Now I’m not a diehard Apple fan nor am I an Apple hater. I fall somewhere in the middle when it comes to Apple products. I have no issues chatting about Apple hype or criticizing some of Apple’s more controversial choices and tactics.

I wanted to talk a little about choosing from Apple’s current 2019 MacBook lineup – specifically the more entry-level experience. Apple has recently given the 12-inch MacBook the boot and lightly updated the newer MacBook Air line. With a reasonable starting price (for a Mac) and seemingly straightforward specs, the MacBook Air looks like a good deal. If you are looking for an entry-level Mac laptop, the Air is most likely what you will be eyeballing.

“Starting at” and “Up to”

With a price starting at $1099, you might just be ready to pull the trigger on that MacBook Air right away. Before hitting that pay button, make sure you understand what you are getting. All MacBook Airs come with a 1.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 Y series processor. This is a power efficient CPU and should handle your day-to-day work just fine. Please be aware, if you need to run more taxing apps, you should be mindful of the limitations of the Air’s CPU and look into other options. It’s designed to be portable and handle average computing. A powerhouse it is not.

The Air’s RAM starts at 8GB with up to 16GB available for $200 more. I think 8GB is alright for the average user but make sure you understand that what you buy is what you are stuck with forever. If you really need (or might need later) 16GB of RAM for running more than the average number of apps, you better fork over that extra $200 when you buy. As we know, it is tragically impossible to upgrade MacBooks later on.

On to the storage! The Air has SSD storage starting at 128GB. So, for the average user, you should be … wait, hold on here. No, you will NOT be alright with 128GB of storage. This amount is frankly, insulting and I feel is part of Apple’s strategy to push you into the “Up to” options. I know Apple wants to make money (and they are pretty damn good at it), but this one is a dirty trick. The “Starting at” option really translates to the “unacceptable” option that Apple knows you don’t want. But don’t worry, for just $200 more, you can get 256GB. You will even hear Apple store employees telling customers that 128GB is not enough. If it’s not enough, why are you selling it? It’s a clever way of pulling you in with a $1099 MacBook Air that really costs $1299. Now, I know there are some skilled minimalist users out there who could routinely do an elegant storage management dance and maybe get by with 128GB – I wish them the best.

Alrighty then, now we are at $1299 for a usable MacBook Air, and at that price, you could get the newly updated 13-inch MacBook Pro with a better CPU and display. So now you are considering the MacBook Pro. It’s even more alluring if you are in the Apple store looking at them in person. You decide you really want the nicer display and the performance bump. You tell yourself you have done some smart shopping here … until you review the “Starting at” specs of the $1299 13-inch MacBook Pro and notice it comes with 128GB of storage…

Don’t worry, there is a 256GB option for $200 more.

I suppose this little post turned into a bit of a rant. It was really not my intention to make it so. I do like Apple’s products but on the other hand, I do take issue with their sometimes scumbag-ish tactics. I would just suggest you buy the best Mac you can afford. Know in advance that you are probably going to get politely screwed a little bit, but you will most likely be happy with the product at the end of it all.

I would also highly suggest you check out Apple’s certified refurbished page. Apple’s refurbs tend to be in great condition with the same warranty.