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You can buy a MacBook Air for $299 for Prime Day – but should you?

Restored Apple MacBook Air and Airpods with mouse and black cas

There’s a growing industry of refurbished and restored electronics, and while that usually doesn’t engender a lot of faith from consumers, they’re well worth considering if you’re on a tight budget. Luckily, there are a lot of great deals for refurbished products during the Walmart Prime Day sale, such as this MacBook Air bundle. You can grab for $299 rather than the usual $399, but you might want first to consider a couple of different options. It’s important to note, though, that this deal is only going available for Walmart Plus subscribers, but you can grab a , which is a great deal in and of itself.

Why you shouldn’t buy this MacBook Air

The biggest issue with this MacBook Air is that it’s quite outdated for several years, and it can’t even run the latest MacOS 14, so you’re going to be missing out on a lot of features. Since this is a version of the Macbook Air that was discontinued after 2017, you’re likely getting a 7th Gen Intel i5, at best, and more likely, it’s a 6th Gen. There’s also the issue that the 1.6Ghz CPU version of the Macbook air was part of the 2010-2017 run that had performance issues due to overheating and the CPU having to be throttled. While these aren’t massive issues, especially since you’re getting generic earbuds and a mouse bundled in, it’s not an ideal deal if you’re looking for something more modern that will stand the test of time.

On the other hand, if you’re willing to go for a Chromebook, you can grab this excellent for just $199, and it even has a modern and entry-level CPU that’s better than what comes on the bundled Macbook Air. Or, if you prefer Windows 11, the 14-inch is also a great deal at just $229. Both of these come with modern CPUs, better screens, battery life, updated operating systems, and, most importantly, are fresh out of the factory, so they’ll have a longer life span. Also, they’re much cheaper than this MacBook Air bundle.

Of course, if you really want or need a MacBook Air, you can still grab this bundle, but we strongly advise you to check out these Prime Day laptop deals, Prime Day headphone deals, and general Prime Day deals, where you can get newer stuff for roughly the same overall price.

Editors' Recommendations

Albert Bassili
Deals Writer
Albert’s been a tech and gaming writer for almost a decade now, writing across websites such as GameGavel, How-To-Geek, and…
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