Have I been sold a used Macbook??

jonboy1987 said:
I really appreciate your input, you've been really helpful. I don't have much time to research computers unfortunately. I just bought this because I heard they don't break and will get at least 5 years out of them... (I had previously bought 3 windows laptops within the last 6 years)
Click to expand...

The machine you bought is fast, reliable, free of known-issues, well-tested, has user-upgradeable RAM and HDD and is built like a tank.

My primary computer is the very first aluminium MacBook (before it became a MacBook Pro) from 2008. I use it all day, every day at work and at home. I run the latest Lightroom, Final Cut, Photoshop, various video converters without it skipping a beat.

My machine is 6 years older than yours, would I like a new one - absolutely because I could really use more speed now but it's still working like a champ. I am tech-savvy, I push this thing day-in day-out but until it actually dies I'll save my money.

I have upgraded the HDD and RAM a couple of times which made it work even better each time. I dropped it out of my backpack and dented the display assembly the first week I owned it - 6 years later that dent is what says it's mine.

You got a good, solid, reliable Mac with plenty of years left in it. Take care of it, back up your data, get AppleCare if you can afford it so you get three years warranty and that's all you can do.
 
There's been no welcome video since 10.8. If you're that disappointed then search YouTube for it. ;)
 
Chundles said:
The machine you bought is fast, reliable, free of known-issues, well-tested, has user-upgradeable RAM and HDD and is built like a tank.

My primary computer is the very first aluminium MacBook (before it became a MacBook Pro) from 2008. I use it all day, every day at work and at home. I run the latest Lightroom, Final Cut, Photoshop, various video converters without it skipping a beat.

My machine is 6 years older than yours, would I like a new one - absolutely because I could really use more speed now but it's still working like a champ. I am tech-savvy, I push this thing day-in day-out but until it actually dies I'll save my money.

I have upgraded the HDD and RAM a couple of times which made it work even better each time. I dropped it out of my backpack and dented the display assembly the first week I owned it - 6 years later that dent is what says it's mine.

You got a good, solid, reliable Mac with plenty of years left in it. Take care of it, back up your data, get AppleCare if you can afford it so you get three years warranty and that's all you can do.
Click to expand...

agh there is a delay in me reading the messages...

Thanks, this answers my questions, I'll be sure to sleep well tonight, ha!
 
jonboy1987 said:
THANK you!! Peace of mind!

One last question, what would be the most reliable mac out there? I really need this lasting at least 5 years!
Click to expand...

That's what we've all been telling you! You have the current MacBook Pro.

Get AppleCare. This gives you warranty for three years. Get insurance as well from your insurance provider for loss, theft or damage. Keep it away from any liquids, dust and dirt and for god's sake don't eat over it.

You cannot get a machine that is guaranteed for 5 years, AppleCare will cover manufacturer faults for three years.

Back up your data. The HDD is thing most likely to fail. They are cheap to replace but you'll lose your data if it's not backed up.
 
jonboy1987 said:
One last question, what would be the most reliable mac out there? I really need this lasting at least 5 years!
Click to expand...

Barring unforeseen hardware issues, it should last 5 years, no problem. Get AppleCare for extra protection.

FWIW, my mid-2014 shows battery health as "Normal" and it's brand new.
 
Chundles said:
That's what we've all been telling you! You have the current MacBook Pro.

Get AppleCare. This gives you warranty for three years. Get insurance as well from your insurance provider for loss, theft or damage. Keep it away from any liquids, dust and dirt and for god's sake don't eat over it.

You cannot get a machine that is guaranteed for 5 years, AppleCare will cover manufacturer faults for three years.

Back up your data. The HDD is thing most likely to fail. They are cheap to replace but you'll lose your data if it's not backed up.
Click to expand...


Will do, thanks for the advice!

The thing that sparked my suspicion was the man in the store saying he would put in 2x8gig ram for me even though apple say the limit is only 8gb (2x4). Do you know the reason for this?
 
You'll struggle to find any computer that you can know with any amount of certainty will last 5 years.

There's a known issue with the 2011 15" Macbook Pro's where the graphics chip craps out. We have a 2011 15" Macbook Pro's and both are going strong, so unfortunately, it's not easy to say what will or will not happen.
 
jonboy1987 said:
Will do, thanks for the advice!

The thing that sparked my suspicion was the man in the store saying he would put in 2x8gig ram for me even though apple say the limit is only 8gb (2x4). Do you know the reason for this?
Click to expand...

That machine is capable of running 16GB RAM just fine. Every MacBook Pro since 2010 has.
 
jonboy1987 said:
Will do, thanks for the advice!

The thing that sparked my suspicion was the man in the store saying he would put in 2x8gig ram for me even though apple say the limit is only 8gb (2x4). Do you know the reason for this?
Click to expand...

My 2011 Macbook Pro is running with 2 x 8GB Ram even though Apple say its limited to 8GB and it runs like a charm. Chances are, Apple are being cautious or have no availability of 8GB Ram Sticks.
 
I think that battery status reads "good" only when actual battery capacity is higher than design capcaity (new batteries tend to do so).
 
I had a tiny chip on my charging cable connector and I didn't remember seeing any intro video. Also batteries never come fully charged. 40-60% is optimal if you are simply storing a lithium ion cell.
 
jonboy1987 said:
By the way, how did you know it was new? If it's not an old machine, but an old model, does that mean there are newer non retina models out there? If so, then surely my laptop should have been cheaper because it was the same price on the apple website
Click to expand...

