Advice on buying MacBook Pro

[Jbe92]

I'm about to buy a used MacBook Pro off Craigslist and was wondering about what I should be looking for? It's a 2010 13 inch pro MBP for $600 with just a dent. Only thing included is a charger

[MisterKeeks]

Be sure to test the charger and battery. I think that it would be better if they have wiped and reinstalled the OS. Ask why they no longer have the original disks and box.

[Vudoo]

I would meet the person in a location that has w-fi and where you can sit for a little while. I would run a hardware diagnostics to make sure that nothing is bad. Check the system information to make sure it's the right model that is advertised. Check the battery health. Run it for awhile by playing YouTube videos to see if it over heats. Open a few applications and use them check the screen for any issues. Play some music to make sure the speakers work. Record a memo to make sure mic works. Check for any clicking noises from the hard drive. Bring a CD or DVD and play it to make sure the optical drive works. Bring a USB drive to make sure that the USB ports work. Bring headphones to make sure that headphone jack works. Test the webcam. Get the serial number of the MBP and do a quick search on the web just to see if anyone has mention it being stolen. Make sure all the keys and buttons work.

[Jbe92]

Thanks for the advice guys, would you guys say the 2010 13inch MBP for $600 is a good price? Also, how does it compare to a 15 inch MBP from 09? I'm planning to mainly use the MBP for internet browsing, music, and maybe play a few PC games (Diablo 3 or Starcraft 2). I know the 13 inch has the nVidia 320m, and I hear okay things about it.

[Vudoo]

If you're going to be gaming, I would go with the 09 MBP with the dedicated GPU.

[Jbe92]

Thanks for the quick reply, so the 09 is the one with 9400m right? I heard the 320m is better? I won't be gaming heavily, but will be playing Steam games and Diablo 3. Also, which model would run faster between the 09 15 inch and 10 15 inch. Is $600 a fair price for both those models?

[T5BRICK]

Originally Posted by Vudoo

If you're going to be gaming, I would go with the 09 MBP with the dedicated GPU.

Be careful, the 2.53GHz 15" mid-2009 model that didn't have a dedicated GPU(although the faster 15" models did). My 13" mid 2009 can't really run Diablo III, I doubt a 15" would be able to do any better.

http://www.everymac.com/systems/appl...ody-specs.html

I'd go with the 2010 model, the nvidia 320m is a better GPU.

[Jbe92]

I also see one on Craigslist that is a late 08 unibody model with 320gb, 2.53 ghz core duo 2, 4gb ram and the 9600m nvidia video card. They also claim there's no scratches on it and is in pristine condition but only comes with the case and charger for $675. Would this be a better deal if I was to game a little bit on my MBP? Also they told me there's a way to do system recovery without a disc and there's an app for it, is this true? Any help is appreciated thank you

[NewishMacGuy]

Originally Posted by Jbe92

I also see one on Craigslist that is a late 08 unibody model with 320gb, 2.53 ghz core duo 2, 4gb ram and the 9600m nvidia video card. They also claim there's no scratches on it and is in pristine condition but only comes with the case and charger for $675. Would this be a better deal if I was to game a little bit on my MBP? Also they told me there's a way to do system recovery without a disc and there's an app for it, is this true? Any help is appreciated thank you

$675 is WAY high for a laptop that old. You can get a 2011 cMBP-13 refurb from Apple for $800. That's a heck of a lot more computer for just $125, not to mention the 1 yr worth of Applecare.

I bought a used 2011 cMBP-13 for my wife about 3 months ago for $725.

Max I'd pay for a stock late 2008 unibody MacBook is $450.

[MCAsan]

Do any buying with serious cash in a very public place....like the lobby of the police department or a courthouse....past the metal detectors.

[Vudoo]

Originally Posted by MCAsan

Do any buying with serious cash in a very public place....like the lobby of the police department or a courthouse....past the metal detectors.

That may be a little extreme not to mention inconvenient for both parties involved. I have done $3000-4000 transactions before and I find that Starbucks or McDonald's to be fine. Any place indoors that will have witnesses and video surveillance is sufficient.

[Jbe92]

Originally Posted by NewishMacGuy

$675 is WAY high for a laptop that old. You can get a 2011 cMBP-13 refurb from Apple for $800. That's a heck of a lot more computer for just $125, not to mention the 1 yr worth of Applecare.

I bought a used 2011 cMBP-13 for my wife about 3 months ago for $725.

Max I'd pay for a stock late 2008 unibody MacBook is $450.

How is the processor on the 2010+ 13inch Macbook Pros compared with the 08 2.53ghz? I was hoping to spend in the $600 range and this one stuck out to me because it had the 9600m which is better than the 320m, but not as good as the 330m (though that one is a little out of my price range). I read that the 08 unibody model was pretty much the same with the early 09 model, but not the mid 09 which has the 2.66ghz. Would it really show that big of an improvement? I also read that the resolution is better on the 15 inch compared to the 13 inch and that if I was to game, then the 9600m with dedicated GPU would be better.

[NewishMacGuy]

Originally Posted by Jbe92

How is the processor on the 2010+ 13inch Macbook Pros compared with the 08 2.53ghz? I was hoping to spend in the $600 range and this one stuck out to me because it had the 9600m which is better than the 320m, but not as good as the 330m (though that one is a little out of my price range). I read that the 08 unibody model was pretty much the same with the early 09 model, but not the mid 09 which has the 2.66ghz. Would it really show that big of an improvement? I also read that the resolution is better on the 15 inch compared to the 13 inch and that if I was to game, then the 9600m with dedicated GPU would be better.

The cMBP-15s will definitely be better gaming platforms because they all have dedicated GPUs. I think there may have been issues with the 9600m though so do your research.

As for resolution, the 13" is 1280x800 and the 15" is 1440x900 in standard spec and 1680x1050 in hi-res spec. They all look very good and its really just a matter of screen real-estate. For my 40+ year old eyes, the higher res screens get hard to read so 1280x800 is best for 13" and 1440x900 for 15" screens.

The 2010 is a little bit of a tweener because the cMBP-13 still used Core 2 Duo processors, but the cMBP-15 moved to i5 and i7 processors (but all dual core). The real performance jump happens in 2011 where the whole cMPB line goes Sandy Bridge for a significant performance jump, the cMBP-15s get a quad core i7 processor, and all three sizes get Thunderbolt.

The moral of the story is: save a little more if you have to and get a 2011. It'll be worth it in the short and long run.

[MCAsan]

That may be a little extreme not to mention inconvenient for both parties involved. I have done $3000-4000 transactions before and I find that Starbucks or McDonald's to be fine. Any place indoors that will have witnesses and video surveillance is sufficient.

That may be fine in Plano or Frisco (where I lived and worked for many years). But I can tell you in Atlanta that could get you into a nasty situation.