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Complete lunacy to buy a 2012 Macbook Pro?

E

EightyTwenty

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Mar 11, 2015
809
1,667
Of all of the products in the Mac line-up, I find it the most appealing.

- Ram is upgradable up to 16 GB, which should future proof for the next 5-6 years.

- Hard drive is EASILY replaceable. Can replace the 500 GB spinner with a 256 GB Samsung SSD for less than $100. Apple seems to charge around $350 for a similar upgrade.

- Integrated DVD drive. At around $0.50 for 8 GB, they are great for long-term storage of video files, IMO.

The only real downsides are the age of the processor and the on-board graphics. Then again, the CPU is over twice as fast as the one I'm currently using and the graphics are probably at least twice as powerful.

My use involves almost exclusively internet browsing, up to 1080p content on YouTube, NetFlix, etc., word processing, email, and very very light gaming.

Am I nuts for even considering such an old machine? It would be around $1300 from Apple refurbished or around $600 used from craigslist.
 
It's not a bad machine for your intended usage. However, like the poster above me wrote, I'd try to haggle the seller down to $500. They're really not worth more than that.
 
I bought an Apple refurb mid-2012 13" MBP back in December. Some other reasons to consider it: 1) the older technology and user-replaceable RAM/Disk meant I felt comfortable in skipping AppleCare, something I wouldn't do if I got a Retina model; 2) after all this time with the Retina screen, they still seem to be having quality control issues; 3) battery replacement is $70 cheaper for an Apple battery and with the Retina model, it's difficult to change yourself. My MBP is also not my main computer.

The base model Apple refurb is $829 (unless you're looking at the 2.9Ghz model?). For me, $500 is still too much for a used model if it's over a couple of years old. Of course, the market isn't at that point, which is why I bought a refurb.

Since the native resolution of the screen is 1280x800, if you're just streaming, it's probably better if there's an option to view 720p instead of 1080p videos.
 
I think it's still a good option depending on your needs and budget. I wouldn't pay full price for one from Apple, but I recently bought a lightly used one still under warranty from eBay for $600. Try to find one new or one that's still in warranty from a trusted seller and then extend the AppleCare. I needed a desktop replacement since my Mac Pro died and I didn't want to spend $1400+ for 256 GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. I got 256 GB of SSD storage and 16GB of RAM for about $100. My needs are very similar to yours and it suits me fine for $700 total. Also, I'm not bothered by the non-retina screen which was my biggest concern before I got one. I don't really game on it since I have a dedicated gaming computer (I just play Don't Starve and Minecraft on it occasionally) and it handled those titles fine. Good luck!
 
Actually, the real downside is the price Apple is still charging for it. I doubt any justification that anyone could come up with to excuse the current pricing of it.
 
I just sold a Mid 2012 MacBook Pro 13-inch to someone on craigslist for $450.

Mine was in good condition and I initially asked $550, but a 14-years old girl (accompanied by her mom) said that she wants it for school and only had $450 so I sold it to her for $450.
 
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The high end 15" cMBPs are powerful machines. If you put a current SSD into it, they are faster than the 2012 rMBPs.

Not lunacy. But paying more than $600 probably is.
 
I bought a brand new one mid last year. Apple replaced my old 2012 Macbook Pro with a Retina Pro which I disliked, so I sold it and that covered a new 2012 Macbook Pro and this time I got the i7 model :)

If I was spending my own money I would probably think twice though. I'd get one in good used condition - and put an SSD in it :p
 
BestBuy had the 2012 on Sale for about $400 of this past weekend. I bought mine last Summer when BestBuy had their CyberMonday sale. The price was $799 so with my reward certificates, I paid just over $700 for it. I think that was well worth the price but I would not have paid much more for that.

I should also mention that I bought a 2015 16GB MBP in May and still bought the 2012 just to have.
 
Don't forget that the 2012 can output to 2560 x 1440, mine is permanently attached to a 2560 x 1440 monitor and I find it a fantastic machine capable of anything I throw at it anyway. Saved 100's €'s upgrading it myself.

I also find the build quality in almost every way superior to my early 2015 rmbp.
 
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JackieInCo said:
BestBuy had the 2012 on Sale for about $400 of this past weekend. I bought mine last Summer when BestBuy had their CyberMonday sale. The price was $799 so with my reward certificates, I paid just over $700 for it. I think that was well worth the price but I would not have paid much more for that.
Click to expand...

I've never once seen anything close to that in Canada. The biggest sale *might* be $25 off for a Macbook Pro.
 
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