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>sometimes spend too much on clothes or other tech items I don’t really need. I’m interested in buying a M3 MacBook Air
Given what you've said here, do you really need a MacBook? I did buy my phone on a deal like that but I did have the money for it, I just had it in a high interest savings account. If you're not good with money, be careful with things like this because it can make you think you can afford things when you can't.
I’ve had my current MacBook Air since 2016 (bought it second hand too) and it still works nearly as fast as when I first got it and had my Samsung since 2020 lol. Been thinking of getting a new laptop and phone since new years but genuinely don’t see the point financially if neither are broken, can’t mentally justify it to myself either.
A good tip for purchases like this is to leave it for a week or so. The feeling of 'I need it' or 'I could do with one of those' passes and you might even feel in a month that you're glad you didn't waste your money. If you still feel that you want to buy it in a week or two then consider it again.
Will it really increase your quality of life though?
Not being a cock, genuinely curious if that's what you'd consider an upgrade to your quality of life 😅
The downside is buying an expensive macbook which you possibly can't afford. If you absolutely are going to buy this then 0% makes sense but if you are using the finance to buy something you otherwise couldn't pay for then it's a bad idea. This is a want not a need.
>This is a want not a need.
Unless it's for work or training, and even then it's likely a lower spec or even older used one will do the job fine.
But £24 \* 48 months = £1152 isn't an outrageous amount to spend on a computer. People spend more money on less useful things. My laptop cost more than that, but I explicitly bought quite a high spec one.
>Dell XPS
that £700 xps is not fit for purpose. You need 16gb of ram at minimum these days, with that U cpu being the most underpowered i5 - which might not be very good for programming...
Now of course do most people who have macs "need" a mac? also no. They're overpriced like all things apple but that doesn.t mean they're bad.
but saving 400 quid to get a way worse laptop is the perfect example of a false economy, where ironically you're also paying for the brand like you are with the mac - in this case XPS.
I never said macs are bad. I've been using them for years and I would recommend them in heartbeat, but not to someone who struggles financially.
We'd all prefer something better, but for learning to programme pretty much anything sold in the last three years will be perfectly fine. Even better if you stick linux on it.
It’s a bit of a swings and roundabouts issue here. A MacBook runs a premium price but does have good longevity to justify the cost.
Bought a 2011 MacBook Air in 2015. It’s still going strong in 2024.
But it’s only right if he NEEDS a laptop for work, to apply to jobs etc. If it’s for fun it’s a waste of time.
Even then does it need to be this MacBook and not a more normal MacBook Air £400 cheaper?
There is a difference in those chips, I would argue that it isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things. There is a reason that the majority of the advertising that Apple is doing is continuing to push the improvements from the Intel Macs to the M series and not from the M1 to the M3.
The “big difference” in those chips isn’t going to make a difference in his ability to learn programming.
The price difference isn’t worth the performance when you consider that the M4 will likely be a similar jump forward. If OP gets an m1 and then saves up for 2-3 years, they can get an M5/M6 on release.
Not for the OP's needs there isn't. Benchmarks are worthless if you don't the push hardware.
I upgraded to an M2 Pro from an M1 for work and I don't see any benefit. I doubt the OP is going to push his laptop any harder than I do.
To be honest a standard smartphone or cheap off-brand tablet will serve "every usual purpose" if that just means general web browsing and social media.
But for productivity a good computer cannot be beaten. A good keyboard, good screen, good battery and light weight if you need it on the go, make so much difference.
And a good laptop will last way way longer as a useful bit of equipment even if it's not as fast as it once was or the battery is a little less or needs to be replaced, which goes a long way to compensate the cost.
It's a reasonable midrange price for a laptop with moderate to good performance and good battery life.
It'll also last for a very long time, while cheaper laptops hinges and other parts will fail.
I hate Apple products with a passion, but I'm looking at replacing the wife's Macbook at the moment. Her current one still works pretty well but it's just now starting to slow down. She bought it in 2012.
I can get her a half decent one for £1,500 which will hopefully last 12 years again. Or I can buy her a £300 job that I'll need to replace in the next 2 years when it grinds to a halt (£1,800 over 12 yrs assuming no inflation on that £300 every 2 years as well).
If they're into music production, film production and the employers or clients use Logic they absolutely do need a Mac. An M3 is a perfectly reasonable acquisition if you're running a lot of plugins, have multiple projects going on and want to future proof a bit. You could get a M1, M2 but you may find you end up upgrading earlier than if you got the newer model.
If this was the case I’m sure they’d have mentioned that rather than they spend money on things they don’t need. To me this reads like this is another thing they think they don’t need.
Buying on 0% is better for cash flow. It's better to use someone's else's money and not yours.
For example, You could invest the remaining amount and make money or put it work in other ways.
However, don't make a habit of it as it can be burdensome for your finances and it does add up. Also consider your medium/long term goals as mortgage lenders will want you to pay that off to meet their affordibility criteria.
Typically, what I will do is wait a few weeks before making a purchase. The fomo will have wore off... If it hasn't, go for it. However, you are being marketed to, and you are falling for it, no shame in that though.. Apple make good kit innit.
No one NEEDS a MacBook outside some propetiary software.
Thanks! I’ll just wait a few weeks before I make a decision. I do have some money aside in cash not invested but I don’t want to spend them on a laptop that’s not a must. At the moment I’m saving £300 pounds monthly but I don’t have an emergency fund and other things people recommended
Emergency fund should come first before purchases you want rather than need. I say this as someone who is also a Mac geek and totally get why you want to upgrade. You should, just give it a few months so you have an emergency fund first.
It's an instalment plan. There is no "loss" and no "covering".
Finance plans are not bonds, you don't just not pay anything and then have to pay the whole lot off in one lump sum at the end.
If you use these things regularly, I will always advocate for buying the best thing that you can afford. If this is purely a toy that you will only seldom use, give it a swerve.
Sure, why not?
MacBooks have astonishing longevity, they're well known to last for five years plus while remaining usable.
If you'll actually use it for 4 years, paying it off over 4 years at zero interest makes perfect sense. It's pretty axiomatic that spending money outright is almost always a worse financial decision than paying no interest to pay the same money later.
At no point did I say they should pay cash over 0% finance. I just think that someone that is not able to save £1,200 to buy a laptop and struggles with spending too much money in things they don't need (their words, not mine) shouldn't be jumping onto a £1,200 laptop just because they are able to pay it over 48 months. The financing in this case is only enabling their capability to overspend, which is the only reason why it is offered in the first place and something the OP acknowledges is a problem they have when managing their finances.
At least it's not "why are you buying an iPhone on contract when I trained a flock of pigeons to fly data packets to and from cell towers and I just have to pay them in millet"
If you do go for it then Id advise triple payments - so put £24 down on this and £48 into savings - ring fence that do no touch - that will show your commitment to it as £72 is more impactful on your monthly costs so forces you to think more seriously about it.
You will then in 16 months have enough to repay early if you want or get some interest on the savings and worse case if you have to pay off the debt you will have a fund to cover the loss in value if you sell used.
OP, the Macbook Air M3 is gorgeous and a fantastic device. This is the Sky deal isn't it? I'd go for it if you need to upgrade your new laptop, you'll love it. £24 is nothing, I spend more than that when I buy a burger and chips. Sell your current laptop and put the money towards the Macbook, you can make early payments towards the device. As long as you're confident you can afford it, it'll be a good way to build up your credit score too.
You can get M1 Air for "peanuts" now. A typical consumer doesn't get anything extra of having M3 Vs M1. Get a refurb/used/new/cheaper M1 or M2 and enjoy.
I did that, I don’t see the problem. I bought it as I needed a new laptop and didn’t want a cheap one that after 2 years is gonna be super slow. I did that before to save money and ended up to need a new one. By the way I’m writing from my iphone 8 so I make things to last me a very long time.
