Tell him that you will buy it during thanksgiving sale in 2 months when the price will decrease by Rs 20,000. That will give him a good reason to wait 2 months and you will be able to see if you still have a job till then. If you dont' have a job in 2 months then you can say sorry no money no honey. 

Well, what has to do with Macbook Air ? I still use my $ 500 laptop for years and helps me all necessary tasks that I have to accomplish. Nepal is materialistic society and people want to show up things that they have and others don't.
Secondly, if there is technical difficulties on this kind of computer, what would be repair cost ?

Just my thought.
Thanks

Follow funtus's advise , your uncle's eyes are on the best of the best : if it satisfies him, let it be. It will be his pride possession until .......... , may be about an year.

dindukhi,
yastai chha nepali society. ke garne !

funtush,
haha... very GOOD IDEA but.... I am pretty sure that R123's Uncle will ask him to buy iPhone 6 Plus by then. so that his uncle can show ppl he is the first one in Nepal to use it.

thanks guys. funtush's idea is very good, the problem is that: my Uncle wants it before Dashain. My wild guess is: he wants to present as a gift to his newly married son - in - law.
I can turn him down saying that there is nobody visiting Nepal during this time of the year but what if he finds someone who happens to be visiting for Dashain in Nepal and I am sure he will. Then, there is no option, I have to buy it.
He has been good to me and he helped me while I was in Nepal. I can't just say straight NO and I am in no position to buy that device financially. TO BUY OR NOT TO BUY is the question!!

It is a perfectly rational decision to buy it and send to your uncle. You said he has been good to you, and he will be good to your parents ( who may be in Nepal). Manche le bhanlan afno daju-bhai (?) good huna pani gift chahincha bhanera, tara yo reality ho. गिफ्ट धेरै दिने लोग्ने लाई स्वास्नीले त धेरै माया गर्छन रे ;), दाजु-भाई मा त झन् लागु हुन्छ | if he is already good to you and your parents, he will be gooder;)

And, most importantly, you seem to have a good paying job and you said you can afford it. So, even if you lose this job, you will find another one. and credit card ta छदै छ | तेस्माथी नया ज्वाई लाइ अमेरिका बाट रुबेन ले पठाइदिएको भनेर गिफ्ट दिदा रमैलाई हुन्छ नि |

materialist /consumerist society मा जे गर्दा भौतिक सुख हुन्छ तेही गर्ने त हो नि | अरु सब गफ को लागि गफ हो / आफु अमेरिकामा टोयोटा corolla चढे हुनेमा नया camry किनेर चढ्ने मान्छेले पनि नेपाल बाट आफ्नो मन ले खाएको एकदम नजिकको मान्छेले केहि कुरा माग्यो भने "आजकलको society कति materialist भयो भनेर भंचन " त्यो पनि फेरि जसले मागेको छ तेस्लाई हो र अर्कै मान्छे संग | गफको लागि गफ गरे जस्तो |

रुबेन मित्र uncle लाइ laptop पठाउदा त्यो reddit browse गरेको history चाइ delet गरेर पठाऊ है , फेरि बुढाले "ए बाबु तेस्ता links अरु पनि पठा-पठा" भन्लान ;)

lahure borther, I don't think you understood the gravity of the situation. afford गर्छ भन्दैमा सुनको हात्ती किन्नु बुद्धिजिबी कुरो लाग्दैन मलाई | On the top I have few more uncles and lots of cousin plus mama, maiju ani nini... dheri cha.. they all were very good to me. That doesn't mean I should buy them expensive gifts to keep em happy.
अर्को कुरा - aafu parryo simple living manche, yo $1749 ko Macbook kinna malai ek chitta ni bujheko chaina. I play with lots of tools and software... aafu gujara garera chalaunu parrya cha.

FYI.. lahure bro: if you are about to get married, do not buy you wife an expensive gifts. Once they get used that shit, they wont say anything other than GUCCI and COACH.
Nth personal, I dont want you to pick up a virtual fight with me and waste the virtual storage resources.

यो कथाको सार: Be Reasonable !!

