How long since you purchased the 2008 model? If recently lodge a dispoute saying it was not as advertised as you now realise all the software is pirated as you did not receive nay DVDs nor activation codes with the computer. Try and get your money back.
Be aware all these 'add ons' sold on eBay can be pirated software unless it states the original discs come with the machine.
The one we do agree on is that the 2008 MBP is overpriced at $750. I have a late 2007 MBP that I bought at a local university's live auction two years ago for about $500...so that should give you some idea.
As for the software: while it is true that it could be pirated, it's also true that there are many secondhand stores--like Goodwill, for instance--that offer used software. Apple has rarely gone to the level that Microsoft has regarding counterfeit software, so I'm not sure that's as much of a deal breaker. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not condoning these products, I'm just saying that, short of possibly the installed OS X version, there are legitimate sources for such software.
The computers sold by the university where I got my MBP have as a matter of course the most powerful OS X versions installed, on whichever used Mac you buy, whether at their warehouse or at auction. My MBP came with Snow Leopard, which I very quickly upgraded to Lion...downloaded from the Apple Store.
And since the chance of an HD failure is relatively high…all the more reason to keep backups. Plus…if HD failure is a big concern when purchasing an older computer…just replace the HD with a new one. Then all is good.