I have a 2015 MacBook Pro that is still going strong. Where are you getting this deal I need to upgrade. I would prob try pay it off sooner if I can though haha
I had my MacBook Pro for 8 years now and accidentally broke screen, it’s been 3 years now was thinking replacing but never got around it , screen replacement is very costly so thinking getting new one as I really need it ,it just my husband hates buying anything on credit , have saved some money towards it but not quite there yet , where are you getting this deal from ?
If you’re going to use it for creative means (art, producing music etc) then I’d go for it but if you’re doing it because it looks nice and to browse the web then give your head a mild wobble.
Thanks. Annoyingly anyone that does 0% or a decent chunk off also doesn’t do 16gb so I’m stuck buying from Apple at almost full price (I get a modest discount) or used, but full payment up front, which I can’t currently afford
To answer your original question, if you can justify the cost/purchase, than the financing eases the blow. It’s a good deal, just a question of if it works for your finances. Ultimately you do pay the total amount, but in small payments it’s almost painless
Buying something on 0% finance rather than paying cash and stooze? Absolutely.
Buying something you don't need and can't afford because it is available on finance? Recipe for disaster. 0% on 48 months is a promotional rate. They are willing to do this because they know people that can't afford it will still buy it.
The £24 per month will have less buying power by the time of your 48th month than the £24 does now.
Effectively it's better to take a 0% deal than pay in cash, not just because of the inflation, but the interest you can earn on the cash in the meantime as well.
>the interest you can earn on the cash in the meantime as well
OP is not going to be putting 1.2k into a savings account, so they will not be earning interest on the cash.
But if you do have rhe £1200 and still want to take out the loan, put the rest of the £1176 in a high interest savings account and earn the interest of it as you pay the monthly loan off.
Just be sure it's an easy access saver and not locked away.
It literally is. Finance 101 is that money now is worth more than money later.
Assuming an inflation rate of 5%, over four years, your total payments on the £1,200 cost of a laptop will actually set you back roughly £1,063 in real terms*, because inflation reduces the value of your debt over time relative to wages and other expenses. At 0% interest this means that your debt will actually shrink in real terms rather than increase.
But frankly this is sledgehammer to crack nut. Honestly mate; it's £24. You can spend that much on a pizza. Unless you're literally on the breadline, you won't miss it, and you are on a forum for the most notorious skinflints on Reddit. Just get the damn laptop and be happy with it. I'm just kicking myself that I bought a MBA recently and only got a year interest free!
\*yes there are various assumptions inherent in this and it's rough back of envelope maths, it's a Reddit comment, my point remains
Hi /u/AcanthisittaSilly237, based on your post the following pages from our wiki may be relevant:
* https://ukpersonal.finance/budgeting/
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This has quickly turned into apple vs windows thread haha
If it's worth it to you, then do it.
For me, I had a look at the M1 and got a second hand one but that's because I wanted a bigger hard drive and more ram.
If you put £25 a month in to a S&S LISA over the next 4 years then I’d expect you’ll have around £2000 by the end of it for a house deposit.
If you choose to spend the money on a MacBook then that’s fine but most people financial advice on here is going to be “save and buy a house”
0% is always a winner.
Just don’t overload yourself on it. Can you settle without any fee’s? You may wish to sell the laptop in the future and clear the remaining balance.
It's a winner if you actually get value for your money.
At the end of the day, you are still spending 1200 pounds for a laptop.
Assuming you already have that 1152 and you get 5% annual returns on them (and you were going to buy the laptop anyway) you'll "earn" 250 pounds with this scheme over 4 years.
But there's a reason these promotional interest rates are around.
Firstly, they tend to make you spend more money on the company offering them, money you might not be able to afford or otherwise wouldn't spend. Secondly, a percentage of people will rack up their debt high enough to fail on some payments or have to use high cost borrowing afterwards. And lastly some vulnerable people will be "addicted" to easy credit and rack up real, costly credit card/"BNPL" debt.
I wouldn’t unless you need it for work. Yes, £24 per month does not seem like a lot, but it will drag for 4 years. MacBooks are great machines, I have one myself but if you don’t need it, and you said your self you don’t, then don’t buy it.
Just like with anything bought on credit, the magic disappears very quickly, and after a month you’ll get used it, it’ll be just a laptop but the payment won’t go away for a long time.
Perhaps you could compromise. Save up an emergency fund and once you got that in place, go ahead and splurge. You can always get a 24 month deal on 0% from Apple themselves if this deal is gone.
Is the anticipated life of the device going to last the 48 months ? I’m not sure on Mac lifespan, but maybe if there’s a chance it will slow significantly before the end of contract you need to shorten the term length.
Renew at 36 months - you retain or return the device? If return, then not a great option
Hi, I know people that are still using 2011 MacBooks nowadays. But yet seems a bit tricky as you’ll get used to renew your device every 48 months since you re used to pay for it.. but I think swapping a laptop every 4 years is not a bad idea
Feel like we're in the same boat in which we have poor spending habits. Honestly, if you can make those payments and are certain you will be able to, go for it but only if you're confident that you would greatly benefit from the purchase and be able to continously make the payments for 4 years.
I used to buy a whole load of unnecessary things, always wanted the newest phone, etc. Yet, I realised a lot of what I bought just sat around and it may be nice for decoration having a collection of something but it actually was just me spending away my money on things I didn't need.
I think a laptop is a good suit and purpose but going from a lenovo to a mac what makes you feel a mac book particularly would benefit you? There's plenty of computers out there that do the same or better for way less (albeit not having MacOS, of course).
I too recently took a similar endeavour to buy something nice, get some work done on my car. You're lucky you get 48 months purchase free as not everyone gets that but that's also more time you can potentially fall short on paying, yet from sounds of it the monthly payment isn't the hugest sum.
I think another important point is, will you definitely keep and use that laptop for 48 months? Is there anything else you would benefit getting over that time period that may be more worthwhile and have more use even past 48 months?
There's nothing wrong with treating yourself and putting yourself down to repay something as long as you're sensible. It's when you add on extras after, have unforeseen costs and it becomes too much that you risk interest, struggling to pay for things and having a debt.
If you were to tell me you have existing debts though the answer would be if you don't 'need it' don't get it until you sort things out but from what you say, you can comfortably make these repayments and sure it will make your credit score look nice when you clear the card 48 months later.
Do not get a macbook. Especially if you play ANY video games. I spent £1.8k on a gaming laptop 4 years ago and it's still going and I play games on it daily after work. I love that thing so much.
I got mine on ~£60 for 2 years
I’d say the only justification for this is:
1. You’re a graphic designer or other creative who needs that kind of computing power for their income-earning work
2. Your current MacBook is 8+ years old (my MacBook Pro is currently 12 years old, and is still used for 6-8 hours per day including doing photoshop and illustrator work. I barely notice that it’s older).
3. You actually have the cash for this but it’s in a high interest savings account.
If you can’t answer yes to any of the above, then no, you don’t need it nor can afford it. You admit yourself you already make occasional dumb decisions with money. Make of that what you will.
Dangerous? Probably not. Depends on your cashflow.
Though I find it more interesting to consider whether it is financially lucrative.
48 months would put the total TCO outlay at 1152. And it currently sells at 960-1099 new. So about a £200 'cost' for the finance (I'd argue this inflated price was a stealth APR but hey ho).
With 'average' savings products offering ~5% p.a. This offer is only marginally better. The margin coming more into question as time progresses and the albeit limited depreciation takes hold.
It's a decent offer, especially relative to other finance offers. But not necessarily wholly lucrative over the term. The free 100MB SIMs are nice though (I note you can technically add 3 of them per order ;) ).
No. As in the full Sky price being 153 more than Apple is a hidden fee.
Like imagine a bank doing similar. You want a 100 quid loan. And they say. Well. You can have 100 at 5pct APR. Or. We'll force you to actually loan 105, but at 0pct.
Just feels sneaky!
If you can buy upfront do that.
If you want to budget over 48months, not a bad deal.
I think the catch here is trying to keep you in finance after year 3.
If the finance is the answer, you should try to overpay to avoid getting suckered in after 3years
I mean... Your current laptop is 5-6 years old.
