OT: Need Advice

Greetings,

I've been seeing a ton of great entries for MacBook Pros on local classified sites. 15 inch 2.4GHz with 4GB RAM for $1300 and so forth...

Just one problem: I don't know what problems to look for when I see these things in person.

I'd normally check the box for obvious physical damage, listen for odd noises, feel for overheating, watch for lockups, etc... Then I'd get the thing home, reformat the hard drive, install Windows and be on my way...

I assume all that stuff would be true of Macs as well -- however, I wonder if there's anything additional I should watch for.

So my question, put simply, is this: Am I missing anything critical that I should keep an eye out for?

Thanks!

J

you should be careful of deals that are too good. the one you listed is very low for a machine of that caliber, it is very unlikely to find a deal like that.

I agree, i saw a brand new one, just opened box going for 1500.. that's 1000 off for something that he said is only 2 days old. Why not just return it at the store??

I do agree with both of you on the principal of "too good to be true"... However, sometimes strange things do happen, and there actually appear to be quite a lot of relatively low priced new(er) machines out there.

It's hard to imagine they're all significantly damaged... What signs would you look for to know if you've found a cheap gem vs an expensive lemon?

Thanks for the replies...

J

One thing I'd check is all the screws around the base; if they look like they've been removed (marked or warn, or not seated properly) then ask why, when and by whom. Opening it up will void the warranty unless it's done by an Apple certified technician, and is a sign that something might not be as it should be (I often hear of stories where people have to get certain parts fixed numerous times; it seems if it goes once, whatever the reason was is still there and replacing the broken part is only a temp. fix).

Make sure the thing comes with the PROPER install/maintenance disks. Buying a Mac without them is like buying a car without wheels.

ibookclamman300 said:

you should be careful of deals that are too good. the one you listed is very low for a machine of that caliber, it is very unlikely to find a deal like that.

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I agree...that is just way too low a price for the specs on that Mac...I would be suspicious....

Brown Study said:

Make sure the thing comes with the PROPER install/maintenance disks. Buying a Mac without them is like buying a car without wheels.

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Amen to that....always get the discs...be sure to check the screen real close as well...I have bought several in the past and come across the very faint dirt or dead pixel that was well hidden. It later gave me a load of issues...

spilio said:

Greetings,

I've been seeing a ton of great entries for MacBook Pros on local classified sites. 15 inch 2.4GHz with 4GB RAM for $1300 and so forth...

J

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Stolen probably.... Anyone selling something that cheap clearly did not buy it.