Low Budget MacBook for PowerPoint

[FazzMac]

I know this sounds strange but any suggestions on the lowest budget MacBook that would be suitable for PowerPoint presentations?

Background: I would like to help our church with the PowerPoint presentations and would like to dedicate this work to a MacBook. Need to be able to do some music and video with the powerpoints.

 

[theapplehead]

I know this sounds strange but any suggestions on the lowest budget MacBook that would be suitable for PowerPoint presentations?

Background: I would like to help our church with the PowerPoint presentations and would like to dedicate this work to a MacBook. Need to be able to do some music and video with the powerpoints.

I'd recommend a Mac mini with a separate monitor

 

[FazzMac]

I'd recommend a Mac mini with a separate monitor

Already have a 2018 mini, but I’m looking for something portable. I feel like I could also get an older (2012?) MacBook for cheaper than a 2012 mini.

 

[Micky Do]

Already have a 2018 mini, but I’m looking for something portable. I feel like I could also get an older (2012?) MacBook for cheaper than a 2012 mini.

I got the original Mac Mini in 2005 because I wanted something that was easy to transport occasionally, but I didn't want a portable to tote around day to day. When the HDD and the power supply failed, I replaced it with the 2009 Mac Mini that I am still using today..... and probably will do so for some time ahead.

As a teacher I occasionally took my Mac Mini to use at work, with an LCD projector, usually for presentations using Keynotes / PowerPoint (If you don't have Microsoft Office installed, Keynote opens PowerPoint, and it works just fine). It was just a few times a term, with minimal hassle. It takes just a couple of minutes to hook up and disconnect the Mac Mini, and it is easy to transport in a back-pack on a bicycle. However, I did, and still do, most of my work outside class at home.

More recently I have been using more computer based material, and found myself needing a computer in class most days, so in the middle of last year I bought a MacBook Air, the 2017 model, which has been fine for my needs. It is still available new, and is the cheapest MacBook available, starting @ $US 999....... That is $200 more than the base model 2018 Mac Mini, and $200 less than the new generation 2018 Air.

So there are you current options available new. If you want to save some money, check out refurbished earlier generations of the MacMini (the 2014 would probably be fine for your needs) or the MacBook Air.

 

[FazzMac]

I got the original Mac Mini in 2005 because I wanted something that was easy to transport occasionally, but I didn't want a portable to tote around day to day. When the HDD and the power supply failed, I replaced it with the 2009 Mac Mini that I am still using today..... and probably will do so for some time ahead.

As a teacher I occasionally took my Mac Mini to use at work, with an LCD projector, usually for presentations using Keynotes / PowerPoint (If you don't have Microsoft Office installed, Keynote opens PowerPoint, and it works just fine). It was just a few times a term, with minimal hassle. It takes just a couple of minutes to hook up and disconnect the Mac Mini, and it is easy to transport in a back-pack on a bicycle. However, I did, and still do, most of my work outside class at home.

More recently I have been using more computer based material, and found myself needing a computer in class most days, so in the middle of last year I bought a MacBook Air, the 2017 model, which has been fine for my needs. It is still available new, and is the cheapest MacBook available, starting @ $US 999....... That is $200 more than the base model 2018 Mac Mini, and $200 less than the new generation 2018 Air.

So there are you current options available new. If you want to save some money, check out refurbished earlier generations of the MacMini (the 2014 would probably be fine for your needs) or the MacBook Air.

Great story!
I’m actually not looking to purchase anything new, or current models, as long as it is in good condition I would prefer to have a laptop so I can work on the files anywhere and easier to do stuff with the projector as the 2nd screen at the church. Low budget, looking for something relatively cheap, couple hundred bucks.

More than likely I’ll do all the work on my 2018 mini and use the laptop for at church.

 

[jpn]

iPod Touch with Magic Keyboard.

 

[Biscotti]

I would say polycarbonate Black MacBook or White Macbook from 2008-2009. They have a ton of connections, are relatively fast if you wipe the HDD, would be even faster if you replaced with a SSD, and replacements parts are super cheap.

I just sold one for $60 so I know that's around the trending price on the black MacBooks from 2008-2009.

 

[FazzMac]

I would say polycarbonate Black MacBook or White Macbook from 2008-2009. They have a ton of connections, are relatively fast if you wipe the HDD, would be even faster if you replaced with a SSD, and replacements parts are super cheap.

I just sold one for $60 so I know that's around the trending price on the black MacBooks from 2008-2009.

Now we are talking!! This sounds like a good starting point!

 

[retta283]

Would not recommend any of the BlackBooks or any white MacBook besides the ones from 2009 because they run Lion maximum, so you'll be using an old PowerPoint version, and you will only get mini-DVI connections. I would have to recommend the 2010 white MacBook, it can officially run the last version of macOS and can run the current with a patch. You will also get mini displayport, better graphics performance, and a greatly superior screen. They can be had for about $120 on average, sometimes less.

 

[travis64]

Just got a white macbook 2010 2.4 4gb ram and 120gb ssd with brand new battery on ebay for $130

 

[EugW]

2008 aluminum MacBook or 2009 white MacBook, or else a 2009 aluminum MacBook Pro, since they can run 10.13 High Sierra with a patch. These machines max out at 8 GB RAM.
Or else the 2010 MacBook to run 10.13 High Sierra without a patch. This one maxes out at 16 GB RAM.

I don't recommend patched 10.14 Mojave on any of those machines though, since it's half-@ssed experience on those machines. You need proper support for Mojave.

As for PowerPoint, the current version 16 has a memory leak (or at least it did a few months ago), so you want lots of RAM. While for light usage and light Office, 4 GB is tolerable, 8 GB is much preferred, esp. with the memory leak in PowerPoint. I've gotten PowerPoint up to several GB just with a 150 MB presentation.

 

[adib]

Just an iPad mini with a bluetooth keyboard would do. Of course you'll need an Office 365 subscription to be able to run the real PowerPoint.