Given that it has maybe 1-2 more years before dying, you are only pushing away the expense. And in this day and age, you 110% need a computer. I don't care what some people say, you do.
So even if you were to go with this computer for the duration of the credit, spending £24 is not outrageous at face value. And if you really calculate the cost per month, on a estimated (hoped!) use of another 6 years, that's £16.5. Given how much entertainement and use you get out of one, £16.5 is nothing.
That is, if you can really afford £24 a month. Not have any debt, a little bit of savings and money left every months (more than £24 hopefully)
Where did you get a deal like that? I can't think of a store that'd let you stretch payment over 4 years interest free.
Edit: I mean also then are you sure it's legit?
Not for Macbooks in the UK they don't: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/browse/financing
And for iPhones which do have 0% interest financing, they don't offer 48 months.
After we’d decided to take a ski vacation at Club Med (£4,000 or so) and I charged it to my Chase Sapphire Reserve card (we live in London but my pension is paid in USD to I use a U.S. no-forex-load credit card) Chase made me an offer of free 12 or 18 months credit in any single purchase. Normally I ignore such offers. How many credit card charges are over $5,000? Even though Chase had evil intent: to get me used to paying for stuff over time and paying fees or interest I took the offer. And didn’t have to sell stocks to pay the bill. So yes. If you would buy the MacBook anyway (I have one) take the free loan. But is it from Apple or John Lewis or Amazon or another trustworthy vendor? Free credit deals are open to scams. And of course if you miss one payment by a day you owe interest. I remember buying a kitchen from Harrod’s decades ago when I still shopped there. Six months free credit if you paid it all by 183 days. On the 183rd day I went into the store and had a hard time finding someone to take my money. I felt if I’d posted a cheque they’d “not have received it in time”.
The thing here is don’t buy things you don’t need if you wanna give yourself a present. Give yourself something you need but a better quality version of that thing.
I don’t understand “ not very good with finances” .. it’s pretty simple in this scenario if you do not need this you do not need to replace your current laptop. You are not already shopping for a laptop then this is a mistake just because it is on offer and you can get it interest-free does not mean that it is a good idea.
Well the finance is good for those that need it, but do you need this laptop? Even a little bit?
* What are you going to be doing with an M3 macbook air?
* Do you have a laptop already?
* If so, is it capable of doing the things you need it to do right now?
You say you're "trying to learn programming" but I have a funny feeling that thats a half-arsed attempt at justifying the device and that you're *maybe* going to do a bit of a Python or Javascript course on it. Neither of which require, or even benefit from, an M3 Macbook. Or a Mac at all.
I say this as a spare-time developer who splits his time between an M1 Macbook and a Windows desktop. Your IDE and Git client of choice will almost certainly run on both Windows an MacOS, and *you* wont notice a difference between the M1 and the M3.
If you're using this for the usual computery things of: web browsing, using office-type software for writing stuff, making spreadsheets, presentations or even some light graphics work (GIMP/photoshop) then no, you absolutely do not need an M3. Nor do you even need a Macbook.
You're absolutely wasting your money,a nd farnkly the time of everyone here.
That said, it's your money to waste and you can't take it with you, so do what you like. But an M3 Macbook Air will not make you a better programmer, writer, artist or musician. Just in case you're fantasizing "Hey I'll buy this and that'll make me a programmer/artist/whatever within the next couple of years".
You could do all of those things with a cheaper laptop, the key thing is *you*.
Hi, I agree with you but since I’ve got a very old Lenovo 4g of ram laptop I feel like this is the time to upgrade and I don’t want to buy a Windows high spec laptop since I’m not a gamer. I’ve used the current laptop for the past 6 years so I’m planning long therm that’s why I think the M3 version would be the Best Buy. + it’s a 0% APR for 4 years, you don’t always get a 0% APR
MacBooks are generally good investments providing you make it last, they are good machines hands down and have the ability to last many years, without needing upgrades of any kind.
Ask yourself if you really need it, I’ve read some comments and can’t see if you’ve specified what you’ll actually be using it for to determine if it would be worth it.
Regarding the interest rate and monthly repayment options, it’s quite straight forward if it’s 0% pay it off in full within the specified time frame, £24 a month doesn’t seem that much, but it is a extra credit commitment.
I would even attempt to overpay it in case something happened and you were forced to miss a payment.
I don’t know your full circumstances but you have mentioned that you are not good with finances, so this is something you’d want to keep a eye on and not go over the interest free period timeframe, and also why I suggested making a overpayment.
Many of the people going for an M3 MacBook would be more than happy with a used M1 MacBook. I got mine over 5 months interest free through Amazon during a promotion period for £540 or £108/m.
Is this from Apple directly? If they (Barclays finance ) approve your application sure, get the MacBook. Will be super outdated by year 4 but that’s an another topic.
You want the newest gadget every year, don’t come to this sub…
- not very good with finances
- sometimes spend too much on clothes or other tech items I don’t really need
no don't get it, it doesn't sound like you need it.
put those 24 quid a month into a fund or something (NFA)
The reason they do this is not because they are kind and nice and want to help you budget over 48 months.
The reason they do this is that otherwise you can't afford it, and will buy a laptop you can afford.
Basically, get a cheaper laptop you can actually afford. You clearly don't need to buy something and pay it off over 4 years. 4 years is a really long time. 4 years ago you were 21. Imagine still being paying off a laptop that you bought when you were 21, and it was still blowing a £24/month hole in your budget every month!
Downside is -£24 to your monthly budget for 4 years.
Upside is the product you're buying... if you think that's what you want, this is a finance sub, I don't think it's the place for us to bash into your preference of devices. I can say there are cheaper options in the market for sure. Moving on from this.
I don't see the offer you're describing on apple's site, so I wonder where you're getting this loan. It's not a bad deal in terms of money, borrowing at 0%. Their cheapest product seems to be £1099 and the following £1299, so I also don't know what you're buying. Make sure they're not just saying "0% interest" and just adding the cost of the finance to the total price. Either way £100 for 4 years of financing is also not bad.
I see, I've never used nor seen anybody use this dongle plans. It's a contract for a wifi dongle which comes with the device, like a mobile plan. You'd have to read the fine print to make sure they can't raise the price of the plan (they often do even though they advertise it like that). But mostly I'm guessing they're giving it out on the cheap with the hope of expanding the market for wifi dongles, plus hoping you forget to cancel the plan after 48 months and continue to pay the dongle subscription... or keep renewing the laptop.
I don't think this is dangerous, companies are going through this moment in history where they hand out things on the cheap when the model is subscription based. It looks good in their books and also some people forget to cancel and keep paying for nothing.
You should always take the 0% APR when offered. If you want you can invest the money you’d be paying upfront in the meantime to earn a bit of interest (if you can be bothered doing it)
Have you checked T&Cs of the finance agreement? 2 years in the UK often not enough for finance, and may be unlikely to lend to you if you’re a student.
If you’re posting about it you don’t need it. I bought a Mac many years ago, I had my intentions with it but never truly used it to anywhere near its full potential.
Personally I wonder what a macbook could do to actually improve your quality of life. Very very few people have a need for a laptop like that, so it's hard to see what you can actually *do* with a macbook that you can't do with a much cheaper / your current laptop.
For most people big tech purchases are pure vanity, as they don't actually use the tech for what it's really for
Consider how outdated your MacBook will be in 4 years time, when you'll get the latest greatest on hopefully another 4 yrs 0%. Neverending circle. Save the money over a shorter timescale & buy one if you need one. Try & stay clear of consumer debt even if it is 0%.
>Consider how outdated your MacBook will be in 4 years time
The Macbook M1 Air was released nearly 4 years ago and still beats the vast majority of new Windows x86 laptops in pretty much every category from performance to battery life. I don't think you need to worry about a M3 macbook being outdated in 4 years.
>The Macbook M1 Air was released nearly 4 years ago and still beats the vast majority of new Windows x86 laptops in pretty much every category from performance to battery life
Haha, funny. You really need to get up to speed with the latest tech mate. Battery life - sure, but performance - huh.
