Mac Newbie looking for info

[Boofhead]

Ive been a pc guy all my life.
When its come to gaming and most of all music production.

Until i got my hands on a mac.
Macmini 2012 to be exact.

Unfortunately that was a borrowed item off a family member and im now in the market for one of my own.
Any apple product. Became a big Logic Pro X fan after using all other kinds of programs.

There is a few questions though.
Im from australia and im on a budget.

Im looking to spend $1000 max preferably second hand.

What do i need to consider when buying one? Why are 5 year old models still so expensive?

I want something that i can upgrade and id really like someone with a lot of knowledge in these things to help me out. Are the 2011 and 2012 models the best ones i should be looking at or at people doing just fine on older models?

 

[thats all folks]

Ive been a pc guy all my life.
When its come to gaming and most of all music production.

Until i got my hands on a mac.
Macmini 2012 to be exact.

Unfortunately that was a borrowed item off a family member and im now in the market for one of my own.
Any apple product. Became a big Logic Pro X fan after using all other kinds of programs.

There is a few questions though.
Im from australia and im on a budget.

Im looking to spend $1000 max preferably second hand.

What do i need to consider when buying one? Why are 5 year old models still so expensive?

I want something that i can upgrade and id really like someone with a lot of knowledge in these things to help me out. Are the 2011 and 2012 models the best ones i should be looking at or at people doing just fine on older models?

which models? which line or type of machines are you looking at? you mentioned upgradeability, were you a builder with Windows machines?

 

[keysofanxiety]

I'd never buy 4 year old tech or earlier if I can avoid it. However you can't disagree that the 2012 quad core Mac Minis are real workhorses. Throw in 16GB RAM, an SSD, and you're flying.

The other issue is that you're in Australia. Nothing against the country, by the way — it's just that you have to deal with the Aussie tax. Boy, do you have to pay a premium on everything, especially when it comes to tech.

I'd say the best thing in either scenario is wait until October/November, when the majority of the Mac lineup is rumoured to be updated. From there you can see prices of new machines and used machines may drop in price a little.

 

[supermariofan25]

I agree completely with @keysofanxiety the Mac Mini is your best bet being that they are Apple's cheapest computer and even retail for just slightly over $1000 brand new (with Aussie tax, I know the feeling being a fellow Aussie my self) Find a 2012 Mac Mini easily for less then $1000 and you will be all set, minus the screen keyboard and mouse of course (Unless your lucky). If you are really into your music, those Mac Minis also come with optical audio in and out through the 3.5mm audio jacks if you have an adapter. If however if you want a laptop for on the go, none of Apple's laptops are upgrade-able however you might be able to find a decent spec'd second hand one if your are lucky, in this area I would recommend trying to find a 2013 or higher Retina MacBook Pro, I'm happy with my 2013 rMBP as it works well. You could fare well with a MacBook Air instead but that's up to you.

 

[Shemlock]

I'd never buy 4 year old tech or earlier if I can avoid it. However you can't disagree that the 2012 quad core Mac Minis are real workhorses. Throw in 16GB RAM, an SSD, and you're flying.

The other issue is that you're in Australia. Nothing against the country, by the way — it's just that you have to deal with the Aussie tax. Boy, do you have to pay a premium on everything, especially when it comes to tech.

I'd say the best thing in either scenario is wait until October/November, when the majority of the Mac lineup is rumoured to be updated. From there you can see prices of new machines and used machines may drop in price a little.

Everything he said! I can agree on everything!

 

[keysofanxiety]

I agree completely with @keysofanxiety in this area I would recommend trying to find a 2013 or higher Retina MacBook Pro, I'm happy with my 2013 rMBP as it works well. You could fare well with a MacBook Air instead but that's up to you.

I agree with most of what you said, though would avoid the 15" 2013 rMBPs due to the documented issues with graphics. Plus the CPUs in the Early 2013s are actually less powerful than the 2012s!

So if OP is looking towards a MBP on the cheap, and isn't too hesitant about purchasing older tech, the 15" cMBP is an absolute workhorse and can be found at quite a low price used. 16GB RAM, SSD, and you're flying. Obviously with the dGPU you get a little more horsepower too, though they use the same CPUs as the 2012 Mac Mini, so either or.

I personally have one and can attest that the performance for Logic Pro X is great. I have about 300GB worth of libraries and frequently run 20+ plugins simultaneously through Kontakt. The CPU eats it up with plenty of room to spare. A producer I know also has the exact same laptop and loves it. So the 2012 quad i7s are exceedingly capable.

 

[supermariofan25]

I agree with most of what you said, though would avoid the 15" 2013 rMBPs due to the documented issues with graphics. Plus the CPUs in the Early 2013s are actually less powerful than the 2012s!

So if OP is looking towards a MBP on the cheap, and isn't too hesitant about purchasing older tech, the 15" cMBP is an absolute workhorse and can be found at quite a low price used. 16GB RAM, SSD, and you're flying. Obviously with the dGPU you get a little more horsepower too, though they use the same CPUs as the 2012 Mac Mini, so either or.

I personally have one and can attest that the performance for Logic Pro X is great. I have about 300GB worth of libraries and frequently run 20+ plugins simultaneously through Kontakt. The CPU eats it up with plenty of room to spare. A producer I know also has the exact same laptop and loves it. So the 2012 quad i7s are exceedingly capable.

Probably should of said I was talking about the 13" model, I don't have a 15 rMBP. Sounds a little weird that the 2012 13" models were more powerful than the 2013 model but still possible, was that in terms of raw performance, clock speed or benchmarks?

 

[Michael Anthony]

Ive been a pc guy all my life.
When its come to gaming and most of all music production.

Until i got my hands on a mac.
Macmini 2012 to be exact.

Unfortunately that was a borrowed item off a family member and im now in the market for one of my own.
Any apple product. Became a big Logic Pro X fan after using all other kinds of programs.

There is a few questions though.
Im from australia and im on a budget.

Im looking to spend $1000 max preferably second hand.

What do i need to consider when buying one? Why are 5 year old models still so expensive?

I want something that i can upgrade and id really like someone with a lot of knowledge in these things to help me out. Are the 2011 and 2012 models the best ones i should be looking at or at people doing just fine on older models?

I've got the late 2011 15" MBP, stuck in an SSD and 16GB memory, it's got the dedicated graphics card and still runs circles around current dual core Apple laptops. I think I paid $1300 for it two years ago, not counting the upgrades, from Canberra. Late 2011 models like mine don't support every new feature, but they've got a good combination of ports, you can replace parts yourself, and certain models are covered under Australian consumer law for a fault (if you got bad luck) until, I was told, the end of 2019. Now that's a warranty