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Torren61

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 6, 2016
8
1
NorCal
Hi. Thanks for looking at this thread.

Here's my issue:

I want to buy a laptop and I want to get the most for my money. I will be using my laptop for recording and processing guitar as well as everything we normally do on a laptop.

I see I can get a Mid 2014 Macbook Pro 15.5 Retina with an Intel Core i7 2.8Ghz, 16GB Ram, 1TB SSD with battery and charger for about $2500. Is that a good deal?

Is there a "best" site for shopping refurbished?
 
Hey Torren61,

I use my Macbook Pro Retina late 2013 for guitar recording, processing, video editing, etc. and it works like a champ.

1. I would not buy used for anything over $600. It's too much of a gamble.
2. The current Macbook Pro Retina Model (either 13 inch or 15 inch) would be fine for what you need it for. They come with 8GB of Ram standard which is fine. If you want to upgrade to 16GB of Ram you can, but 8GB is fine for what you need it for.
3. As far as hard drive space - I would get one with 256GB and buy an external hard drive for storing large files. It will save you money and it will also be a good backup system as well.

Buy new, get the Apple Care, and have fun!

This one would be fine if you need a 15inch model:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...0rf_mjlq21_b_h_15_4_macbook_pro_notebook.html
 
Thanks!
[doublepost=1470530841][/doublepost]I spilled wine all over my Macbook Air keyboard last night, lol. I rinsed it in warm water in the sink after I removed the battery. It's been drying all day in a sun room. I'm gonna fire it up later this evening. I'm due for an upgrade.
 
Hi. Thanks for looking at this thread.

Here's my issue:

I want to buy a laptop and I want to get the most for my money. I will be using my laptop for recording and processing guitar as well as everything we normally do on a laptop.

I see I can get a Mid 2014 Macbook Pro 15.5 Retina with an Intel Core i7 2.8Ghz, 16GB Ram, 1TB SSD with battery and charger for about $2500. Is that a good deal?

Is there a "best" site for shopping refurbished?

Thats way to much for a used 2014 macbook. Amazon still has the 15" 2015 model for 2k and you still get your 1 year warranty and 512gb ssd for $500 less. Its also 16gb with AMD Radeon R9 M370X with 2GB GDDR5 graphics.
 
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Unless you have a need for the 512GB or larger SSD (like Komplete or something), stay with a smaller drive and invest in some good Thunderbolt storage. The base model 15 is PLENTY powerful, and you could get a damn nice storage system for the $1000 you'd spend on the 1TB SSD.
 
$2.4k for a 2 year old computer? No, just no. And rinsing a computer with water after already spilling a liquid on it? More the reason not to spend so much money on a computer...
 
wow, that is kind expensive. last month, i was searching for a few weeks for a MBP. I was on eBay, and found the $2499 model MBP with Apple Care until February 2019 for $2000 shipped (plus i earned $40 eBay money :) ). Battery has only 74 cycles and is in MINT shape.

so if you look, you can find deals. just be patient
 
Thanks!
[doublepost=1470530841][/doublepost]I spilled wine all over my Macbook Air keyboard last night, lol. I rinsed it in warm water in the sink after I removed the battery. It's been drying all day in a sun room. I'm gonna fire it up later this evening. I'm due for an upgrade.

lol... you shouldn't be any where near electronics. What makes you think rinsing it after a spillage is a good idea is beyond me.
 
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i think he's referring to rinsing the keyboard, etc. w/o power being connected, it's doable..

lol... you shouldn't be any where near electronics. What makes you think rinsing it after a spillage is a good idea is beyond me.
 
lol... you shouldn't be any where near electronics. What makes you think rinsing it after a spillage is a good idea is beyond me.

My wife was using her Macbook Air at the kitchen table and one of our dogs snagged the power cord and the laptop was falling off the table. As my wife was reaching for the laptop, she spilled an entire glass of mineral water on the keyboard.

The computer shut off and was unplugged. We drained it by placing it in a kind of tent position and I ordered a set of screwdrivers so i could open it up. I took off the back cover and removed the battery which had shorted against the case and let the computer dry for a week.

I replaced the battery with a new one and the computer works perfectly even after being submerged in water (not the screen, only the keyboard).

Mine was different because it had wine in it and the wine had to come out. I removed the battery and rinsed the laptop in warm water, again submerging it. That dissolved the wine. I let it dry for a week. The 500Gb memory card had to be replaced as it was compromised from the wine but it works fine with no issues.

I sent it to my son and bought a new one as I was due for an upgrade anyway.

BTW, I build and maintain power lines and I build and modify guitar amps as a hobby so I think I'm okay around electronics. Maybe you should YouTube intentionally submerging a computer. You might just learn something. :)
 
You can always buy an extended warranty if you're concerned about buying used.
 
My wife was using her Macbook Air at the kitchen table and one of our dogs snagged the power cord and the laptop was falling off the table. As my wife was reaching for the laptop, she spilled an entire glass of mineral water on the keyboard.

The computer shut off and was unplugged. We drained it by placing it in a kind of tent position and I ordered a set of screwdrivers so i could open it up. I took off the back cover and removed the battery which had shorted against the case and let the computer dry for a week.

I replaced the battery with a new one and the computer works perfectly even after being submerged in water (not the screen, only the keyboard).

Mine was different because it had wine in it and the wine had to come out. I removed the battery and rinsed the laptop in warm water, again submerging it. That dissolved the wine. I let it dry for a week. The 500Gb memory card had to be replaced as it was compromised from the wine but it works fine with no issues.

I sent it to my son and bought a new one as I was due for an upgrade anyway.

BTW, I build and maintain power lines and I build and modify guitar amps as a hobby so I think I'm okay around electronics. Maybe you should YouTube intentionally submerging a computer. You might just learn something. :)

I am going to guess you guitar amps either have minimal ICs or they do not use a lot of surface mount components with balls that you attached. Check out youtube "mac water damage louis rossman" on water damage before dismissing it.
 
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