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How long should I keep my MBP for maximum value?

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xacimo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
5
0
I have owned my 2.4ghz 13" MBP since the April refresh, and it is a fantastic machine, it was my first mac and I will never use a windows laptop again.

I have started to think about the eventual refresh to the notebook line. I would like to keep updated with the latest models, at least every second refresh or so. What is the cheapest way to do this?

I am hoping that if I am savvy and choose the right times to buy and sell, I will be able to keep up with the latest technology without spending too much money.

Does anybody do this, or have any advice about it? I remember someone saying that they sold and repurchased with every update and basically kept up to date for free.
 
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Leen

macrumors newbie
Aug 8, 2010
7
0
xacimo said:
Does anybody do this, or have any advice about it? I remember someone saying that they sold and repurchased with every update and basically kept up to date for free.
Click to expand...

From what I read in threads this seems to be the best way to keep you up to date with the refresh without spending too much. You may want to invest in some protection case/sleeve and keyboard protector to keep your MBP as new as possible for resale value then
 
GoCubsGo

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
Most people will sell theirs off just before the eventual refresh. Heck the buyers guide for info as to when that may be.
 
Adidas Addict

Adidas Addict

macrumors 65816
Sep 9, 2008
1,455
0
England
I generally sell once the rumors get a little more 'real'. Sometimes means waiting a few weeks without a laptop but means you get better money for the outgoing machine as most people that buy don't even think about the next release until its actually out. Its not so bad for me to be without a laptop as I always keep my iMac and only update the laptop.
 
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Dozerrox

macrumors 6502
Dec 23, 2009
452
1
Exeter
Good question. I'd say it depends on how long you want your laptop to last. Obviously, if it'll serve your purposes for 10 years then you'll save money b keeping I that long and selling/buying a new one then.

Interesting question though. If you could plot how much is lost per year then it'd be easier to compare...

I'm keeping mine for as long as I can. I'll sell it when it's no longer suitable for me.
 
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iltmimi

macrumors newbie
Sep 9, 2009
5
0
When I first got my MBP, I thought exactly the same as you: I'll make sure I always have the latest one by upgrading every time and taking advantage of the high resale value of Apple machines.

That was January 2007. I'm still on the same MBP.

I've found it's good to keep the same machine for a while to avoid permanently being a beta tester - my machine has got increasingly reliable since I've had it and I'm sure much of that is down to mature drivers and firmware.

Also you can get used to certain features or areas of the design where you find the new version is inferior. Personally I prefer the pre-unibody silver keyboard to the black unibody one.

Yes, there's that moment of jealousy and one-upmanship when your friend gets the latest model and you're stuck on the previous one, but give it six months and theirs will be no different...
 
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xacimo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
5
0
Thanks for the replies so far.

I will think about buying a protective case, I have two small scratches already and I don't want any more.

It would be great if my laptop would last me 10 years, but the reality is that I use it for several hours every day so I need my laptop to be the best I can get.
 
BurningJah

BurningJah

macrumors regular
Apr 15, 2010
136
0
Belgium
xacimo said:
but the reality is that I use it for several hours every day so I need my laptop to be the best I can get.
Click to expand...

I think everybody uses his/her laptof for several hours every day! just to say I have my mac for about two years know! don't complain about software => hardware issues! it still can keep up just fine! you don't always need the newest machine. as long as it can keep up with your work just keep it and save the money!
buy when you need a new one!
 
F

fedup flyer

macrumors regular
Jan 18, 2008
241
53
Buying a laptop is like buying a car. As soon as you open it, it starts loosing its value. Don't buy a certain laptop because of its re-sale value. Buy it because it meets your needs/wants.

Personally, I wait and buy a new laptop and the 2.5 yr mark. Thats usually when the new tech has hit and the bugs have been worked out.
 
