[alexmartins]

Hi, I’m buying a laptop but I can’t decide between these two:

MacBook Pro 13 i7 early 2011
4GB, SSD
212 cycle count

MacBook Air 11 i5 early 2014
4GB, 128GB SSD
130 cycle count

Both are in good condition and cost around 400 bucks.

Portability is not an issue, I’m good with either one in that respect. I just want to be sure that opting for the older MacBook Pro is the best choice because of the upgradable specs. On the other hand, compatibility with future Mac OS updates is an issue too, I don’t want to be left out of it in just a year or so.

Thanks in advance!

[donnation]

You've answered your own question. The 2011 MacBook Pro will not receive updates from Apple. Only Mid 2012 MacBook Pro's and newer will receive any OSX updates. High Sierra is the last version you will be able to run. The Air will be good for updates for at least a couple of years.

[robertk328]

You've answered your own question. The 2011 MacBook Pro will not receive updates from Apple. Only Mid 2012 MacBook Pro's and newer will receive any OSX updates. High Sierra is the last version you will be able to run. The Air will be good for updates for at least a couple of years.

Yup, get the newest one you can afford and then the one with the highest specs you can afford. This helps with longevity as updates are often known to slow things down a bit over time, so the more power you start with, the better off you'll be over time.

In this case the 2014 over the 2011 for sure.