Advice on buying used Macbook

Killtron · Jun 25, 2014

After 6 or so years, 17" macbook pro seems to have died.

I am pretty much a novice when it comes to computer hardware, and I have a pretty limited budget, so I am here in search of help of some experts as to the used right laptop for me.

Here are some details of how I use my laptops

[*]Photoshop

[*]Premiere - (Not too concerned about quick rendering, just the ability to cut and edit quick stuff when needed.)

[*]General Internettin'

[*]Various Microsoft programs

[*]I won't need tons of space to store photos or music or movies, as I have a desktop and many external drives

[*]I'd like to be able to continue to use the latest OS as they are released, and be able to use photoshop and the
Internets with a somewhat swift speed.

[*]Downloading stuff "legally" from torrent type sites.

You get the idea.

Anyways, I am conflicted on what I should be focusing on. What is the oldest laptop I should be looking at? What are factors that come with older used laptops?
Aside from size, and available processor and memory, is there any other factor that makes a pro much better than the Airs?
What is the minimum GHZ i should be looking at? Is there a huge difference between 2.6 and 2.8?
How much RAM should I have? My old laptop could handle 3GB. Is there a laptop that allows to go much higher? How much higher should I go?

Lastly, if I do show up at some creepy house of a dude on craigslist selling a used mac that fits my needs and budget, is there anything specific I should ask, or look for (other than cosmetic signs of damage) that might be a warning sign?

Sorry if these are stupid questions, and for this long as heck post. I have yet to find a magical website that says, this is what you want to do and your budget? This is what specs your laptop should be.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

TattooedMac · Jun 25, 2014

Killtron said:
Anyways, I am conflicted on what I should be focusing on. What is the oldest laptop I should be looking at? What are factors that come with older used laptops?

The newer the better. The reason being is you are future proofing yourself, and the newer machine you buy, the longer you will be able to upgrade the OS as Apple puts them out every year.

Killtron said:
Aside from size, and available processor and memory, is there any other factor that makes a pro much better than the Airs?

No, they are the factors that make a Air and Pro different.

Killtron said:
What is the minimum GHZ i should be looking at? Is there a huge difference between 2.6 and 2.8?

With PS I would be happy with 2.4Ghz and there isn't a great deal difference between 2.6 and 2.8.

Killtron said:
How much RAM should I have? My old laptop could handle 3GB. Is there a laptop that allows to go much higher? How much higher should I go?

The latest models can take up to and including 16GB. Thats 2 x 8GB RAM Module's. The more RAM the better if you go the MBA way, as you CANT upgrade it after purchase, because its soldered to the motherboard and can't be taken off.

Killtron said:
Lastly, if I do show up at some creepy house of a dude on craigslist selling a used mac that fits my needs and budget, is there anything specific I should ask, or look for (other than cosmetic signs of damage) that might be a warning sign?

Check it over for little dents, and ask about them. Have them boot the machine up in front of you, and let you see it working. Open Apps, and check out the About this Mac  Top Left and make sure it has in it, as to what they are selling.

Killtron said:
Sorry if these are stupid questions, and for this long as heck post. I have yet to find a magical website that says, this is what you want to do and your budget? This is what specs your laptop should be.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

There are no stupid questions, just stupid answers

In saying that, I would buy a MBP 13" and get the most RAM that you can afford. Mind you you can alway upgrade the RAM by buying from OWC or Crucial. I use a 13" for PS CC and Aperture and am happy, but if you like screen real estate, then go to a 15".

I personally would stay away from the Airs, as you need a little processing power and if you have Elements and PS open, then 1.x isn't going to cut it. . . .

My 2¢

Algus · Jun 25, 2014

What is your budget?
eBay can score you a deal, if you're patient with waiting for auctions.

The cheapest you could buy direct from Apple:

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.5GHz Dual-core Intel i5 - Apple Store (U.S.)

2012 MBP. Last model to be user upgradeable. It has some issues: slow HDD, RAM. These are upgradeable though which is good. I'm not a huge fan of this model (1280x800 resolution? Really? In 2012? On a premium laptop?) but that's what an external monitor is for I suppose, lol! And the ability to upgrade aftermarket could be huge for you if you're working from a limited budget.

Getting away from Apple

Amazon.com : Apple MacBook Pro MD101LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop : Laptop Computers : Computers & Accessories

Lowers the price quite a bit (check the used prices). So there can be a deal to be had getting one secondhand. I'd recommend browsing OWC as well but they don't have any MBPs right now, just some boring 2011 MBAs.

PerfectTiming · Jun 26, 2014

Killtron said:
After 6 or so years, 17" macbook pro seems to have died.

I am pretty much a novice when it comes to computer hardware, and I have a pretty limited budget, so I am here in search of help of some experts as to the used right laptop for me.

Here are some details of how I use my laptops

[*]Photoshop

[*]Premiere - (Not too concerned about quick rendering, just the ability to cut and edit quick stuff when needed.)

[*]General Internettin'

[*]Various Microsoft programs

[*]I won't need tons of space to store photos or music or movies, as I have a desktop and many external drives

[*]I'd like to be able to continue to use the latest OS as they are released, and be able to use photoshop and the
Internets with a somewhat swift speed.

[*]Downloading stuff "legally" from torrent type sites.

You get the idea.

Anyways, I am conflicted on what I should be focusing on. What is the oldest laptop I should be looking at? What are factors that come with older used laptops?
Aside from size, and available processor and memory, is there any other factor that makes a pro much better than the Airs?
What is the minimum GHZ i should be looking at? Is there a huge difference between 2.6 and 2.8?
How much RAM should I have? My old laptop could handle 3GB. Is there a laptop that allows to go much higher? How much higher should I go?

Lastly, if I do show up at some creepy house of a dude on craigslist selling a used mac that fits my needs and budget, is there anything specific I should ask, or look for (other than cosmetic signs of damage) that might be a warning sign?

Sorry if these are stupid questions, and for this long as heck post. I have yet to find a magical website that says, this is what you want to do and your budget? This is what specs your laptop should be.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Several things will decide what you should be going for. Most importantly, what is your max budget? As stated, if you get an Air or a retina Macbook Pro the ram is soldiered and cannot be upgraded later. The ssd can be changed, but it is recommended to just get what you need up front.

Craigslist is a great way to find a good deal. If you go that route. DO NOT GO TO SOMEONE"S HOUSE OR HAVE THEM COME TO YOURS!!!!! Meet them in a public place (McDonald's, Starbucks etc). Look the laptop over carefully. Test out the charger, keyboard etc. Ideally you want to meet somewhere with public wifi like Starbucks so that you can connect it to make sure it works.

I would advise against the older Macbook Pro non retina. At this point it's over 2 years old. It's heavy, has a low resolution display, and unless you can find one for really cheap, it's not the best investment. The Air is a great computer. Best Buy and other retailers have been running fantastic sales on them especially if you are a student.

Lastly, check Apple's refurbished section on their website. Their refurbs are just like new units. They come with the same 1 year warranty and are a great way to save a few bucks.

If you plan on using this computer for longer than a couple of years, buy the most ram you can afford. If it is something you see yourself upgrading from within 3 years, get the ram you need now and be happy with it.

Advice on buying used Macbook

Killtron

TattooedMac

Algus

PerfectTiming

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