Best way to buy mac?

Hey everyone I'm just looking for advice/opinions

So I recently had a mid 2010 white Macbook, I bought about 5 years ago for around $900 it worked amazing the whole time until it started wanting all these updates all the time, then I noticed it acting up more.. anyways I was in the middle of doing some work for my business and my computer turned off and the power light was blinking and when I'd try to turn it back on it would stay on a black screen, I looked online and apparently that means lack of enough RAM to process anything? who the **** knows? ANYWAYS I was able to get everything off the hard drive onto an external,
my point with all this is I loved the **** out of my Mac especially for using Photoshop and its capibility to have a ton of browsers open with no lagging. I've been using an older DELL just to get by and this computer makes me want to rip my hair out on a regular basis and just try to use my phone for everything instead (which doesn't work)

Is it worth it to buy another Macbook? I have heard from many people say they become obsolete due to all the updates in order for apple to force you into buying a new $1000-$3000 Laptop every 5 years or so? Is this true? And if so, is it worth it to even buy a refurbished older Macbook? I need a computer for my new business and I want another Mac but I also can't afford to spend 2k on a laptop considering the money I need to be putting back into my business.

Any thoughts, opinions, advice would be very much appreciated!
*Thanks for reading this!

TracyMoto342 said:

Is it worth it to buy another Macbook? I have heard from many people say they become obsolete due to all the updates in order for apple to force you into buying a new $1000-$3000 Laptop every 5 years or so?

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Many users upgrade their computers every 3-5 years. Getting 5 years out of a computer is actually pretty normal & acceptable. And if you get more than 5 years out of a computer (on average) you're doing good.

Also consider that buying a different brand of computer will not be any better. No real reason to believe that most Windows based computer's would last any longer. In fact...many users complain that the "build quality" of many Windows laptops is terrrible. Thus the Windows computer may be doing fine getting the computing tasks done (after 3-5 years)...but it's falling apart in your hands!

TracyMoto342 said:

...is it worth it to even buy a refurbished older Macbook?

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Absolutely...we recommend it all the time. You can usually save at least 15% (or more)...and these many times are the exact same current selling models...or the previous generation (which would be less than 12 months old).

- Nick

Hmm, Which one?

pigoo3 said:

Many users upgrade their computers every 3-5 years. Getting 5 years out of a computer is actually pretty normal & acceptable. And if you get more than 5 years out of a computer (on average) you're doing good.

Also consider that buying a different brand of computer will not be any better. No real reason to believe that most Windows based computer's would last any longer. In fact...many users complain that the "build quality" of many Windows laptops is terrrible. Thus the Windows computer may be doing fine getting the computing tasks done (after 3-5 years)...but it's falling apart in your hands!



Absolutely...we recommend it all the time. You can usually save at least 15% (or more)...and these many times are the exact same current selling models...or the previous generation (which would be less than 12 months old).

- Nick

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Thank you Nick for your reply! I am unsure of what Mac to purchase, would it be okay to purchase something as old as 2013 or would I need a newer one to get close to 5 years out of it? Photoshop is a big program I use regularly for my business so I need that program to be able to work efficiently no matter which Mac I get. I wasn't expecting to spend a lot on a Laptop right now, but I really won't even consider looking at anything except Mac anymore. I guess once you go Mac, you never go back

TracyMoto342 said:

I am unsure of what Mac to purchase, would it be okay to purchase something as old as 2013 or would I need a newer one to get close to 5 years out of it?

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Well...a 2013 model will certainly be better than a 2010 model. And if you purchase a 2013 Apple computer...it will most certainly have no warranty remaining. If having a warranty is important to you...then you either have to purchase a new Apple computer...a refurbished Apple computer...or a used Apple computer with warranty remaining (but how much is left could be important too).

But this also depends on your budget. If the budget is modest...maybe a 2013 computer is all that is purchasable at the moment.

TracyMoto342 said:

I wasn't expecting to spend a lot on a Laptop right now...

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Well...now you're part of the majority. Most users don't relish the idea of spending a lot of $$$$ on a used or new computer!

TracyMoto342 said:

...but I really won't even consider looking at anything except Mac anymore. I guess once you go Mac, you never go back

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Sorry...when you said above:

"Is it worth it to buy another Macbook? I have heard from many people say they become obsolete due to all the updates in order for apple to force you into buying a new $1000-$3000 Laptop every 5 years or so? Is this true? And if so, is it worth it to even buy a refurbished older Macbook?"

To me this sounds like someone doubting the idea of purchasing any newer Apple computer. Thus why I mentioned that you would be faced with these sort of issues with any computer (Apple or Windows)...Macbook or other model.

It's kind of a moot point. You gotta do what ya gotta do. You NEED a computer.

- Nick

Best way to buy a Mac, or anything for that matter, is with someone else's money! (Acquired legally, of course.)

toMACsh said:

...(Acquired legally, of course.)

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Yes...stealing is an option...but risky!

- Nick

Start looking here, https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/specialdeals/mac. This is Apple's refurbished site, you get the same warranty as a new Mac, and you can still purchase AppleCare extended warranty, if you choose to.

pigoo3 said:

Yes...stealing is an option...but risky!

- Nick

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Did you come by this knowledge theoretically or is it based on practical experience?

pigoo3 said:

Many users upgrade their computers every 3-5 years. Getting 5 years out of a computer is actually pretty normal & acceptable. And if you get more than 5 years out of a computer (on average) you're doing good.

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So I must be doing brilliantly with my ten year old iMac . Hard disk replaced six years ago but still performing like new - but then it's an Apple so it would.

Slydude said:

Did you come by this knowledge theoretically or is it based on practical experience?

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No comment. Oops...I guess that was a comment. Lol

- Nick

Sawday said:

So I must be doing brilliantly with my ten year old iMac . Hard disk replaced six years ago but still performing like new - but then it's an Apple so it would.

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Ooh yes...you're doing great! Individual user needs & demands definitely play a big part.

- Nick

If you are looking for an older, used Mac, I have had good luck (at least with desktops) at Mac of All Trades.