2021
dotBen
Apr 11, 2021
205 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank dotBen

I want to clarify the difference between Apple refurb and open box.

You can't tell an Apple refurb (from Apple directly) unit from an 'new' unit. I've bought many and the cases and exterior parts are always brand new (or so incredibly reconditioned you wouldn't know). My understanding is Apple refurbs are typically frankenstein laptops where they remove the logic board or battery from a returned laptop and reimplement it.

Open boxes can really be anything - a laptop that someone just decided to return due to choice but could also be a laptop someone used for a business trip or for a couple of weeks and chose to return during the window. It could be a laptop someone dropped or scratched and cheekily decided to return it during the window. It could be a shop floor model that's been bashed around.

To me they are entirely different products that carry very different degrees of risk, especially if you can't inspect the open box product before you purchase it.

If the small $ saving of an open box from Best Buy is worth it to you, go ahead, but saving 30% off retail directly from Apple on a laptop that looks and feels brand new, is enough of a saving to make this a smart choice.
1
1

Leave a Comment

Unregistered (You)

Popular Deals

View All

Trending Deals

View All