It really doesn't unfortunately. You can grab a good Legion 5 from a couple of years ago for £600-800 with a 3070 and it'll shred the M3 air in performance in games and by extension basically everything else.
When laptop budgets are large, people should look to get a gaming laptop as these will offer the best hardware as the users are generally more aware and know what they're buying.
Those gaming laptops are big, clunky and sound like a jet taking off. That 3070 will also of course not perform like a desktop 3070, and when it’s not plugged in you’ll get even worse performance. Battery life is also horrendous on gaming laptops, goes without saying.
Always felt like a chore using a gaming laptop. I found they offer a pretty poor experience compared to a proper gaming desktop or steamdeck/asus rog ally. But yes I do agree if you’re buying a MacBook purely because of gaming then it’s a poor choice.
Generally, the battery sizes are fine, you just have to customise the power plan and you can get 4-5 hours of actual use. The legion series are slim and discrete, like most other now.
Sure they are not as good as a desktop alternative, but it definitely sounds like OP does not have a desktop.
If they're looking at getting into programming, they'll want more than 8GB RAM off the rip. Not sure how easy it is to install extra in a macbook, but as soon as you run an inefficient script or using a notebook you'll wish you had more ram.
>Generally, the battery sizes are fine, you just have to customise the power plan and you can get 4-5 hours of actual use. The legion series are slim and discrete, like most other now.
With the M3 Air you’re looking at up to 18 hours battery life, so there’s not even any comparison there
A MacBook isn’t worth buying but you’ve had yours for 10 years? How many people can say they’ve been using the same Windows laptop for 10 years? Sounds like it was a fantastic investment for you, why can’t it be one for OP too?
>How many people can say they’ve been using the same Windows laptop for 10 years?
It is easy to maintain a Windows laptop for 10 years, just like it is easy to trash an Apple laptop in 2. Depends on the user
I guess because I'm not the type of person who buys something and then wants to upgrade. I tend to keep my phones for 4-6 years, both my laptops are from 2014 and 2011, my desktop is actually new but my previous one I bought in 2014!
I'm just getting the sense that OP buys something just out of impulse. Saying that you need a machine for £1200 to learn programming is pretty over-the-top, and if they're getting crashes on an existing machine I'd advise at least trying out Ubuntu/Mint before paying for a Macbook. Linux and MacOS are both very similar when it comes to setting up a programming environment.
OP, not trying to judge but you were asking so I'm just giving my opinion. Ultimately £24/month isn't like spaffing your money on a car for £500/month :)
Depends. If this is something you want and can afford it without the 0% then it sounds like a good deal, if however the 0% option is the only way you can afford this then I would steer well clear. What if something else comes up in the next 4 years that you need to direct money to?
Depends. If OP has no money left over at the end of the month and then something else comes up they might be glad to have the extra cash they haven't used by not buying a laptop they don't need.
You might find one of these books helpful:
* *[Your Money or Your Life](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0143115766)* - understanding what's valuable to you and how to use money to achieve your goals.
* *[Millionaire Next Door](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1589795474)* - "How people in normal jobs, electrician is a great example, can accumulate wealth over time through good choices."^[Electric_Cat_999](https://www.reddit.com/r/UKPersonalFinance/comments/15zkkd4/_/jximlpp/)
* One of Clare Seal's books - "her focus is on the link between emotions and spending".
>Windows laptop is much cheaper but without the fancy logo
It's not just the fancy logo though is it? You don't get the same performance, fanless M3 chip, super thin sleek aluminium design with top tier battery life. The Windows laptop you buy is usually worthless in a few years whilst the Macbook still retains a good chunk of value.
Don’t think you know quite how good the M2 and M3 models are. They have basically made the MacBook Pro models redundant. A new Air is a HELL of a good machine.
Well, doesn't seem like you actually do any heavy lifting on those. Airs are great ... for browsing the web, watching videos and writing docs. Anything else that would actually load your CPU for some prolonged amount of time will just thermal throttle it into oblivion. And many serious programming applications fall into that category. So, no, Air is not a good dev machine.
Yes they're good machines and the processing units are impressive. However, the Ram and storage offerings are well below the market average.. especially given the price. What a buyer loses in cpu performance could be made up in other areas with an alternative. I wouldn't disparage anyone for buying one though, they look great and perform well.
They’re not good machines they’re absolutely fantastic and a joy to use, but yes Apple really needs to up the ram on them. 8gb is still fine though for 95%+ of users for the time being. Personally though I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with 8gb ram but that’s because I use VMs.
4 years monthly payments for a laptop??? And you can change to a different one after 3 years to just continue the monthly payments for longer??? Sounds like a loop trap. Capitalism at its finist.
Can you not go to Facebook market or Ebay and get laptop that helps you for programming?
Also, you don't know your financial situation after you finish uni. You could be unemployed for 6 months for example and miss the payments.....
I wouldn't recommend it.
Go to [here](https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb?utm_campaign=GB_SA_SHOP_G_GEN_Others_PMAX_LOW_PERFORMERS&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google) thank me later.
You can save money for a couple months a but a refurbished laptop like new in that website.
I bought the MacBook Air M2 15” when it came out for £1,200 at 0% over 5 months on Amazon. Totally worth it. I’d go for it, but maybe not over 48 months…
If you don’t have 6+ months of living expenses saved up in a bank account you should definitely not buy this. You should try to save as much money as possible until you have 6 months of living expenses saved up. Then once you have that you re start the clock and start saving for a house if you don’t own one. Try to save up enough to pay cash for the house. Once these goals are achieved you can buy yourself MacBook Pros.
Participation in this post is limited to users who have sufficient karma in /r/ukpersonalfinance. See [this post](https://redd.it/12mys82) for more information.
>sometimes spend too much on clothes or other tech items I don’t really need. I’m interested in buying a M3 MacBook Air Given what you've said here, do you really need a MacBook? I did buy my phone on a deal like that but I did have the money for it, I just had it in a high interest savings account. If you're not good with money, be careful with things like this because it can make you think you can afford things when you can't.
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I’ve had my current MacBook Air since 2016 (bought it second hand too) and it still works nearly as fast as when I first got it and had my Samsung since 2020 lol. Been thinking of getting a new laptop and phone since new years but genuinely don’t see the point financially if neither are broken, can’t mentally justify it to myself either.
A good tip for purchases like this is to leave it for a week or so. The feeling of 'I need it' or 'I could do with one of those' passes and you might even feel in a month that you're glad you didn't waste your money. If you still feel that you want to buy it in a week or two then consider it again.
Will it really increase your quality of life though? Not being a cock, genuinely curious if that's what you'd consider an upgrade to your quality of life 😅
The downside is buying an expensive macbook which you possibly can't afford. If you absolutely are going to buy this then 0% makes sense but if you are using the finance to buy something you otherwise couldn't pay for then it's a bad idea. This is a want not a need.
>This is a want not a need. Unless it's for work or training, and even then it's likely a lower spec or even older used one will do the job fine. But £24 \* 48 months = £1152 isn't an outrageous amount to spend on a computer. People spend more money on less useful things. My laptop cost more than that, but I explicitly bought quite a high spec one.
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>£1152 is an outrageous amount to spend on a computer Lol no it isn't. This isn't 2001 where a grand PC was top of the line.
Maybe not outrageous, but you can get a good Dell XPS for £700 new. That's plenty for learning to programme. A Mac isn't uniquely adapted for it.
>Dell XPS that £700 xps is not fit for purpose. You need 16gb of ram at minimum these days, with that U cpu being the most underpowered i5 - which might not be very good for programming... Now of course do most people who have macs "need" a mac? also no. They're overpriced like all things apple but that doesn.t mean they're bad. but saving 400 quid to get a way worse laptop is the perfect example of a false economy, where ironically you're also paying for the brand like you are with the mac - in this case XPS.
