I need help deciding between two machines.

[stromic]

Greetings all. For the most part, I have done my own research but some types of information is hard to find..

For some time now I have been looking to get myself a Macbook pro, now from the looks of it.. the newer models (2015 - present) are completely overpriced stoves. Even if they were not stoves, they were way more than I need..

So I was looking at the 2012 and 2011 models. I hear they are quite reliable, can be somewhat upgraded and will not break down when I breath on it wrong.

So I have narrowed down my choice of purchase to two options...
13 inch 2012 MBP no retina, or 13 inch 2012 MBP with retina. I cannot find any 15 inch models for under 1 grand, or at all really.

Please give me some feedback, buying advice or point out if I am wrong about something, also if you know of other reliable MBP models I am happy to research those too.

Thanks.

Oh I should say, I intend to use the device for HD video, coding, remote work, maybe even an ancient game.

TLR:
Looking for reliable used mbp, need help deciding on 13 inch retina and non retina models.

 

[chscag]

The 13" MacBook Pro non retina 2012 model is fully upgradeable: Hard drive or SSD and memory. Whereas the retina model is not. A no brainer.

 

[ssmed]

There is another good reason for not buying an older 15" MBP as the rate of failure of discrete graphics card in these models has been quite high, often making an otherwise good machine a doorstop. Getting a 13" is a good defence against that.

Both machines can have SSD upgrades. The older one may have a hard disk which will be a major bottleneck and need to be replaced.

More generally on your comments about the more recent MBPs, I suspect the most recent iteration (2018) models are likely to be OK - after 2-3 years of trying! What doesn't' seem to be happening any more is that technology is getting cheaper within this range.

 

[maflynn]

Please give me some feedback, buying advice or point out if I am wrong about something, also if you know of other reliable MBP models I am happy to research those too.

2011 15" catastrophic GPU failures
2012 pre-unibody: Non retina display. Hard to justify spending on any money on something that old imo.
2012 unibody: WAs declared legacy (but it was deferred until end of the year). Basically buying anything from 2012 or old will mean that you cannot get any support or repairs from apple. You're right on the cusp of not getting the next updates of macOS as well.

My 2012 rMBP was the best laptop, I ever owned, no question, but that was 6 years ago. I've since replaced it with a 2018 model and the performance difference is astounding. In all honesty, I think spending money on such old technology is good money going after bad.

If you're looking at used machines, then the my advice is to focus your time and money on 2015

Oh I should say, I intend to use the device for HD video, coding, remote work, maybe even an ancient game.

I could be wrong, but it seems many members here that do video require the fastest components, and so I'm not sure based on your usage, 7+ year old laptops are the best fit for that task
[doublepost=1533032896][/doublepost]Oh by the way, there is the MacBook Air line, that might be at the price point that might fit your needs, its non-retina (but so isn't the 2011 and non-unibody 2012). That might be something to consider.

 

[hallux]

2012 pre-unibody

I don't believe there were any non-unibody MBP in 2012, they were all unibody but some were retina while others were not.

 

[VitaminX]

The 13" MacBook Pro non retina 2012 model is fully upgradeable: Hard drive or SSD and memory. Whereas the retina model is not. A no brainer.

You’re not going to be able to update it to anywhere close to the performance of a newer model, nor will upgrades extend its support life. Personally I wouldn’t waste money on something that old, you’ll eventually have to upgrade to the newer styles or switch to windows, so you might as well invest your money in one of those systems now.

 

[Nbd1790]

Do some heavy browsing and find a 2015 retina MBP. Picked up a 13 inch on craigslist (i7 - 16gb RAM - 500gb SSD and Applecare until next year) all for $900.

Love the new designs - just not ready to switch to USB C.

Would recommend staying away from models earlier than 2012 (nothing against them, Ive owned them before) - they're great, but as far as I'm aware, Apple no longer services these models. So if the logic board goes on it, you'll have a pretty expensive paper weight on your hands.

 

[iShater]

Get a 2015. If you can afford the extra $$ (say to go to $1300 or so) then find a 15" instead.

Edit: Something like this https://www.bestbuy.com/site/apple-...-flash-storage-silver/6113612.p?skuId=6113612

 

[stromic]

But. Aren't the 2015 models complete stoves with logic boards that go bad?

 

[MBAir2010]

Make sure the battery has a very good life cycle.
Personally, i would get 2012 rMBP Maflynn wisely recommended.

 

[stromic]

How do I check that, Expo?

By the way, I can't find a reasonably priced 2015 model, but does the 2014 model have any outstanding issues?

 

[kschendel]

Any particular reason you're not mentioning the late 2013's? I'm typing this on one (15" rMBP without the discrete graphics board) and I expect it to be my laptop for some years to come. One of the fans is just starting to become audible, but I can replace it when it gets noisy enough to be bothersome.

 

[Pearl Wisdom]

How do I check that, Expo?

By the way, I can't find a reasonably priced 2015 model, but does the 2014 model have any outstanding issues?

You can check the battery cycles in About This Mac > System Report > Hardware > Power. I currently have 134 cycles on my mid-2014 15" MBP.

I've been quite happy with my 2014 MBP which I've been using for almost 3 years (still have 3 months of AppleCare on it!). I have a friend with the identical model who has also been heavily using hers for about a year; paid $1370 on eBay for a 2014 15" 2.5GHz i7 with 16GB RAM 500GB SSD. I haven't heard of any big problems with the 2014 model. So I think a 2014 MBP is a good choice. I have a 2011 17" MBP that I just had the GPU replaced on for about $170 after it broke down earlier this year, and the repair has lasted a few days so maybe I'll get a few years out of it too, although its official compatibility stops with High Sierra. My friend also has a 2012 15" MBP which I think will be eligible for a Mojave OS upgrade. But I think getting a 2014 model is probably a slightly better deal.