Bought a gold Macbook Air for dad

Today I went to Best Denki to buy a brand new Macbook Air for my dad. It’s the base model, gold version that I bought for him.

Initially we wanted to head down to the Apple Store to get it, but was informed upon arrival that their walk-in appointment slots were already full. The walk-in reservation system was apparently a new system that Apple implemented in their stores as a way to control crowd and minimise potential Covid-19 transmission. Because of the pandemic, not everyone and anyone can just saunter into the store to buy whatever it is that they need whenever they want. In light of that, they have actively been encouraged people to buy their products online and have them shipped and delivered in a couple of days.

So Best Denki was our next best shot. Fortunately, they have it in stock and I bought them, paying the price of the notebook by instalments. My dad needed a new computer after the whole WFH thing became the new normal. He has an iMac which is getting old and getting slow which is currently shared with my mum. So, in an attempt to improve productivity (somewhat), mobility and space (due to our recent downgrade from a 5-room to a 3-room apartment), the best way forward was to naturally get a notebook for him. He is used to using the MacOS ecosystem, that it makes sense to just get the cheapest notebook Apple has to offer, which is a Macbook Air.

I got the base model because he does very light office work during WFH arrangements and now that he has a notebook, I expect him to be able to do work from basically anywhere in the house, maybe even in a cafe just downstairs from our flat. He can work on the couch in the living room, on the dining table, even on his bed in the master bedroom. He no longer have to sit awkwardly on a makeshift desk where the big hulking iMac current sits.

I was initially quite reluctant to sponsor the Macbook Air. But I have seen him gripe with the slowness and bulkiness of the iMac, that I took pity on him suffering his way through while working from home. So I took the bullet and spend a grand and a half paid over 12 months just so that he can have a better WFH experience. This whole WFH arrangement is going to be the normal for most people, especially for my dad in the months and perhaps years now and into the future. So I guess the investment is worth it? I’m not sure. Only time will tell. I really do hope that he makes full use of the Macbook Air and not become a relic used as a decor item, just like the current iMac. While the current iMac is quite old, (close to 5 years, perhaps more), I personally feel that it is under utilised all these years.