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Buying a new MacBook to resell on eBay in 6 mos - Bad idea?

C

catatethebird

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 20, 2008
1
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Here’s my situation: I need a computer right now. I’d prefer a (new gen) MacBook Pro, but a MacBook is more affordable for me right now. So I am considering buying the MB and keeping it for about 6 months, when I’ll have money for a MacBook Pro, and hopefully could get a refurb with some of the new bugs worked out.

So, one, how long after a major overhaul like this does it usually take for a good supply of refurbs to become available?

More importantly, how much can I expect to lose reselling a 6-month old MacBook on eBay or something similar? Would it be worth it considering whatever discount I will get on a refurbed MBP?

Maybe I'd be better off getting a previous gen MB or MBP now and reselling THAT in 6 months?
 
I understand your situation... but I don't think buying a new MB is a good idea to just re-sell in six months, especially because there's a good chance they'll be refreshed by then, making yours an older model.

If I were in your situation, I'd likely find myself an older Macbook on the Marketplace, eBay, or Craigslist. I'm sure you can find one in the $700 range if you look hard enough. And what's nice about that, is you'll almost certainly be able to sell it in six months for around $600... meaning you'll basically be "renting" the MB for six months for about $100.

If you were to buy a new MB, for $1300+ (after tax), I wouldn't expect you to get more than $1000 or so in six months; meaning a $300 loss...

Then again; you could buy the new MB, and realize it suits your needs just fine, and keep it.

Also, have you considered a refurb'd MBP? If you just care about the performance, a "last-gen" MBP would suit your needs PERFECTLY. For $1350 (just a hair more than the new MB), you could have a very nice Pro machine.
 
Don't forget the pain in the a$$ factor of having to set up a new machine, transfer all your files and settings, download all the patches and updates, reconfigure all your applications and such, etc. Doing all that twice in 6 months makes it feel to me like it's a Windows machine, but if you don't mind you're a better geek than I am.:)
 
I am not sure if I would agree with that. In general, I buy a new laptop every 6 months. I almost always can sell a 6 month old laptop for the price that I paid (educational discount). Now that Apple has reduced the ed discount from $200, to $100, I would guess that you might at most be out $100 for 6 months. You can also increase the resale by upgrading the ram to 4gig. The $75 for 4 gig, will more than cover the diff. It is a hassle to set up the computer again, but I guess that is the price you pay for trying to have the lattest and greatest.
 
Think of it a different way. What is the cost of using the computer? Let's say you buy the new MacBook for $1500 (with upgrades) and use it for six months. You time it right and before the new ones come out you sell it on eBay for $1200. The difference is $300.

Consider this; how much would you pay to rent a new MacBook for 6 months? If you say more than $300 then it would make sense. If your answer is $50, then it's not worth it.
 
Apparently you don't know ebay. A lot of hassle involved if you are not experienced. You might want to think about Craigslist for reselling.

Tomorrow said:
Don't forget the pain in the a$$ factor of having to set up a new machine, transfer all your files and settings, download all the patches and updates, reconfigure all your applications and such, etc. Doing all that twice in 6 months makes it feel to me like it's a Windows machine, but if you don't mind you're a better geek than I am.:)
Click to expand...


Are you joking??? OSX is NOT windows.

Seriously, OSX includes Migration Assistant which
- transfer all files
- transfer emails and settings
- transfer apps and (most) settings

Downloading updates are easy on OSX.
 
I am always able to justify this behavior as I take the loss after 6 months and divide it by the time I used it. $40/month is worth it to me. I would recommend finding the MBP (Early 2008) on Amazon or Refurb. I mean we're talking $1600!
 
Consultant said:
Apparently you don't know ebay. A lot of hassle involved if you are not experienced. You might want to think about Craigslist for reselling.




Are you joking??? OSX is NOT windows.

Seriously, OSX includes Migration Assistant which
- transfer all files
- transfer emails and settings
- transfer apps and (most) settings

Downloading updates are easy on OSX.
Click to expand...

i was going to say the same thing, switching between macs requires almost no effort.
 
You can even just use the free carbon copy cloner to drop the contents of one disk onto another.
 
If you're considering buying one of the pre-Oct 14 release 08 (and some 07) mbps, bear in mind it has the faulty Nvidia 8600 gpu. Early 08 has been defined as all the way to right before production for the new Oct 14 releases.

Resale on those 8600s is going to be reduced if the display hasn't failed and been replaced yet. They're covered for 2 years from the date of (first) purchase.

You can read about this in the forum for mbps.
 
I decided to do similar only with one year wait.

after contemplating which to buy a MB, MBA, or MBP I opted for a short term solution. Let me explain further as I think it makes perfect sense.

I really want to migrate from a MBP and a Dell Precision into ONE computer for all. I had decided to sell the Dell and buy a MBP initially. I figured I would use my prior generation MBP as my Windows computer.

Then I considered the one computer solution with the beautiful new LED 24 inch Cinema Display. I thought ultra portable on the road but workable on my desk. I cannot imagine how easy one computer would be to use versus two. Then again, I really loved the Air and the new 45nm processor. I decided on the MB for multiple reasons.

One, more powerful than Air.
Two, half the price of Air, sorta.
Three, major discount vs Pro and let Pro work through first revision.
Let the Air potentially get a 2.4 GHz processor
Let Snow Leopard release.
Let new versions of CS4 and Aperature prove value of GPU processing.
Let Pro evolve into a 3.3 GHz mean machine with new Intel chipset.
Let Apple decide if matte should re-enter.
Decide if Air could do it all at desk running an LED 24 inch. Decide if Nvidia GPU will run Adobe CS4.

It gives me a year to see if one computer can work and if I need the 15 inch screen size. All while using low end of the three for one year.
 
Consultant said:
Apparently you don't know ebay. A lot of hassle involved if you are not experienced. You might want to think about Craigslist for reselling.




Are you joking??? OSX is NOT windows.

Seriously, OSX includes Migration Assistant which
- transfer all files
- transfer emails and settings
- transfer apps and (most) settings

Downloading updates are easy on OSX.
Click to expand...
windows has a similar application. i was released with xp
 
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