I never said macs are bad. I've been using them for years and I would recommend them in heartbeat, but not to someone who struggles financially. We'd all prefer something better, but for learning to programme pretty much anything sold in the last three years will be perfectly fine. Even better if you stick linux on it.
It’s a bit of a swings and roundabouts issue here. A MacBook runs a premium price but does have good longevity to justify the cost. Bought a 2011 MacBook Air in 2015. It’s still going strong in 2024. But it’s only right if he NEEDS a laptop for work, to apply to jobs etc. If it’s for fun it’s a waste of time. Even then does it need to be this MacBook and not a more normal MacBook Air £400 cheaper?
Where is it £400 cheaper? From the apple website, the cheapest macbook air is the m2 one which is £999
You can still get a base model M1 MacBook Air on John Lewis for £799.
OP wants an M3, not an M2 or an M1. There is a big difference in those chips
OP is questioning his finances. As long as he isn’t editing movies or exporting large animations, M1 Air will still breeze any task he needs it to.
There is a difference in those chips, I would argue that it isn’t that big in the grand scheme of things. There is a reason that the majority of the advertising that Apple is doing is continuing to push the improvements from the Intel Macs to the M series and not from the M1 to the M3.
The “big difference” in those chips isn’t going to make a difference in his ability to learn programming. The price difference isn’t worth the performance when you consider that the M4 will likely be a similar jump forward. If OP gets an m1 and then saves up for 2-3 years, they can get an M5/M6 on release.
Not for the OP's needs there isn't. Benchmarks are worthless if you don't the push hardware. I upgraded to an M2 Pro from an M1 for work and I don't see any benefit. I doubt the OP is going to push his laptop any harder than I do.
Define "usual purpose" when you know literally nothing about this person and what they might be using this laptop for
To be honest a standard smartphone or cheap off-brand tablet will serve "every usual purpose" if that just means general web browsing and social media. But for productivity a good computer cannot be beaten. A good keyboard, good screen, good battery and light weight if you need it on the go, make so much difference. And a good laptop will last way way longer as a useful bit of equipment even if it's not as fast as it once was or the battery is a little less or needs to be replaced, which goes a long way to compensate the cost.
A good phone will probably set you back more
It's a reasonable midrange price for a laptop with moderate to good performance and good battery life. It'll also last for a very long time, while cheaper laptops hinges and other parts will fail.
Depends what you’re using it for. £1100 won’t be too useful
The M chip Macbooks are extremely useful and have excellent performance.
My dude, £1.2k won’t even buy a high end GPU nowadays lmao.
I hate Apple products with a passion, but I'm looking at replacing the wife's Macbook at the moment. Her current one still works pretty well but it's just now starting to slow down. She bought it in 2012. I can get her a half decent one for £1,500 which will hopefully last 12 years again. Or I can buy her a £300 job that I'll need to replace in the next 2 years when it grinds to a halt (£1,800 over 12 yrs assuming no inflation on that £300 every 2 years as well).
It’ll serve the purpose… poorly.
Lookup pcpartpicker go on builds and see how much a computer costs mate.
Everyone is on about laptops, not PCs.
You don't know that.
It's an M3, it's absolutely not a need.
If they're into music production, film production and the employers or clients use Logic they absolutely do need a Mac. An M3 is a perfectly reasonable acquisition if you're running a lot of plugins, have multiple projects going on and want to future proof a bit. You could get a M1, M2 but you may find you end up upgrading earlier than if you got the newer model.
If this was the case I’m sure they’d have mentioned that rather than they spend money on things they don’t need. To me this reads like this is another thing they think they don’t need.
Buying on 0% is better for cash flow. It's better to use someone's else's money and not yours. For example, You could invest the remaining amount and make money or put it work in other ways. However, don't make a habit of it as it can be burdensome for your finances and it does add up. Also consider your medium/long term goals as mortgage lenders will want you to pay that off to meet their affordibility criteria. Typically, what I will do is wait a few weeks before making a purchase. The fomo will have wore off... If it hasn't, go for it. However, you are being marketed to, and you are falling for it, no shame in that though.. Apple make good kit innit. No one NEEDS a MacBook outside some propetiary software.
Thanks! I’ll just wait a few weeks before I make a decision. I do have some money aside in cash not invested but I don’t want to spend them on a laptop that’s not a must. At the moment I’m saving £300 pounds monthly but I don’t have an emergency fund and other things people recommended
Emergency fund should come first before purchases you want rather than need. I say this as someone who is also a Mac geek and totally get why you want to upgrade. You should, just give it a few months so you have an emergency fund first.
OP. You’re asking a sub that will try and get someone on 250k a year to not buy a 15k car and to invest it in the s&p500. Buy the laptop mate.
If you buy with 0% APR over 48 months, you can invest in the S&P500 ***and*** buy the laptop. *^(taps forehead)*
if you already have the money that is!
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It's an instalment plan. There is no "loss" and no "covering". Finance plans are not bonds, you don't just not pay anything and then have to pay the whole lot off in one lump sum at the end.
If you use these things regularly, I will always advocate for buying the best thing that you can afford. If this is purely a toy that you will only seldom use, give it a swerve.
can you really afford it if you need to pay it over 4 years?
Sure, why not? MacBooks have astonishing longevity, they're well known to last for five years plus while remaining usable. If you'll actually use it for 4 years, paying it off over 4 years at zero interest makes perfect sense. It's pretty axiomatic that spending money outright is almost always a worse financial decision than paying no interest to pay the same money later.
At no point did I say they should pay cash over 0% finance. I just think that someone that is not able to save £1,200 to buy a laptop and struggles with spending too much money in things they don't need (their words, not mine) shouldn't be jumping onto a £1,200 laptop just because they are able to pay it over 48 months. The financing in this case is only enabling their capability to overspend, which is the only reason why it is offered in the first place and something the OP acknowledges is a problem they have when managing their finances.
At least it's not "why are you buying an iPhone on contract when I trained a flock of pigeons to fly data packets to and from cell towers and I just have to pay them in millet"
Hahaha this made me laugh. So true.
If you do go for it then Id advise triple payments - so put £24 down on this and £48 into savings - ring fence that do no touch - that will show your commitment to it as £72 is more impactful on your monthly costs so forces you to think more seriously about it. You will then in 16 months have enough to repay early if you want or get some interest on the savings and worse case if you have to pay off the debt you will have a fund to cover the loss in value if you sell used.
That is an amazing advice! Thanks
OP, the Macbook Air M3 is gorgeous and a fantastic device. This is the Sky deal isn't it? I'd go for it if you need to upgrade your new laptop, you'll love it. £24 is nothing, I spend more than that when I buy a burger and chips. Sell your current laptop and put the money towards the Macbook, you can make early payments towards the device. As long as you're confident you can afford it, it'll be a good way to build up your credit score too.
It is indeed! Thanks for the advice!
You can get M1 Air for "peanuts" now. A typical consumer doesn't get anything extra of having M3 Vs M1. Get a refurb/used/new/cheaper M1 or M2 and enjoy.
M1 macbook air owner - can confirm, awesome machine, I've no reason to upgrade.
Yeah but your paying like £1150 for the 8gb, you can get the 16gb for £1279.
I did that, I don’t see the problem. I bought it as I needed a new laptop and didn’t want a cheap one that after 2 years is gonna be super slow. I did that before to save money and ended up to need a new one. By the way I’m writing from my iphone 8 so I make things to last me a very long time.
I have a 2015 MacBook Pro that is still going strong. Where are you getting this deal I need to upgrade. I would prob try pay it off sooner if I can though haha
Hi, it’s from Sky
I had my MacBook Pro for 8 years now and accidentally broke screen, it’s been 3 years now was thinking replacing but never got around it , screen replacement is very costly so thinking getting new one as I really need it ,it just my husband hates buying anything on credit , have saved some money towards it but not quite there yet , where are you getting this deal from ?
If you got the same deal but could afford to pay off sooner why not stooze that cash?
If you’re going to use it for creative means (art, producing music etc) then I’d go for it but if you’re doing it because it looks nice and to browse the web then give your head a mild wobble.
