Used Macbook Air - Worth it?

[JasonR]

So I found a used Macbook Air locally. Supposed to be immaculate.

Specs: 13", 1.7 Core i5, 4 GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Lion, original box, AppleCare for another 2 years. Purchased in July 2011.

He want's $1100, and won't come down any more. It also comes with the external super drive. Worth it?

 

[daveishere]

Don't know much about buying laptops used but the one thing that would concern me right off the bat would be the battery, as if it hasn't been taken care if in that year, how much can it of degraded in that time?

Also, is the AppleCare policy fully transferrable to your name / Apple ID ?

 

[ipodlover77]

So I found a used Macbook Air locally. Supposed to be immaculate.

Specs: 13", 1.7 Core i5, 4 GB Ram, 256GB SSD, Lion, original box, AppleCare for another 2 years. Purchased in July 2011.

He want's $1100, and won't come down any more. It also comes with the external super drive. Worth it?

I personally think its worth it.

 

[JasonR]

Don't know much about buying laptops used but the one thing that would concern me right off the bat would be the battery, as if it hasn't been taken care if in that year, how much can it of degraded in that time?

Also, is the AppleCare policy fully transferrable to your name / Apple ID ?

Yes, warranty is transferable. If the battery has issues, Apple will replace/fix the battery/laptop.

 

[aristobrat]

If the battery has issues, Apple will replace/fix the battery/laptop.

To clarify for folks that haven't seen Apple's policies, if it's a defect, Apple will replace the battery. If it's normal wear and tear (i.e. the battery isn't holding much of a charge after 400 cycles), then its on the owner to pay for the replacement.

Regarding price, the refurb store has a similarly spec'ed Air in the refurb store for $1,189. It'd cost $1,508 with the cost of AppleCare + the SuperDrive added do it.

$1100 doesn't sound like a bad deal, esp if it's really "immaculate".

 

[SoIsays]

I wouldn't pay more than $1000. I'd rather pay $1200 and tax for the safety and security of buying from Apple. Then you'll have a year to think over if AppleCare is what you really need

 

[IJBrekke]

Not bad. If you can get him down to $1000 I'd say do it for sure. The same model with the smaller hard drive is $929 in Apple's refurb store:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/macbook_air/13

But of course, that doesn't come with Applecare or a Superdrive.

 

[chazmink]

I just sold the same spec machine with an i5, AppleCare but no SuperDrive for $1000 so I think what is offered is reasonable.

 

[JasonR]

I told him the max I could offer him was $1000, which he turned down. I think I'll pass for now. $1500 for a NEW MBA with USB 3.0 is probably worth the extra $300, plus the resale value down the road...

 

[sdilley14]

I was inches away from purchasing this exact same machine, used, in 9.5/10 condition, without a superdrive or Applecare, for $1050...and the seller's wife put the kaibosh (sp?) on the deal...she couldn't stand the idea that they spent $1700 on it a year ago brand new and this was "all" they could get for it. After that deal fell through I just went on the refurb site and got the same machine with the 128GB HD for $929 and called it a day.

I would ask him to meet you in the middle at $1050 if you're still interested. Sounds like a good deal and a good way to avoid paying tax as well.

 

[JasonR]

No tax on Amazon. And I really would like the 256GB SSD. I'd also like the 8 GB of Ram but I can't avoid paying tax on that one...

 

[marioman38]

Try to meet at $1050. $1100 is all the money for a year old Air, especially since the 2012 launched at $100 lower price point.

AppleCare is nice, Superdrive... meh.

 

[JasonR]

He claimed he had someone else in line at $1100.

 

[hisboyelroy]

Yes, warranty is transferable. If the battery has issues, Apple will replace/fix the battery/laptop.

I'll just throw in my two cents on this part of the conversation, and add, that while the original warranty may be transferable, it isn't quite so clear initially that AppleCare is transferable. One of the things that the seller has to do in order to transfer the AppleCare agreement to you is to send to Apple "proof of purchase (original sales receipt) of the AppleCare agreement." If the seller didn't buy the AppleCare agreement from an authorized seller, Apple will not honor this, regardless if there is a receipt or not. In particular, any AppleCare agreement purchased off of eBay is ineligible. Even if it was purchased from an authorized seller, they will still need to be able to produce the receipt. Consequently, they also must show proof of purchase of the MacBook as well. I have learned all of this the hard way.

Also, I think the comment above about checking the battery health is a pretty good idea as well. While the machine may have been taken care of and be in "immaculate" condition, that doesn't mean that the battery is also like new. I recommend checking the battery information under the About this Mac system report and checking the number of reported battery cycles to help gauge the condition of and life left in the battery.

Of course, none of this was in your original question. Back to what you were asking about, I would say that the $1100 is about a fair price as this is what that exact model is going for now on eBay. Of course, you could point out that he wouldn't actually get the $1100 from eBay after their ridiculous seller fees. While it is a fair price, it isn't a great price.

If it were me, I wouldn't mind spending a few hundred more and getting a new, similarly spec'ed machine that has the USB 3, upgraded processor, hd cam, new battery and a year's warranty from Apple.