What to get for my 1st mac laptop? Used or new?

Hello all,

I hate to ask a question that might have been asked before but when I searched I really did not get the answer I was hoping.

I have been a Linux user for the last few years along with some windows.

The wife uses windows.

She asked about getting a mac.

Here lies the question:

What should I get for a starter mac. I was thinking about getting a powerbook G4 because they can be gotten cheap. My concern with a powerbook would be if she don't like the OS (for some reason) and it gets the shelf treatment or I have to resale it for a loss.

So what would you do?

You don't say laptop or desktop preference.
Look on eBay and get a Macbook Pro 15". They're relatively cheap ($1k) and loaded up pretty well.
If she don't like it, you still have several choices:
1) Load boot camp and dual boot Mac OS & Windows (XP, Vista - and I guess 7)
2) Load Linux instead of Windows.
3) Sell it for about the same price you paid for it - the MBPs will hold their value for at least the next 12 months.

Sorry I assumed being I posted this in a laptop forum (area) it would be assumed?

My worry again is I can likely get a powerbook for $4-500.

Spending $1k on something she might not like seems risky

But I don't wanna got with a powerbook if they really are out of date and so on.

She is using a Dell D600 (about 6 years old now) anyways.

AboveNBeyond said:

Sorry I assumed being I posted this in a laptop forum (area) it would be assumed?

My worry again is I can likely get a powerbook for $4-500.

Spending $1k on something she might not like seems risky

But I don't wanna got with a powerbook if they really are out of date and so on.

She is using a Dell D600 (about 6 years old now) anyways.

Click to expand...

I use my old Dell D600 for my CentOS 5.4 laptop system. Not too bad.
I gave my wifey an old Dell D500 w/ 22"external monitor, wireless keyboard & mouse. Makes an "okay" netbook.

Any Macbook with Intel procs should be your only concern.
Older MacBooks have the PPC and PPC is no longer supported by Apple.
If you buy a PPC based system, you'll be loading Linux on it in a week - because it will be stuck on Tiger, or maybe an older version of Leopard.
Spend as much as you can afford. As I said, they hold their value pretty well, so you can sell it for about what you paid for it if she doesn't like it.

All the Macbooks are polycarbonate right?

The Macbook Pros are the aluminum chassis?

Is there much concern here?

AboveNBeyond said:

All the Macbooks are polycarbonate right?

Click to expand...

Most of the MacBooks have plastic housings...but there were a couple "Unibody" aluminum models.

- Nick

AboveNBeyond said:

Hello all,

I hate to ask a question that might have been asked before but when I searched I really did not get the answer I was hoping.

Click to expand...

What was your search criteria and what answer were you hoping to recieve?

This same issue has been answered many times before, here are just a few of them given by me:

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/sw...eded-new-mac-user-buying-used-mac-laptop.html

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/252126-post3.html

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/637786-post3.html


Before you commit to buy any used machine, do two things:

• Check out the machine's specs at Mac2Sell - Guide to used Mac first, to make sure you aren't getting ripped off
• Make sure the machine comes with the original install/restore discs.
  If it doesn't, then don't buy it.