Which Macbook Pro to buy?

Hi, my name is Gary and I am 13 years old. I am a developer and I have a Mac Mini. I would like to purchase a Macbook Pro. I am saving up and was wondering which Macbook Pro to buy. I was considering the late 2011 17", mainly because of its size. i enjoy having a large screen because I program and watch videos a lot. I found a few on eBay used for about $650 - $800. Do you think this is the way I should go? I can't see buying a 13" as i have used it in the Apple Store and in my opinion is just too small. I would love the Macbook Pro Retina 15" but it is way out of my price range! Any help would be appreciated!

Hey there Gary…welcome.

When I first read your the thread title…I thought maybe you were only considering new MacBook Pro's. But then when I read the post…it sounds like you're mostly looking for a used MacBook Pro.

This is especially true if you REALLY want a 17" MacBook Pro…since (as you may know) Apple stopped making them in 2011.

The 2011 17" MacBook Pro is a very good computer (I have one). And of course if you want a 17" MacBook Pro…and your budget will allow it…then great. Of course you may want to consider that a 17" MacBook Pro has a pretty big footprint & somewhat heavy compared to smaller 13" and 15" MacBook Pro's. Heavier to lug around.

I know that you mentioned liking a big display…which I totally agree with. As a compromise…you could get a 13" MacBook Pro…which would be a smaller & lighter unit to lug around when you need to be mobile. But when you're at home…you could work at a desk…and plug a nice large external display to it for the "big screen" effect. Just something to consider.

If you were to go this route…and if you have a max budget of around $800 or a little more…you could get a newer refurbished unit like one of these:

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

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.4GHz Dual-core Intel i5 with Retina Display - Apple Store (U.S.)

Refurbished 13.3-inch MacBook Pro 2.6GHz Dual-core Intel i5 with Retina Display - Apple Store (U.S.)

The 3rd one would probably be the better buy…since it has 8gig of ram. But the first one (since it's a 2012 model) does still have user upgradeable ram.

HTH,

- Nick