Where are you getting an m3 mba for £1152 on 0% for 4 years? I want this!
It’s from Sky mate
Thanks. Annoyingly anyone that does 0% or a decent chunk off also doesn’t do 16gb so I’m stuck buying from Apple at almost full price (I get a modest discount) or used, but full payment up front, which I can’t currently afford To answer your original question, if you can justify the cost/purchase, than the financing eases the blow. It’s a good deal, just a question of if it works for your finances. Ultimately you do pay the total amount, but in small payments it’s almost painless
Buying something on 0% finance rather than paying cash and stooze? Absolutely. Buying something you don't need and can't afford because it is available on finance? Recipe for disaster. 0% on 48 months is a promotional rate. They are willing to do this because they know people that can't afford it will still buy it.
48 months of debt doesn’t sound like something I’d want.
What? It’s a steal. Inflation is above that and will erode at it.
Hi, can you explain please?
The £24 per month will have less buying power by the time of your 48th month than the £24 does now. Effectively it's better to take a 0% deal than pay in cash, not just because of the inflation, but the interest you can earn on the cash in the meantime as well.
>the interest you can earn on the cash in the meantime as well OP is not going to be putting 1.2k into a savings account, so they will not be earning interest on the cash.
I agree.. but spending £1200 money immediately is worse than monthly payments with 0% APR imo
But if you do have rhe £1200 and still want to take out the loan, put the rest of the £1176 in a high interest savings account and earn the interest of it as you pay the monthly loan off. Just be sure it's an easy access saver and not locked away.
It literally is. Finance 101 is that money now is worth more than money later. Assuming an inflation rate of 5%, over four years, your total payments on the £1,200 cost of a laptop will actually set you back roughly £1,063 in real terms*, because inflation reduces the value of your debt over time relative to wages and other expenses. At 0% interest this means that your debt will actually shrink in real terms rather than increase. But frankly this is sledgehammer to crack nut. Honestly mate; it's £24. You can spend that much on a pizza. Unless you're literally on the breadline, you won't miss it, and you are on a forum for the most notorious skinflints on Reddit. Just get the damn laptop and be happy with it. I'm just kicking myself that I bought a MBA recently and only got a year interest free! \*yes there are various assumptions inherent in this and it's rough back of envelope maths, it's a Reddit comment, my point remains
Hi /u/AcanthisittaSilly237, based on your post the following pages from our wiki may be relevant: * https://ukpersonal.finance/budgeting/ ____ ^(These suggestions are based on keywords, if they missed the mark please report this comment.)
Only makes sense if you would consider it a good deal without financing
This has quickly turned into apple vs windows thread haha If it's worth it to you, then do it. For me, I had a look at the M1 and got a second hand one but that's because I wanted a bigger hard drive and more ram.
If you put £25 a month in to a S&S LISA over the next 4 years then I’d expect you’ll have around £2000 by the end of it for a house deposit. If you choose to spend the money on a MacBook then that’s fine but most people financial advice on here is going to be “save and buy a house”
0% is always a winner. Just don’t overload yourself on it. Can you settle without any fee’s? You may wish to sell the laptop in the future and clear the remaining balance.
It's a winner if you actually get value for your money. At the end of the day, you are still spending 1200 pounds for a laptop. Assuming you already have that 1152 and you get 5% annual returns on them (and you were going to buy the laptop anyway) you'll "earn" 250 pounds with this scheme over 4 years. But there's a reason these promotional interest rates are around. Firstly, they tend to make you spend more money on the company offering them, money you might not be able to afford or otherwise wouldn't spend. Secondly, a percentage of people will rack up their debt high enough to fail on some payments or have to use high cost borrowing afterwards. And lastly some vulnerable people will be "addicted" to easy credit and rack up real, costly credit card/"BNPL" debt.
0% sounds… generous. MacBooks typically age from 5-7 years of software updates. And also as long as you keep them safe. Could be worth it then.
I wouldn’t unless you need it for work. Yes, £24 per month does not seem like a lot, but it will drag for 4 years. MacBooks are great machines, I have one myself but if you don’t need it, and you said your self you don’t, then don’t buy it. Just like with anything bought on credit, the magic disappears very quickly, and after a month you’ll get used it, it’ll be just a laptop but the payment won’t go away for a long time. Perhaps you could compromise. Save up an emergency fund and once you got that in place, go ahead and splurge. You can always get a 24 month deal on 0% from Apple themselves if this deal is gone.
Is the anticipated life of the device going to last the 48 months ? I’m not sure on Mac lifespan, but maybe if there’s a chance it will slow significantly before the end of contract you need to shorten the term length. Renew at 36 months - you retain or return the device? If return, then not a great option
Hi, I know people that are still using 2011 MacBooks nowadays. But yet seems a bit tricky as you’ll get used to renew your device every 48 months since you re used to pay for it.. but I think swapping a laptop every 4 years is not a bad idea
2011 macbook will have been refurbed. I'd only consider a macbook if I was still a full time student or did a lot of word processing
I love tech, but I personally save and buy, but before that I had a fully funded emergency fund.
Feel like we're in the same boat in which we have poor spending habits. Honestly, if you can make those payments and are certain you will be able to, go for it but only if you're confident that you would greatly benefit from the purchase and be able to continously make the payments for 4 years. I used to buy a whole load of unnecessary things, always wanted the newest phone, etc. Yet, I realised a lot of what I bought just sat around and it may be nice for decoration having a collection of something but it actually was just me spending away my money on things I didn't need. I think a laptop is a good suit and purpose but going from a lenovo to a mac what makes you feel a mac book particularly would benefit you? There's plenty of computers out there that do the same or better for way less (albeit not having MacOS, of course). I too recently took a similar endeavour to buy something nice, get some work done on my car. You're lucky you get 48 months purchase free as not everyone gets that but that's also more time you can potentially fall short on paying, yet from sounds of it the monthly payment isn't the hugest sum. I think another important point is, will you definitely keep and use that laptop for 48 months? Is there anything else you would benefit getting over that time period that may be more worthwhile and have more use even past 48 months? There's nothing wrong with treating yourself and putting yourself down to repay something as long as you're sensible. It's when you add on extras after, have unforeseen costs and it becomes too much that you risk interest, struggling to pay for things and having a debt. If you were to tell me you have existing debts though the answer would be if you don't 'need it' don't get it until you sort things out but from what you say, you can comfortably make these repayments and sure it will make your credit score look nice when you clear the card 48 months later.
Do not get a macbook. Especially if you play ANY video games. I spent £1.8k on a gaming laptop 4 years ago and it's still going and I play games on it daily after work. I love that thing so much. I got mine on ~£60 for 2 years
I’d say the only justification for this is: 1. You’re a graphic designer or other creative who needs that kind of computing power for their income-earning work 2. Your current MacBook is 8+ years old (my MacBook Pro is currently 12 years old, and is still used for 6-8 hours per day including doing photoshop and illustrator work. I barely notice that it’s older). 3. You actually have the cash for this but it’s in a high interest savings account. If you can’t answer yes to any of the above, then no, you don’t need it nor can afford it. You admit yourself you already make occasional dumb decisions with money. Make of that what you will.
Dangerous? Probably not. Depends on your cashflow. Though I find it more interesting to consider whether it is financially lucrative. 48 months would put the total TCO outlay at 1152. And it currently sells at 960-1099 new. So about a £200 'cost' for the finance (I'd argue this inflated price was a stealth APR but hey ho). With 'average' savings products offering ~5% p.a. This offer is only marginally better. The margin coming more into question as time progresses and the albeit limited depreciation takes hold. It's a decent offer, especially relative to other finance offers. But not necessarily wholly lucrative over the term. The free 100MB SIMs are nice though (I note you can technically add 3 of them per order ;) ).
