What's the better deal?

Stewart21 said:

Well, I'm running a Mid 2007 20" iMac with 2Ghz C2D. It's fine for e-mail, web browsing, iPhoto, Skype etc but I notice it starting to struggle if I want to do some more processor intensive operations. Even Microsoft Office is slow. My iMac will be OK for a while longer but only for basic tasks. I'm fine with that but if I replaced it I would want faster CPU's and more RAM and a bigger HDD.

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Have you thought about trying to upgrade the RAM to 6GB? It might not work, but an extra 2GB of memory might serve you well.

Have you thought about changing which applications you use as well? The reason I mention that is because I had MS Office and then switched to LibreOffice for the formats other than Apple. That decreased the strain on system resources for me and then I tried limiting which apps I used to stop using apps with universal binaries and also deleting unnecessary system resources(like PPC architectures, language resources, and I often use the purge command to maintain a good amount of active RAM to prevent slowdowns).

And if you do decide to get rid of your machine, please keep me in mind because I could use another Intel iMac.

Liquinn said:

Should I make the purchase? ^_^

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I would, and you have a year to return it. Just make sure that the difference in RAM amounts between the initial description and the seller's description are correct and that the RAM installed in the machine is 8GB. Other than that, I would go for it.

Liquinn said:

Why is the 15" MBP that the seller is selling me so cheap? Is it because it's a few years old? I guess I'd rather get an anti glare 15" via someone this way than spend a heck of a lot more to buy new from Apple.

Also can I use one single meg-safe adapter with two Macbook Pros?

Thanks for the advice ^_^

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Yeah, it's because of the age. My iMac right now couldn't get me more than perhaps $600 even though I spent about $1500 in 2009.

And you should be able to as long as they are the same size because I don't think they changed it more than twice since they started it.

You're welcome.

Liquinn said:

Could you just re-confirm that I'm not getting riped off with buying this MBP?

Should I worry that it doesn't come with the box? It'd be nice to have the box but you can't really complain.

It does seem like a lot of money to spend on such an old machine but still.

Thanks

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It would be nice to have the box as well, but I would be more bothered by not having the original installation discs. That being said, the price is within the proper range that makes it worthwhile.

Considering that both the machines are c2d and are 2-3 years old, I would recommend not purchasing either machine. The cheapest offer of £795.00 translates to $1261 USD. You can easily find better and more modern hardware for that price.

EDIT

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1528770/

mba latest going for £775.

I know a MBP anti-glare 15" sold for around $1100 in the last week on the forums. I think you can find a better deal for the price.

Liquinn said:

Hi, deciding what one I should pick between these two machines.

Machine 1:

Great overal condition
Very small minor marks on casing

Specification:

Apple Macbook Pro 5,4 2009 Macbook Pro
15" LED Backlit Anti-Glare Screen (1680x1050 Native Resolution)
2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
8Gb DDR3 1066MHz Ram
1 x 750Gb Hard Drive (New)

OS:

Installed with 10..8.2 Mountain Lion
iLife 09 Included

I/0 Ports:

1 x Mini Display Port
WiFi & Bluetooth
2 x USB 2.0 Ports
1 x Firewire 800MB/s Port
1 x Gigibit Ethernet Port
1 x Express Card Slot
1 x Sound In
1 x Sound Out
1 x Superdrive

Package Contents:

1 x Apple 15" Macbook Pro
1 x Apple 85W Magsafe Charger
1 x Uk Power Cable
1 x iLife 09 Disk

ITEM PRICE: £795.00

Item 2: APPLE MACBOOK PRO 17" 2.8GHz C2D 8GB 500GB

Specification:

Macbook Pro 5,2 Mid 2010 Model
17" Screen (1920x1200 Native resolution)
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
8Gb DDR3 1333MHz Ram
1 x 500Gb HDD
Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT 512Mb Graphics card
Superdrive
iSight
WiFi
Bluetooth
3 x USB 2.0 Ports
1 x Firewire 80MB/s Port
1 x Mini Display Port
1 x Gigibit Ethernet Port
Loaded with 10.8.2 Mountain Lion

What's in the box:

1 x Apple 17" Macbook Pro
1 x Uk Power Cable
1 x iLife 09 Disk

Price: £900.00

Which is the better buy and why?

