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I'm getting a First Gen MBP. Worth it?

A

airjuggernaut

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 16, 2007
535
0
Hey everyone!

I was on good'ol Facebook today, and decided to just go into the Marketplace that they have setup, and entered in MacBook in the search field to see what would come up.

I saw a bunch of ads come up, but one caught my eye.

A First Gen 1.83ghz MBP for $700.

I thought... "hmm, not bad" and decided to message the guy, even though the ad was posted 2 months ago.

Luckily he replied, and told me it's still up for sale and everything is good with the MBP except the SuperDrive can be a bit wonky sometimes.

He said (since the drive is wonky) he'll let it go for $650, because he just upgraded to the new unibody MBP and could use the money.

Do you guys think this is a good deal?

I already have an iMac so this is purely for browsing, homework and the occasional game :p
 
That sounds like a good deal to me. The Rev A MacBook Pros are a bit outdated but still viable to use today, I'd go for it. See if you can haggle him down since he doesn't seem too firm on his price :)
 
I just got a Rev. A MacBook Pro. I got it on eBay for $910. It had a 320GB HD, 2GB of RAM, and the 256MB ATi X1600. The one I got is like new, still has AppleCare as well. I say you go for it.
 
iBookG4user said:
That sounds like a good deal to me. The Rev A MacBook Pros are a bit outdated but still viable to use today, I'd go for it. See if you can haggle him down since he doesn't seem too firm on his price :)
Click to expand...
lol

It would be an even greater deal if I haggled a bit more, but I don't want to scare him away :p

aG1 said:
I just got a Rev. A MacBook Pro. I got it on eBay for $910. It had a 320GB HD, 2GB of RAM, and the 256MB ATi X1600. The one I got is like new, still has AppleCare as well. I say you go for it.
Click to expand...
Just a quick question. Have you noticed any hum of any sort on the MBP. I heard that the early models had some kind of issue like that :S
 
Hey everyone, just a little update.

I'm buying the MBP from the guy this weekend.

He discovered that the charger is broken, so he's giving me the MacBook Pro for $550 now, to accommodate for the broken charger :D

Now I was just wondering if I could any insight on issues with the first gen MBP from users on this forum!?

Anyone? lol.
 
airjuggernaut said:
Hey everyone, just a little update.

I'm buying the MBP from the guy this weekend.

He discovered that the charger is broken, so he's giving me the MacBook Pro for $550 now, to accommodate for the broken charger :D

Now I was just wondering if I could any insight on issues with the first gen MBP from users on this forum!?

Anyone? lol.
Click to expand...

You can search around. However I'd bet it's probably ok because it's gone for two years without too many issues. Just make sure you ask him about any issues.
 
I have owned my "original" Macbook Pro since new and use it as my everyday computer. I absolutely love it. I have no issues with mine at all. Has worked perfectly since day 1. I think you will really enjoy it and that seems like a great price.
 
I had the Rev A MBP for 2.5 years, and was happy with it. I did have issues with the batteries (various issues), adaptor (wires frayed) and fans (both died), but all were taken care of with AppleCare.
The last issue was when Bluetooth died—they couldn't fix that, so they gave me an early 2008 model. Nice bump. :)

Right away, I did notice that that the new MBP was quieter, brighter and ran much cooler to the touch, but I was never unsatisfied with the old one for those reasons.

$550? Good price.
 
aaquib said:
$550 is a steal. I say you go for it ASAP.

But remember not to get too excited, and inspect + verify the machine FULLY.
Click to expand...

Indeed. I would recommend buying a charger and bringing it with you, it may not be charged and he could be selling you a broken computer.
 
As a first gen MBP owner, I have not been disappointed. Of course, you can find more up-to-date stuff out there, but for the price he's offering you, that's a great deal.

Downsides to first gen? Um... not too many. Just a Core Duo processor (as opposed to Core 2 Duo), and the SuperDrive isn't double layer. Wireless card is 802.11g (not "n", unfortunately), and no multitouch gestures.

Still that's a great deal if the computer is in good shape. Personally, as soon as the AppleCare runs out on my baby, I'm getting an 802.11n AirPort card for it... not to mention a few other upgrades on the side.
 
airjuggernaut said:
lol

It would be an even greater deal if I haggled a bit more, but I don't want to scare him away :p


Just a quick question. Have you noticed any hum of any sort on the MBP. I heard that the early models had some kind of issue like that :S
Click to expand...

Yeah I have noticed a hum. Bit annoying when its quiet. Luckily the one I bought still has AppleCare till May so I'm going to go get it checked out at the Apple Store. Other than that, the machine is perfect.
 
This thread is encouraging to me....I'm about to put up for sale my 2.16 C2D MBP with 3GB Ram. Like the OP's MBP, my Superdrive is on the fritz.

I assumed I would get around $650 for mine, but based on this thread, I'm going to set my sights a little higher
 
I loved my old MBP 1.83. I too, had some issues with the fans, battery, frayed MagSafe cord and the annoying buzz. The screen was gorgeous and I loved the keyboard. There were some heat issues and the like, but it was a capable machine. Honestly, it was capable going for another 2-3 years. However, since I'm on the go a lot, I decided to go for the refurb MBA $999 deal and I'll pick up an iMac around back to school time.

Replacing the hard drive and superdrive isn't at all difficult if you've opened up a computer before. My advice if you decide to undertake this process is to print out the guide from iFixit, have the right tools in front of you, and take your time. It's amazing how they fit everything in there.

The original MBP was my favorite Mac of all time. $550 is a STEAL. Go for it.

BTW: Use ebay to grab a power adaptor. There are some great deals like the $26.99 one I got for my MBA. Also, inspect the machine before taking it. Take it for a test drive and don't settle, even for that price!
 
Hey everyone,

Thanks for the great tips.

I'll be sure to ask him to bring his Uni-body charger along just to make sure the MBP works.

The guy seems very honest, and doesn't seem like a scam at all, so I'm not to worried.

I'll also make an appointment with a Genius at my Local apple store on the day of, to inspect the MacBook Pro for any issues.

Thanks again everyone!
 
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