TopHatPlus

TopHatPlus

macrumors 6502
Aug 1, 2010
443
0
Southern Ontario
that varies from every single person, i have had my macbook for 4 years and i still love it but i am shopping for a new one, i spent 1850 + a few upgrades to push me over the $2000 mark, and i think if i tried to sell it i may get $200 for it, electronics hold no value, but everyone knows this and you bought a mac for its features and not re sale, and to get good value vs a pc laptop is very easy.

a pc laptop you use until it dies which tends to be fairly quickly

a mac you keep until it no longer does what you need it to, which can take a LONG time 4 years for me =D haha the 1080 p video just bogs it down a little

LOVER your mac and ALWAYS keep a time machine backup on a external hard drive and you will have it for many many years!!!
 
Fubar1977

Fubar1977

macrumors 6502a
Jul 30, 2010
885
31
North Yorkshire, UK
I`ll have to wait until Apple Finance is paid off (3yrs:() and then sell, by then I`ll be able to buy for cash with savings plus whatever I get for my 15" i5 in 3 years time.
Don`t mind the wait tho, love my MBP and can`t wait to see what :apple:`s got for me in 2013:)
 
C

corvus32

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2009
761
0
USA
My last mac notebook was a last generation 15" G4 Powerbook. I bought it as a refurbished unit from Apple in June 2006. I think I paid $1500 for it then, and recently sold it for $300. When I bought it I intended to only keep it for about a year, that's when Santa Rosa based MBP were due out. Yeah well, I replaced it two days ago with a 15" Core i7 MBP.

My previous mac notebooks include a 12" G4 Powerbook I bought in April 2003, and an iBook G3/466 SE in January 2001.
 
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DKYang

macrumors newbie
Aug 7, 2010
27
0
Like some said, the best value is before every update. I don't even think you would loose a lot of value if you do every other update either, but that depends if Apple will keep the same pricing and not lower it for all the models.
 
captain kaos

captain kaos

macrumors 65816
Jan 16, 2008
1,156
28
UK
[QUOTE
Does anybody do this, or have any advice about it? I remember someone saying that they sold and repurchased with every update and basically kept up to date for free.[/QUOTE]

I think someone is on crack. There is no way can sell your X year old mac for the same price as the new refresh. Why wouldn't said purchaser just get a new mac instead of someones old mac??
 
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iClique.com

macrumors member
Jul 6, 2010
36
0
Macs are nothing like PCs... Your Mac's useful life is much longer than you think. I thought the same way when I got my first Mac in August of 2007, and it still runs like day one, unlike pc's that suck after 6 months. So just enjoy your Mac for years to come!
 
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xacimo

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 13, 2010
5
0
I think someone is on crack. There is no way can sell your X year old mac for the same price as the new refresh. Why wouldn't said purchaser just get a new mac instead of someones old mac
Click to expand...

It would be impossible to get your money back if you bought the macbook at standard pricing with upgrades. But if you bought through the education store and upgraded it yourself, I can see it being possible to get your money back.

My Example (New Zealand Dollars):

MBP (discounted) $1749
+
500gb WD HDD ~$110

Total= $1859

MBP (non discount) $1999
+
500Gb HDD from apple $270

Total= $2269

So I got my computer for $410 less than it is worth. If I sell it 18% cheaper than its value (from apple), I will make my money back. This seems like a reasonable sale price, and this doesn't include the 'free' 250gb HDD I got from doing my own upgrade.

Does this sound likely? I would probably have to sell right before an update to make this workable. If the update is during my school year, I can't go without the macbook, but if it is after my exams in November, it isn't a problem.

EDIT:
A lot of people are saying that there is no need to constantly upgrade, and that my macbook will last me years. This is probably quite true, but I am the kind of person who prefers to have the latest and greatest, and from the research I have done, holding on to the mac for longer could end up costing more.

I would estimate that after three years my laptop would be worth $1000 (again NZ dollars). This would be a depreciation of $859, which comes to an average loss of $286 a year.

So if I upgrade my laptop once a year, as long as I incur a loss of <$286 on each upgrade, it is actually cheaper to upgrade every year than to upgrade every 3 years, and I will be enjoying the latest tech instead of putting up with an ageing machine!

This is just my estimate, if you think my figures are unrealistic, let me know ;)
 
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