Good deal? Which would you buy

[Bluelinek9]

I am looking to buy a used Macbook for my business. I will using it primarily for email, light video editing, website design, and social media marketing. I have never owned a Macbook and am looking at two different used ones.

The first is an early 2015 Macbook pro 13. It looks barely used and only has 200 charges on the battery. It has 8 gb ram, 256 gb flash storage and the I5 2.7 ghz processor. They are asking $750.

The second is an early 2012 Macbook pro 13. It has a little more wear and tear. It has a brand new battery, 16 gb ram and a 256 gb ssd all upgraded I guess. It also has an I7 processor 2.9 ghz. He is asking $695.


Are these fair prices and which would you buy? Thanks in advance.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

I would definitely NOT recommend the 2012 model since that's the last model year that supports the latest OS version. The 2015 model is better supported and newer. However, with the 8GB of memory and just a dual-core processor, it is going to struggle with video editing. The other things should be fine.

What is your budget? Realize that neither of these machines are going to be under warranty and if something were to break, you're going to spend the value of the machine if it was the logicboard for example. You might want to think about checking out the Mac Refurbished store where you'll get a machine at a discount from brand new but get the warranty.

Also, do you ABSOLUTELY need a laptop? The newest Mac Mini is WAY faster than either of these MBP's and much better suited for the work you want to do. The $799 machine is a 4-core and you can get a 6-core machine for $1099. This machine now actually matches the power of the iMac Pro from a few years back.

 

[Bluelinek9]

Thanks for the answer. I do need a laptop as I do most of this away from home. I am just looking for an inexpensive way to get my feet wet with a macbook and decide whether I want a new one. Also video editing is probably not the correct term. I take videos of my dog training and put them together for social media and web page purposes....splicing maybe? haha. I am not a professional photographer or videographer or anything like that. I appreciate the advice about the 2012, I did not know that.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

The cheapest 13" MBP on the refurbished store right now is $1099. The 2015 model you listed here is $750. So a $260 difference. But what you lose on the 2015 is no warranty (huge in my opinion) and ability to give it back if things don't work out. What you gain is the 256GB storage. The refurbished model (currently) only has 128GB of storage, but has the one year warranty included and ability to purchase 2 more years after that. Additionally, if the Mac doesn't suit your needs, you have 14 days from date of purchase to return it for a full refund and explore other options.

So you've gotta figure out if the peace of mind is worth the extra money or not.

You asked "which would you buy" in your first post and my answer is always the most/best machine that fits within the budget and ideally refurbished. That's the best deal in town.

If the price difference was more, I could consider the 2015 model, but as it stands right now I wouldn't.