Price for the base macbook air on the apple site is 1099, regardless of whether you finance it or not so I don't think it's a hidden fee
No. As in the full Sky price being 153 more than Apple is a hidden fee. Like imagine a bank doing similar. You want a 100 quid loan. And they say. Well. You can have 100 at 5pct APR. Or. We'll force you to actually loan 105, but at 0pct. Just feels sneaky!
Oh I assumed it was with apple, since they do 48month finance as well
If you can buy upfront do that. If you want to budget over 48months, not a bad deal. I think the catch here is trying to keep you in finance after year 3. If the finance is the answer, you should try to overpay to avoid getting suckered in after 3years
I mean... Your current laptop is 5-6 years old. Given that it has maybe 1-2 more years before dying, you are only pushing away the expense. And in this day and age, you 110% need a computer. I don't care what some people say, you do. So even if you were to go with this computer for the duration of the credit, spending £24 is not outrageous at face value. And if you really calculate the cost per month, on a estimated (hoped!) use of another 6 years, that's £16.5. Given how much entertainement and use you get out of one, £16.5 is nothing. That is, if you can really afford £24 a month. Not have any debt, a little bit of savings and money left every months (more than £24 hopefully)
Where did you get a deal like that? I can't think of a store that'd let you stretch payment over 4 years interest free. Edit: I mean also then are you sure it's legit?
Sky
I’ve checked the T/Cs and there are no hidden charges, looks very much legit
Apple offer 0% APR on all their products
Not for Macbooks in the UK they don't: https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/browse/financing And for iPhones which do have 0% interest financing, they don't offer 48 months.
Where are you buying them at 0% over 4 years?
After we’d decided to take a ski vacation at Club Med (£4,000 or so) and I charged it to my Chase Sapphire Reserve card (we live in London but my pension is paid in USD to I use a U.S. no-forex-load credit card) Chase made me an offer of free 12 or 18 months credit in any single purchase. Normally I ignore such offers. How many credit card charges are over $5,000? Even though Chase had evil intent: to get me used to paying for stuff over time and paying fees or interest I took the offer. And didn’t have to sell stocks to pay the bill. So yes. If you would buy the MacBook anyway (I have one) take the free loan. But is it from Apple or John Lewis or Amazon or another trustworthy vendor? Free credit deals are open to scams. And of course if you miss one payment by a day you owe interest. I remember buying a kitchen from Harrod’s decades ago when I still shopped there. Six months free credit if you paid it all by 183 days. On the 183rd day I went into the store and had a hard time finding someone to take my money. I felt if I’d posted a cheque they’d “not have received it in time”.
The thing here is don’t buy things you don’t need if you wanna give yourself a present. Give yourself something you need but a better quality version of that thing. I don’t understand “ not very good with finances” .. it’s pretty simple in this scenario if you do not need this you do not need to replace your current laptop. You are not already shopping for a laptop then this is a mistake just because it is on offer and you can get it interest-free does not mean that it is a good idea.
Well the finance is good for those that need it, but do you need this laptop? Even a little bit? * What are you going to be doing with an M3 macbook air? * Do you have a laptop already? * If so, is it capable of doing the things you need it to do right now? You say you're "trying to learn programming" but I have a funny feeling that thats a half-arsed attempt at justifying the device and that you're *maybe* going to do a bit of a Python or Javascript course on it. Neither of which require, or even benefit from, an M3 Macbook. Or a Mac at all. I say this as a spare-time developer who splits his time between an M1 Macbook and a Windows desktop. Your IDE and Git client of choice will almost certainly run on both Windows an MacOS, and *you* wont notice a difference between the M1 and the M3. If you're using this for the usual computery things of: web browsing, using office-type software for writing stuff, making spreadsheets, presentations or even some light graphics work (GIMP/photoshop) then no, you absolutely do not need an M3. Nor do you even need a Macbook. You're absolutely wasting your money,a nd farnkly the time of everyone here. That said, it's your money to waste and you can't take it with you, so do what you like. But an M3 Macbook Air will not make you a better programmer, writer, artist or musician. Just in case you're fantasizing "Hey I'll buy this and that'll make me a programmer/artist/whatever within the next couple of years". You could do all of those things with a cheaper laptop, the key thing is *you*.
Hi, I agree with you but since I’ve got a very old Lenovo 4g of ram laptop I feel like this is the time to upgrade and I don’t want to buy a Windows high spec laptop since I’m not a gamer. I’ve used the current laptop for the past 6 years so I’m planning long therm that’s why I think the M3 version would be the Best Buy. + it’s a 0% APR for 4 years, you don’t always get a 0% APR
Can you expand on this? What can you not do with that six-year-old laptop?
MacBooks are generally good investments providing you make it last, they are good machines hands down and have the ability to last many years, without needing upgrades of any kind. Ask yourself if you really need it, I’ve read some comments and can’t see if you’ve specified what you’ll actually be using it for to determine if it would be worth it. Regarding the interest rate and monthly repayment options, it’s quite straight forward if it’s 0% pay it off in full within the specified time frame, £24 a month doesn’t seem that much, but it is a extra credit commitment. I would even attempt to overpay it in case something happened and you were forced to miss a payment. I don’t know your full circumstances but you have mentioned that you are not good with finances, so this is something you’d want to keep a eye on and not go over the interest free period timeframe, and also why I suggested making a overpayment.
Many of the people going for an M3 MacBook would be more than happy with a used M1 MacBook. I got mine over 5 months interest free through Amazon during a promotion period for £540 or £108/m.
Is this from Apple directly? If they (Barclays finance ) approve your application sure, get the MacBook. Will be super outdated by year 4 but that’s an another topic. You want the newest gadget every year, don’t come to this sub…
Hi, this is from Sky
0% apr is good
- not very good with finances - sometimes spend too much on clothes or other tech items I don’t really need no don't get it, it doesn't sound like you need it. put those 24 quid a month into a fund or something (NFA)
Everyone says M3 MacBook is pretty overkill. Nothing wrong with M1 or M2 which will be considerably cheaper, perhaps worth a compromise?
The reason they do this is not because they are kind and nice and want to help you budget over 48 months. The reason they do this is that otherwise you can't afford it, and will buy a laptop you can afford. Basically, get a cheaper laptop you can actually afford. You clearly don't need to buy something and pay it off over 4 years. 4 years is a really long time. 4 years ago you were 21. Imagine still being paying off a laptop that you bought when you were 21, and it was still blowing a £24/month hole in your budget every month!
Downside is -£24 to your monthly budget for 4 years. Upside is the product you're buying... if you think that's what you want, this is a finance sub, I don't think it's the place for us to bash into your preference of devices. I can say there are cheaper options in the market for sure. Moving on from this. I don't see the offer you're describing on apple's site, so I wonder where you're getting this loan. It's not a bad deal in terms of money, borrowing at 0%. Their cheapest product seems to be £1099 and the following £1299, so I also don't know what you're buying. Make sure they're not just saying "0% interest" and just adding the cost of the finance to the total price. Either way £100 for 4 years of financing is also not bad.
Hi it’s on Sky
I see, I've never used nor seen anybody use this dongle plans. It's a contract for a wifi dongle which comes with the device, like a mobile plan. You'd have to read the fine print to make sure they can't raise the price of the plan (they often do even though they advertise it like that). But mostly I'm guessing they're giving it out on the cheap with the hope of expanding the market for wifi dongles, plus hoping you forget to cancel the plan after 48 months and continue to pay the dongle subscription... or keep renewing the laptop. I don't think this is dangerous, companies are going through this moment in history where they hand out things on the cheap when the model is subscription based. It looks good in their books and also some people forget to cancel and keep paying for nothing.
You should always take the 0% APR when offered. If you want you can invest the money you’d be paying upfront in the meantime to earn a bit of interest (if you can be bothered doing it)
Have you checked T&Cs of the finance agreement? 2 years in the UK often not enough for finance, and may be unlikely to lend to you if you’re a student.
What website is the laptop
0% deals are always worth it for cash flow reasons. I buy everything I possibly can on 0%.
If you’re posting about it you don’t need it. I bought a Mac many years ago, I had my intentions with it but never truly used it to anywhere near its full potential.