Dont' send it if you can't afford it. You can't please everyone. If he becomes angry with you over such materialistic things then he never really loved you. Aafu ta sojho manche dherai kura jandina.

Another option

If he genuinely needs it and you have someone to send it through before Dashain, you take money from him as he's willing to pay. You said he can afford it. He can give the money to your parents back home. That way, you'll fulfill his wish as well as you'll give that money to your parents as gift for coming Dashain.

"On the top I have few more uncles and lots of cousin plus mama, maiju ani nini... dheri cha.. they all were very good to me. That doesn't mean I should buy them expensive gifts to keep em happy. " ahile chai bro le rational kuro garyo | I have the same problem. बरु आफ्नै बाउ आमा लाइ सबै कुरो थाहा हुन्छ, केहि पनि माग्दैनन , अरुको चै demand को लिस्ट हुन्छ | तर यो 'materialistic ' भन्ने सब्दाले irritation भयो , जहाँ पायो तेही use गर्दिने सोमहरुले |

Most common demand..iphone america ma sasto cha euta pathai de...no one knows it is cheap only due to contract..bujhdinan..and yah like nepali laure said..your family will never ask for those expensive stuff , but others will...

लाहुरे ब्रो : डिगिटल क्यामरा दिन खोज्दा DSLR भए मात्रै लिन्छु भन्छन | के भन्नु हुन्छ यसलाई ?

How hard is it to tell your uncle that you don't have that kind of money at the moment? Are you ashamed to tell him the truth? And you said he offered to pay you back; so why did you say "No"?
You know things are simple if you decide to be true to yourself. But I know in Nepal we like to live in drama. So let the drama continue. "Yes, but...." " Ok, but..... " " I will, but...." "Should I, but..." "Can I, but..." "He's nice, but....." "I don't have the money, but..... " "He wants it, but......"

That's nothing. My aunty helped me a lot back home by cooking and washing clothes and now she wants me to send her a dildo since she says the one that's attached to uncle is not working anymore. She is a devoted hindu woman and does not want to mess with other men. I don't know how to say no. I don't know what size to get or if I should get a used one.

bokaman you taking it too far man. Wtf is wrong with you??? But if its serious situation ask the adult store if they have one size fits all.

Boka: I do not know you can get used one? Is that on craigslist? 

Listen Ruben dude, you are over-reacting. The fact that you are making a mountain out of molehill proves my point, you like to live in a drama.
Anyway, I did not tell you to say "No" to your uncle. I hope you are smart enough to choose your words. A simple explanation about your financial situation to your uncle would have been enough, I think. If he is a reasonable person, he will understand you.
But I see the point, your uncle wants the latest gadget to show off in Nepal, and you want to offer it to him despite your financial situation just to prove that you have the means. Both the characters here want to show-off.
One last point, saying "No" sometimes is not a sign of weakness or rudeness. It is about being assertive. Sometimes it is easier to say "No" and move on than sayin "Yes" and get tangled up with contradictions and obligations.
Anyway, I am done and good luck, you seem to need it.

Interesting topic , ill put my few cents...
This happened to me several times. Many relatives asking me for phones, tablets, cameras etc. In my case, especially its my little cousins and other small kids. Once I remember, I sent an iphone to my cousin brother (he was around 15 years old that time). I sent him an used but good condition iphone 4 , ( there was already iphone 5 out). So instead of appreciating what he got, he was sad that I sent him an old iphone. If somebody had given me a simple phone when I was in school, that would meant the biggest thing to me). I had my first phone only after my +2.

Going back to the topic:
1. why doesnt your uncle buy it in Nepal itself, if he said he can pay for it. recently you can buy all apple products in Kathmandu, heard theres authentic showroom just opened.
2. Even if you sent it paying thousands of dollar, people in Nepal dont appreciate the value of the product, they think its very cheap here and doesnt realize how much $1700 meant here.
3. if he is planning to gift it to somebody else, then its even worse idea to send it.
4. i personally think that, instead of making other excuses, you should just let him know about your financial situation.