As stated above my post, you do have the most recent non-retina MBP. Apparently you didn't do much research before purchasing, and still don't seem to have an understanding of the Mac Book lineup. I don't mean to sound condescending so please don't take it that way. I would hope next time that you do a bit more research on what you are buying before you spend 1400.

The last non-retina Mac Book Pro was released in Early 2012. They still make that model to this day. It is what you have, and it uses the same components as it did in 2012 so while the technology is two years old, the actual model is still being made to this day. It is the last Mac Book Pro model to offer user upgradable ram, and the last model to offer the super drive for discs.

In mid 2012, Apple released the first 13 inch retina Mac Book Pro. It has since been refreshed three times. Early 2013, Late 2013, and Early 2014.

If you wanted the most recent of all the 13 inch Mac Book Pro's, that would be the Early 2014 retina model.

If you wanted the newest NON-retina Mac Book Pro with the disc drive and the ability to easily upgrade your hard drive and ram in the future, then you got the right machine.

If it had 1 battery cycle on it, then it was new. It is possible that someone opened it and played with it at the shop, but it couldn't have been used more than a few minutes if it has 1 battery cycle on it. Was the box sealed or opened when you got it?
 
jonboy1987 said:
Hi there, I recently bought a MacBook pro 13" Model number A1278 (non retina). There are 3 things that make me thing it's not a new model. (I bought from a Willeys store).

1- There was no welcome/startup video when I first turned it on. I went through the language options and stuff but I was slightly disappointed about the video as I heard it's pretty cool the first time you turn a mac on.

2- It was on around 50% battery when I first turned it on.

3- On the 'about this mac' tab in system report information, the health status of the battery reads "normal". I've had a look online and others say "good". How can my supposed brand new laptop not be in the best possible condition on the very first day of opening it?

I've also noticed a small chip around the charging port, very tiny but it's there. I've taken it back to Willeys and they said they can't issue a refund because the box has been opened... I now need proof that this laptop isn't new for a refund to be given.

Does anyone have any input on this? Perhaps there are logical reasons for each of these points? Are there any ways to check if this laptop is new or not?

Many thanks

Jon
Click to expand...

The new OSes don't have an intro video anymore i think.
All MacBooks are shipped with their batteries at 50%.
The battery at Normal; probably the battery hasn't had enough time to calibrate yet (you need to use it).

----------
capathy21 said:
If it had 1 battery cycle on it, then it was new. It is possible that someone opened it and played with it at the shop, but it couldn't have been used more than a few minutes if it has 1 battery cycle on it. Was the box sealed or opened when you got it?
Click to expand...

Or it could have been tested in the factory
Don't they thoroughly test everything?
 
I bought a mid 2012 13" MacBook Pro from an Apple Store back at the end of March. FWIW, as mentioned, the welcome video is gone. I miss it, as it was a nice touch, but it ran it's course, I suppose. The battery had 1 cycle and, as my Apple laptops always have, arrived with ~50% on the battery (proper for storage). Everything you've said points to your machine being perfectly normal.

You have nothing to worry about. I currently have 1 8GB stick of ram in along with one of the factory 2GB sticks and upgraded to an SSD. It is fully capable of running with 16GB. In fact, I think if you dig around the logic board can accept 32GB of ram, but sticks of 16GB DDR3 laptop ram are not made. Even then, I'm not entirely sure how practical that much ram would be on a dual core machine.

Swap out your HDD for an SSD, and you will have a machine that will easily last you 4-5 years barring catastrophic hardware failure. There is always a chance of an accident or having something fail, but that's no different than any other product.
 
Merode said:
I think that battery status reads "good" only when actual battery capacity is higher than design capcaity (new batteries tend to do so).
Click to expand...

According to Apple:

Here are the possible conditions:

Normal: The battery is functioning normally.

Replace Soon: The battery is functioning normally but holds less charge than it did when it was new.

Replace Now: The battery is functioning normally but holds significantly less charge than it did when it was new. You can continue to use the battery until you replace it without harming your computer.

Service Battery: The battery isn’t functioning normally, and you may or may not notice a change in its behavior or the amount of charge it holds. Take your computer in for service. You can continue to use your battery before it’s checked without harming your computer.

Hold Option and click the battery icon. Click on condition: ... while still holding option. Release option. Read the very thing I just posted.
 
joshlalonde said:
According to Apple:

Here are the possible conditions:

Normal: The battery is functioning normally.

Replace Soon: The battery is functioning normally but holds less charge than it did when it was new.

Replace Now: The battery is functioning normally but holds significantly less charge than it did when it was new. You can continue to use the battery until you replace it without harming your computer.

Service Battery: The battery isn’t functioning normally, and you may or may not notice a change in its behavior or the amount of charge it holds. Take your computer in for service. You can continue to use your battery before it’s checked without harming your computer.

Hold Option and click the battery icon. Click on condition: ... while still holding option. Release option. Read the very thing I just posted.
Click to expand...

I'm very certain you can see "good" in the systeminformation.
 
jonboy1987 said:
One last question, what would be the most reliable mac out there? I really need this lasting at least 5 years!
Click to expand...

There is no answer to that because nobody has done any long-term empirical study on the models. I'd say your chances are quite good, with over 0.5 probability that it will still be fully functional after 5 years. Will it be still very capable though? I don't know, the technology is already 2 years old.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Back
Top