Used Macbook opinion

[ben_m]

I'm finally looking to dump my old desktop in the next few months and have been eyeing picking up a Macbook. Primary uses are photo's, occasional web surfing and if I can find time to teach myself Mobile App development.

That being said I really can't justify paying $1200+ on a laptop that will see minimal use. Has anyone had any experience buying a used Macbook? Obviously I need to check for condition of the unit itself but what else should I look for? I'm looking to spend maybe $700-$750 max.

 

[lostk]

ur out of lock...macbooks retain value quite well

 

[jshay]

I'm actually in the same market too for a Macbook. I decided to go for a MacBook Air and I'm just waiting for a good deal to pop up. There was a 2015 model MacBook Air + 3 years AppleCare for $750 about 2 weeks ago.

I thought about Craigslist but it just seemed way too sketch for me.

I recommend setting a notification up on Slickdeals and wait for something to pop up. I'm predicting any day now something will pop up. At the latest it'll be Black Friday.

 

[ben_m]

I'm actually in the same market too for a Macbook. I decided to go for a MacBook Air and I'm just waiting for a good deal to pop up. There was a 2015 model MacBook Air + 3 years AppleCare for $750 about 2 weeks ago.

I thought about Craigslist but it just seemed way too sketch for me.

I recommend setting a notification up on Slickdeals and wait for something to pop up. I'm predicting any day now something will pop up. At the latest it'll be Black Friday.

Yea, that was my concern about CL too. I'll check out Slickdeals, I'm under no rush timeline wise anyway. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Philimon]

Ive used macsales.com to order parts for upgrades and repairs on several macs. They also sell used macs.

I'm pretty sure Apple sells refurbished models direct. I don't know if it's cheaper than Macsales.

I would get something new or something newer with the retina display. The display is really nice and the computer itself will probably be more future proof. For example, some of my older Macs can only accept so much memory upgrade before being maxed out, but my newer ones can take more which means they'll be able to handle future operating systems that are more demanding, and just be quicker in general. And I don't know if this still holds true for the current gen iPad airs, but my older ones are not easily upgraded with aftermarket memory (ie. Soldering n shit instead of just unplug old and plug in new). It's why my last laptop I went for the basic MacBook Pro, because it's easy to upgrade like normal computers (and cause Apple way over charges for upgrades). Air is dumb.

FYI: when I wrote "my" Apple computers, I meant mine and family. We've all owned several each over the years and I just do the repairs or upgrades.

 

[clownish]

Definitely look at something only one generation behind - the issue is that OS X support stops for the older generations and when that happens you will start to have problems with normal functionality over time. That means you might need to raise your budget a little.

I have a 2009 that I got with the fastest processor possible, but skimped on all other features because I upgraded them in the aftermarket (SSDs, maxed RAM, software tweaks, basic stuff.). I only use it for light photo editing, browsing, and document processing. Occasionally use it for steaming videos but really not that often. I'd say that in another year or two this thing will be getting too buggy to use because of lack of support and aging hardware.

 

[ben_m]

@Clownish. Yea, I had a coworker tell me about the same thing about OS support. It looks like getting a refurbished macbook from the Apple Store is my best bet.

thanks everyone for your recommendations.

 

[2012TP]

Build a hackintosh :thumbup:

 

[Andrew2834]

Id say buy one new only because they retain their value so much. I bought one exactly one year ago, my first mac ever. Uses are graphic design, video editing and school work. Its's a beast and still works like how I bought it from day one. Only complaint is that I wish it came with more storage. If you just plan on doing that basic stuff I would recommend getting the 13inch to save money and making sure you have atleast 8 gigs on ram since you want to do mobile app development which BTW I've tried before and is not that easy. Anyways good luck!

 

[clownish]

Build a hackintosh :thumbup:

For a desktop this is actually a very awesome option. You just have to have a tolerance for backing up your entire instance frequently and triple checking before patching and updates or you risk things breaking. Lots of easy guides to show what hardware to buy and how to install everything.