buying questions...MBP vs.MBA

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PC laptop finally crashed, thank God, have a iMac i5 and iPhones 4s.
Mainly use laptop for travel, emails, surfing web, etc.
which should I get?
What is the conventional wisdom regarding buying used or refurbished? Yes/no, craigslist ok?, what things to look for/test in buying used from an individual?
Thanks for all the help,
JJ
 
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Your Mac's Specs
2011 MB Air Core i7 256GB, 2011 Mini with 8GB RAM, iPad 2, iPhone 4S, 2TB Time Capsule
There is a little bit more to it than just saying "go get the Air or the Pro," but I will try to ask the write questions.

-Do you plan on carrying this anywhere, and carrying it by hand or in a briefcase/backpack?

-Do you watch a lot of physical media or listen to music on CDs?

-How big is your iTunes library?

-Do you plan on doing any creative work on this? Writing software/editing pictures/video production/etc...

-Do you have a budget that you would like to remain within?

-How long will you be without power and using the computer?
 
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Your Mac's Specs
2018 15" MBP, 2019 11" iPad Pro, iPhone 11 Pro
Only thing to add is refurbished from Apple's website is perfectly safe and really is same as new. You're taking chances with eBay and Craigslist. Shop at your own risk with those sites, no guarantees. My iPhone 4 and my wife's iPhone 4 are both refurbished from Apple and you'd never know.
 
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J
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thanks for the focus questions.

iTunes library about 15gb and growing.
Rarely watch or listen using cd's or dvd's but would like to download movies to watch.
Usually carry in briefcase or laptop bag.
Do not do heavy work on it, maybe edit photos or some minor home movie editing. Sometimes read large PDF files through emails if that is an issue.
Longest I would be with out power would be 5 to 6 hours.
Budget not fixed at this time.

Again, really appreciate your questions and answers.
JJ
 
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Your Mac's Specs
15" MB Pro, 2.66 i7 ; 11” MBA 1.8GZ i7; 13"MBA 2GZ i7 8 GB mem 512GB SSD, 2 iPad3s, 1 iPad Mini
I have both the MBA and MB Pro so, based

upon your proposed use, I would suggest an Air. My 11" Air does everything you plan on doing, is small, light, easily carried, and has a long battery life - much longer than my MBP. I use either my MB Pro or my (gasp) Windows seven machine's optical drives on the rare occasion I need to, just remote disk via wifi. My 256 gig of storage is plenty but I can also share my seagate drive wirelessly if needed (movie and photo storage).

Just my two cents worth.

BUT, if I only had one then my 15" MBP would be my choice.
 
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Your Mac's Specs
Mid-2012 15" MBP 2.6GHz i7, Late-2011 13" MBP 2.4 GHz i5, Early-2008 Mac Pro 2.8Ghz Xeon
I'd say get the air because you don't really need the computing power of the Pro. And it has enough HDD space to be practical and can do all you listed without problem. If you go refurbished you should be able to find the 13" C2D version from apple for a little more than the base i5 11" if you want the bigger display for a lower price and don't mind the C2D (C2D is still fast though).
 

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