Thanks.

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First off, the 17" Machine is not a Mid 2010; they might have bought it right before the actual Mid 2010 machines came out (and if it still has AppleCare for another month or two, that might be something to consider as you could essentially take it in to get further looked at before the warranty finally expires). At best, that's a stock Mid 2009 model; still a fine machine.

Having said that much, the 15" that you have there was the only 15" MacBook Pro that DIDN'T have a discrete graphics card and was essentially, internally, the same machine as the high-end 13" MacBook Pro of that same generation, but with a bigger screen and an audio-in port. You do have the high-res anti-glare and that is nice, but given that you can buy fairly decent anti-glare films to put over the glass, I'd say it's a benefit that only goes so far.

As for that 17" MacBook Pro, you are paying quite a bit more, but it's quite a lot better of a machine. In 2013, I don't know that I'd put much money towards a Core 2 Duo Mac UNLESS it was a high-end 15" or 17" MacBook Pro from 2009, or a low-end 13" MacBook Pro from the actual Mid 2010 generation. Even then, I'd be sparing. But given the screen, the graphics, and I'm guessing, the good condition (since you noted no cosmetic defects), I'd go for the 17". Though, I'd try to drive the price down on grounds that it's not the Mid 2010 generation, and thusly, it should be worth quite a bit less than 900. If it actually was the Mid 2010 generation, and it thusly had a dual-core Arrandale Core i5 or i7 in it, then it might be worth that price.

Vudoo said:

The better deal would be the 17" since it's a newer machine and has better performance.

Of course that's assuming you don't mind a 17" MBP. I personally find them too large for my liking.

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They're both Mid 2009 machines, the 17" isn't newer, it's just better spec'ed.

Liquinn said:

Thanks for the advice 800 pounds is over what half the price of a retina would cost on Amazon.co.uk - should I purchase the 15" 2009 MBP?

Also the 17" isn't for sale anymore.

Thanks.

Also they have another 15" for sale, a 2010 one. But not anti glare.

SCRUMPYMACS - APPLE 15" MACBOOK PRO 2.66GHz 8GB 500GB W8046225AGZ (glossy)

W8046225AGZ is the serial number and on Apple.com it says it's covered under Apple's Applecare.

The price is £845.00 (moved the seller from 895 to 845; but it comes with an Applecare until November 2013; should I purchase this one?

Should I buy the one with the Apple warranty or should I purchase the one with the anti glare?

I want the anti glare one more despite the lower processor and the slightly bigger HDD on the anti glare MBP would be good too. Hmmmmmm. Thoughts?

Oh and would the quality of the 2009/2010 MBP be the same quality screen wise as my 2012" MBP?

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Are you planning on keeping the 13"? If not, then you could easily decrease the amount that you would need to pay if you offered that machine at a discount for a trade with someone that most likely wants a smaller machine. I know plenty of people that originally purchased the larger screen then regretted it; wishing they had purchased the 13" MBP or MBA instead. I know plenty of people that did the exact opposite. Maybe try that avenue since you have the most recent 13"; which means you should be able to get a more recent 15" as well.

Liquinn said:

Thanks for the advice 800 pounds is over what half the price of a retina would cost on Amazon.co.uk - should I purchase the 15" 2009 MBP?

Also the 17" isn't for sale anymore.

Thanks.

Also they have another 15" for sale, a 2010 one. But not anti glare.

SCRUMPYMACS - APPLE 15" MACBOOK PRO 2.66GHz 8GB 500GB W8046225AGZ (glossy)

W8046225AGZ is the serial number and on Apple.com it says it's covered under Apple's Applecare.

The price is £845.00 (moved the seller from 895 to 845; but it comes with an Applecare until November 2013; should I purchase this one?

Should I buy the one with the Apple warranty or should I purchase the one with the anti glare?

I want the anti glare one more despite the lower processor and the slightly bigger HDD on the anti glare MBP would be good too. Hmmmmmm. Thoughts?

Oh and would the quality of the 2009/2010 MBP be the same quality screen wise as my 2012" MBP?

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I didn't realize you already had Mid 2012 MacBook Pros in tow. What is this tertiary machine for? That would greatly affect my response/advice.