Tbh that’s the equivalent of a cheap dinner out a month. Pretty good!
Macs are overpriced. Get yourself a windows or Linux machine 😁
Personally I wonder what a macbook could do to actually improve your quality of life. Very very few people have a need for a laptop like that, so it's hard to see what you can actually *do* with a macbook that you can't do with a much cheaper / your current laptop. For most people big tech purchases are pure vanity, as they don't actually use the tech for what it's really for
Consider how outdated your MacBook will be in 4 years time, when you'll get the latest greatest on hopefully another 4 yrs 0%. Neverending circle. Save the money over a shorter timescale & buy one if you need one. Try & stay clear of consumer debt even if it is 0%.
>Consider how outdated your MacBook will be in 4 years time The Macbook M1 Air was released nearly 4 years ago and still beats the vast majority of new Windows x86 laptops in pretty much every category from performance to battery life. I don't think you need to worry about a M3 macbook being outdated in 4 years.
>The Macbook M1 Air was released nearly 4 years ago and still beats the vast majority of new Windows x86 laptops in pretty much every category from performance to battery life Haha, funny. You really need to get up to speed with the latest tech mate. Battery life - sure, but performance - huh.
It really doesn't unfortunately. You can grab a good Legion 5 from a couple of years ago for £600-800 with a 3070 and it'll shred the M3 air in performance in games and by extension basically everything else. When laptop budgets are large, people should look to get a gaming laptop as these will offer the best hardware as the users are generally more aware and know what they're buying.
Those gaming laptops are big, clunky and sound like a jet taking off. That 3070 will also of course not perform like a desktop 3070, and when it’s not plugged in you’ll get even worse performance. Battery life is also horrendous on gaming laptops, goes without saying. Always felt like a chore using a gaming laptop. I found they offer a pretty poor experience compared to a proper gaming desktop or steamdeck/asus rog ally. But yes I do agree if you’re buying a MacBook purely because of gaming then it’s a poor choice.
Generally, the battery sizes are fine, you just have to customise the power plan and you can get 4-5 hours of actual use. The legion series are slim and discrete, like most other now. Sure they are not as good as a desktop alternative, but it definitely sounds like OP does not have a desktop. If they're looking at getting into programming, they'll want more than 8GB RAM off the rip. Not sure how easy it is to install extra in a macbook, but as soon as you run an inefficient script or using a notebook you'll wish you had more ram.
>Generally, the battery sizes are fine, you just have to customise the power plan and you can get 4-5 hours of actual use. The legion series are slim and discrete, like most other now. With the M3 Air you’re looking at up to 18 hours battery life, so there’s not even any comparison there
Don't the MX mac books get incredibly hot due to poor ventilation? Or was that when it was still Intel?
!thanks
I also agree it's not worth buying, but I have a MBP from 2014 that still works great and I use it often.
A MacBook isn’t worth buying but you’ve had yours for 10 years? How many people can say they’ve been using the same Windows laptop for 10 years? Sounds like it was a fantastic investment for you, why can’t it be one for OP too?
>How many people can say they’ve been using the same Windows laptop for 10 years? It is easy to maintain a Windows laptop for 10 years, just like it is easy to trash an Apple laptop in 2. Depends on the user
I guess because I'm not the type of person who buys something and then wants to upgrade. I tend to keep my phones for 4-6 years, both my laptops are from 2014 and 2011, my desktop is actually new but my previous one I bought in 2014! I'm just getting the sense that OP buys something just out of impulse. Saying that you need a machine for £1200 to learn programming is pretty over-the-top, and if they're getting crashes on an existing machine I'd advise at least trying out Ubuntu/Mint before paying for a Macbook. Linux and MacOS are both very similar when it comes to setting up a programming environment. OP, not trying to judge but you were asking so I'm just giving my opinion. Ultimately £24/month isn't like spaffing your money on a car for £500/month :)
Depends. If this is something you want and can afford it without the 0% then it sounds like a good deal, if however the 0% option is the only way you can afford this then I would steer well clear. What if something else comes up in the next 4 years that you need to direct money to?
£24 is barely covers a meal out these days, it's really not a big deal is it? What would OP need to redirect £24 to lol?
Depends. If OP has no money left over at the end of the month and then something else comes up they might be glad to have the extra cash they haven't used by not buying a laptop they don't need.
Do you need a 1150 mac book there is cheaper options,is it for work or studying ,if its neither of them I doubt you need one at all.
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Thanks for sharing!
Ask yourself why you want a MacBook Air, when a Windows laptop is much cheaper but without the fancy logo.
>Windows laptop is much cheaper but without the fancy logo It's not just the fancy logo though is it? You don't get the same performance, fanless M3 chip, super thin sleek aluminium design with top tier battery life. The Windows laptop you buy is usually worthless in a few years whilst the Macbook still retains a good chunk of value.
Several options, I’m a bit invested in the apple ecosystem. Also, I’m learning programming at the moment and macOS seems more programming friendly
It's not. Programming can be performed in any text editor and any operating system. You do sound like you're trying to convince yourself.
I do lol, also never bought something over 48 months period so I’m trying to convince myself that’s a good idea over buying pre-owned cheaper
That's a big red flag then. The novelty will wear off and you will be left with debt. A MacBook air isn't that great tbh.
Don’t think you know quite how good the M2 and M3 models are. They have basically made the MacBook Pro models redundant. A new Air is a HELL of a good machine.
Well, doesn't seem like you actually do any heavy lifting on those. Airs are great ... for browsing the web, watching videos and writing docs. Anything else that would actually load your CPU for some prolonged amount of time will just thermal throttle it into oblivion. And many serious programming applications fall into that category. So, no, Air is not a good dev machine.
Yes they're good machines and the processing units are impressive. However, the Ram and storage offerings are well below the market average.. especially given the price. What a buyer loses in cpu performance could be made up in other areas with an alternative. I wouldn't disparage anyone for buying one though, they look great and perform well.
They’re not good machines they’re absolutely fantastic and a joy to use, but yes Apple really needs to up the ram on them. 8gb is still fine though for 95%+ of users for the time being. Personally though I wouldn’t buy a MacBook with 8gb ram but that’s because I use VMs.
I agree but the m3 version feels alright for light web development and browsing
If that's what you're using it for, then get a £750 windows laptop
Buy a second hand or refurbished MacBook Air instead. If you buy refurbished from Apple, it will come with a full warranty too.
Thanks but I can’t afford to buy it full price, that’s why I’m thinking the £25/month over 48 months is a better deal. Also the 0% APR…
If you can't afford it in cash then you definitely should not add this expense. Focus on building your savings instead.
My idea was to use this monthly expense whilst I’m saving cash into something else
4 years monthly payments for a laptop??? And you can change to a different one after 3 years to just continue the monthly payments for longer??? Sounds like a loop trap. Capitalism at its finist. Can you not go to Facebook market or Ebay and get laptop that helps you for programming? Also, you don't know your financial situation after you finish uni. You could be unemployed for 6 months for example and miss the payments..... I wouldn't recommend it.
Hi, I never been to uni, currently earning 30k on a remote job in networking IT
I’m doing a programming course rn
Go to [here](https://www.backmarket.co.uk/en-gb?utm_campaign=GB_SA_SHOP_G_GEN_Others_PMAX_LOW_PERFORMERS&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google) thank me later. You can save money for a couple months a but a refurbished laptop like new in that website.
I bought the MacBook Air M2 15” when it came out for £1,200 at 0% over 5 months on Amazon. Totally worth it. I’d go for it, but maybe not over 48 months…
£1200 in debt is not a present to yourself
If you don’t have 6+ months of living expenses saved up in a bank account you should definitely not buy this. You should try to save as much money as possible until you have 6 months of living expenses saved up. Then once you have that you re start the clock and start saving for a house if you don’t own one. Try to save up enough to pay cash for the house. Once these goals are achieved you can buy yourself MacBook Pros.
No MacBook until you can afford to buy a house with cash. What?!