Can't decide on a used notebook (lots of questions)

[niganator]

I'm going to be a freshman at uni next year and I want a "new" laptop. Currently I'm on an asus 17 inch quad core i7 monster and I'd like to downgrade size-wise. I was fortunate enough to receive a $2k grant to pay for school related expenses, however my mother would like me to budget ~6-700 dollars of this on a "new" laptop instead of using all of my grant on a laptop. (I don't know if I'm getting rid of my current machine or using it for gaming still/selling it and building a new rig)

I do light gaming (WoW, LoL, CS:GO, L4D2) and I'm an econ major so I don't need any crazy heavy software.

Can I game on an 11" air or is it cramped?
Would a core 2 duo mbp outpace an i5 mba? (Do I get an older MBP or a newer MBA)
Whats the fastest used air/pro I can get for 6-7 hundred dollars?
Is there a better place than eBay to get good prices on used apple notebooks?

TELL ME WHAT TO DO MACRUMORS

 

[Krazy Bill]

I don't think $700 will get you much kid. Plus, it will most likely be out of warranty.

As a parent, I would use logic and rationale on your mom. I recommend new all the way. Just the reliability alone will save you/her money. One of my kids went through PC's like water during her college days. (Dell, HP and Samsung). The other is currently in her Junior year with a 3 year old MBP that runs flawlessly and she's pretty rough with it.

I don't normally recommend frivolous purchases when it comes to education but I consider a small, portable laptop to be essential for today's student. Plan ahead, get something that will last.

Note: This advice is coming from the cheapest bastard here on MR.

 

[makaveli559m]

You can check on eBay, I bought once a MacBook Pro that had warranty left on it. Krazy Bill is right you wont be able to find one at 700.00 but you will if you do 700.00+.

 

[Weaselboy]

TELL ME WHAT TO DO MACRUMORS

You can get a previous gen. 11" refurb direct from Apple with full warranty for $799. The one above it is less, but much slower with only 2GB of memory.

It would be a bit small for gaming IMO, but would do every thing else you might normally need for college.

 

[pnyc]

Can I game on an 11" air or is it cramped?
You can do it, but most likely you won't enjoy it. The size of the screen and the GPU will definitely work against you.

Would a core 2 duo mbp outpace an i5 mba? (Do I get an older MBP or a newer MBA)
You can compare the performance of different models here:
http://browser.primatelabs.com/mac-benchmarks

Whats the fastest used air/pro I can get for 6-7 hundred dollars?
It depends, used prices vary a lot. You can get some idea on prices by going to eBay and looking at sold listing.

Is there a better place than eBay to get good prices on used apple notebooks?
Craigslist is cheaper, but you have to be more carful buying from there.

 

[Voodoofreak]

I agree with Krazy Bill. A little bit of investment now will go a long way. I would at least try to convince your mother to let you increase the budget to $1200 or so. At the very least, pick up a 2011 15" model or 13" 2012 model. I got my niece 2011 15" refurbished as she will be attending college starting this fall. The refurbished notebook seems like it's never been touched (also 1 yr warranty with Apple).

 

[JeffiJers]

best bang for your buck.. wait till the back to school sales start at apple and best buy..

I think they had the classic 13" for 999. Yes more then your budget but 100% worth it. It will get you through college.

 

[iPoopeh]

Also a fellow student going to college for the first year this August. I say at least let spend $1,200 when it comes to an MBP. I know not everyone has money flowing out their pockets, but a laptop is something you don't want to be cheap with... I should know, seen a lot of Windows laptops break in less than a year because they were so cheap [$200-$400]. =/ Even though Mac's are very well built machines, I would still get something that's new or at least a year or two old.