New to mac, help me out

[Leeroyjenkins]

Im looking to buy a Macbook Pro but im not sure of its worth. In the ad he does not mention if it still has a warranty or applecare and its 2 years old so im a little weary. Do macs last longer than pc's? I have heard so otherwise I wouldnt consider buying a 2 year old computer to begin with. I appreciate any help and comments anyone has.


Here is the ad


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15" MacBook Pro. looks and runs brand new. Everything works great, super fast and powerful computer.Bought it brand new 2 years ago for $2200 at BestBuy, new ones now are still over $2000 for similar specs. Important Features and Specs:
15" AntiGlare Screen, 2.5ghz core 2 duo Processor, 4gb Ram, 250gb Hard-drive, OSX, Bluetooth, Wireless, Webcam, DETAILED SPECS AT BOTTOM...
It will come with a clean wipe. The hard-drive will be completely erased and come with a clean install of OSX, ready for the new owner. Also has extra partition running windows so you can use windows or Mac Serious inquires only. No low ballers, cash only and no trades. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks.




:etailed Specs::

Product Identifiers
Manufacturer Apple
Model MacBook Pro

Processor
Processor Type Core 2 Duo
Processor Manufacturer Intel
Processor Speed 2.5 GHz

Motherboard
Bus Speed 800 MHz

Display
Display Tech WXGA+ TFT Active Matrix
Display Size 15.4 in.
Display Max. Resolution 1440 x 900

Technical Features
Security Features Kensington Lock Slot
Expansion Ports 1 x IEEE 1394a (FireWire), 1 x IEEE 1394b (FireWire), 2 x USB 2.0, DVI (Digital Video Interface), RJ-45 (NIC), VGA out
Expandability 1 x ExpressCard
Special Features Integrated Video Camera, MagSafe Power Adapter Port

Hard Drive
Hard Drive Capacity 250 GB
Hard Drive Rotation Speed 5400 RPM
Storage Controller Type Serial ATA

Memory
Installed RAM 4 GB
RAM Technology DDR2 SDRAM
Max Supported RAM 4 GB
RAM Speed 667 MHz
Installed Cache Memory 6144 KB

CD / DVD
CD / DVD Type DVD∠šÃ‡Â¬Â±RW Dual Layer/CD-RW
Optical Drive Read Speed 24x (CD), 8x (DVD)
Optical Drive Write Speed 24x (CD), 4x (DVD+R Dual Layer), 4x (DVD-R Dual Layer), 8x (DVD+R), 8x (DVD-R)
Optical Drive ReWrite Speed 10x (CD-RW), 4x (DVD+RW), 4x (DVD-RW)

Video
Graphic Processor NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT
Installed Video Memory 512 MB
Graphic Bus Interface PCI Express

Audio
Audio Output Type Headphones, Line Out, Optical Digital, SPDIF out, Sound card, Speaker(s)
Audio Input Type Integrated Microphone, Line In (3.5mm), Optical Digital In, SPDIF in

Networking
Networking Type Bluetooth, Integrated Wireless LAN, Network Adapter
Data Link Protocol AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n

Battery
Battery Run Time 8 Hours
Battery Technology Lithium polymer

Dimensions
Depth 9.6 in.
Height 1 in.
Width 14.1 in.

Miscellaneous
Input Method Keyboard, Trackpad
Operating System Apple MacOS X 10.5 Windows


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[Hellhammer]

That's over two years old since on October 14th, 2008 Apple introduced unibody MBPs. That MBP was bought between February and October 2008 unless the seller bought old stock or a refurb.

How much is he asking for it? That MBP isn't worth over 1000$ IMO because its GPU is known to die (infamous 8600M GT, covered by Apple for four years). Generally, if it doesn't state that it has AppleCare, it doesn't. Is Windows disc included? If it isn't, then he's selling an illegal license.

 

[dusk007]

Not worth over 1000$ ??
I'd say a MBP with 8600GT over 2 years old isn't worth 500$.

A MBP doesn't last longer than a comparable Windows Notebook like a Lenovo Thinkpad or a Dell Latitude. If you compare it to some 500$ cheap crap it does last longer of course.
In general, with exceptions of faults like 8600GT, most eletronics usually last as long or short. With Logic boards which often fail first because so much can go wrong, it depends on quality too a little. Business Notebooks that usually cost a lot and have long warranties should last longer.

 

[micco]

unfortunately the market dictates what the laptop is worth. Have a look on your local craiglist/kijiji, generally mac are worth more when compared to their pc counter.

Are they better then other laptops? that all depends. Even one of the better notebooks like an Asus, or dell xps, can died young when neglected. But you can tell mbp's are built better then an acer or gateway.

Personally i would stay away from this model as theres a known issue with the video card. At the same time buying used you don't really know what you getting into...previously damaged from a liquid spill etc.

If you really want a macbook pro and it's in your budget, i'd keep an eye on the apple refurb store. They carry the same warranty as new and give you the apple care option.

On the flip side, if you tech savy or a hobbist then buying used or even broken computers shouldnt be a concern

Cheers!

 

[biscuitsxluv]

Stay away from older models and invest a little more in the new models. Save up.