Macbook Pro late 2011

[Macjkk]

Hello! I'm planning to buy a used Macbook Pro. There's a 13''inch one for $600, but it's the late 2011 version. I'm not sure if it's wise to buy a laptop that's already 5 years old. Also, would the specs still be better than laptops from other brands around the same price range (but newer)? I'll be mainly using it for school (ie. Microsoft) and web browsing/ youtube videos. Thanks! I'm a total noob with computers.

 

[tubeexperience]

Get a Dell XPS 13 for $800. You'll be much happier.

 

[Macjkk]

Get a Dell XPS 13 for $800. You'll be much happier.

Isn't it $1100?
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/xps-13-9350-laptop/pd

 

[magicschoolbus]

For that price its a good computer - if you're not planning on doing anything to CPU heavy and just word processing and surfing the web i'm sure it will be fine. You can always drop an SSD or some extra Ram in it down the road when you feel like you need some more speed.

 

[Closingracer]

For that price its a good computer - if you're not planning on doing anything to CPU heavy and just word processing and surfing the web i'm sure it will be fine. You can always drop an SSD or some extra Ram in it down the road when you feel like you need some more speed.

Eh it is used and I would never buy a 5 year old used computer...
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Isn't it $1100?
http://www.dell.com/ca/p/xps-13-9350-laptop/pd

The base model is $799.99

http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-13-9350-laptop/pd?oc=dncwt5141b&model_id=xps-13-9350-laptop

Ah Canada... it is $799 in the US.

 

[MacInTO]

If I were to buy a 2011 13" MBP, I would only buy the i7 2.8 CPU model. It's a bit rare though. This was the upgraded model. The other drawback on the 2011 is they have USB 2.0 ports and it has an older version of Bluetooth.

I personally think $600 (Canadian?) is too much because the battery will probably be near the end of its life also and will need to be changed if you want to use it with being plugged in.

If you're not familiar with Macs, it's probably better to buy it from Apple either new or the refurbished store. You will get a warranty and support. You can also get an educational discount on new Apple products.

 

[thekev]

If I were to buy a 2011 13" MBP, I would only buy the i7 2.8 CPU model.

I'm curious why that would make a difference. Performance is nearly identical. The price is the main thing that makes this sound like a terrible option. As you mentioned it might have a 5 year old battery. Other components such as the charger and keyboard are also subject to wear and tear. Logic boards sometimes fail, but seemingly not at the same rate as the 15" models with dedicated graphics chips.

 

[MacInTO]

I'm curious why that would make a difference. Performance is nearly identical. The price is the main thing that makes this sound like a terrible option. As you mentioned it might have a 5 year old battery. Other components such as the charger and keyboard are also subject to wear and tear. Logic boards sometimes fail, but seemingly not at the same rate as the 15" models with dedicated graphics chips.

It's faster. That's really about it.

Keep in mind, she's probably talking Canadian Dollars which is about US$400 - which is still a bit high for this vintage.

 

[T5BRICK]

Hello! I'm planning to buy a used Macbook Pro. There's a 13''inch one for $600, but it's the late 2011 version. I'm not sure if it's wise to buy a laptop that's already 5 years old.

If you're set on buying a Mac, look for a used 2012 MacBook Pro. It's got USB 3.0 and several other upgrades that make it a much better choice.

For the uses you mentioned, a MacBook Air might also be a good option. Maybe some of the 2012-2014 models are in your price range?

Also, would the specs still be better than laptops from other brands around the same price range (but newer)?

That new Dell is a pretty good deal. Honestly, a newer PC would probably be faster than the Mac.

 

[MBP_187]

Hi Macjkk,

I recently bought a late 2011 MBP, core i5, 4Gb RAM, 512 Gb SSD for about ~ 526 GBP. (Almost 700$ US) The reseller suggested I put in the SSD.

I am a light user and usually use Word and Excel, browsing, listening to music etc.

It is working well. I wanted a MacBook Pro, this is my first Apple product. I like it so far. I plan to upgrade the RAM to 8 Gb when I can afford it.

But given your situation you might want to but a new laptop. Your budget seems pretty good so you should look at newer options I think. I am happy with my MBP.

 

[definitive]

It would be better than some, and worse than other laptops in the same price range. You could probably find a used 2012 model for $600 or less as well.

 

[Fuchal]

I just picked up a 2012 (one made in late 2014) on eBay for about $400. Tip: sort by newest listed and pick off the deals before anyone else gets to them!